Wave soldering smt components

Sure KA, it's done every day. Be sure that the components to be used on the bottom can take the maximum heat of the wave and the delta T of entering the wave. Depending how complex the bottom side is you will get better results with attention paid to Design For Manufacture and an appropriate wave machine. Select the correct adhesive for your board and method of application. Loctite is just one supplier. Search this forum's archives for more info and good luck. John Thorup

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Hello KA, When producing in kind of PCB product you have to base much of your decision on cost effectiveness, time, and quality. In order to get the best of all three you have to decide which you want to be your top priority. By adding an epoxy to these parts, you can risk coplanarity issues with the surface mount pads. The time its takes to add this epoxy by machine or by hand can also be burden to your budget. If you want to run these boards through the wave but don't want to waste time on the epoxy you should look into a fixture that shields the components from excessive heat and solder but remains open for the through-hole leads. If you do choose to go with the epoxy invest in a product with minimal heat expansion. You will also need to decide on your torque specifications. Look to have the glue cured in you SMT reflow ovens. The parts can then be examined for compliance before they reach the wave solder.

I hope this helps... Have a good one.

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KA,

Joshua makes a good point. A wave solder fixture will allow you to process your double-sided boards without having to add the epoxy step. The one time fixed cost of a fixture is quickly offset by the time that you save by not gluing your SMT. A selective solder pallet lets you solder only the through-hole components while protecting all of your solder side SMT. There are plenty of fixture houses out there but I recommend: 1) EMC Global Technologies 2) GSC (Garland) 3) Stone Mountain

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