Today’s society is developing newer technologies every day, and these advancements can be clearly seen in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs). The design phase of a PCB consists of several steps, and among these many steps, soldering plays a vital role in determining the quality of the designed board. Soldering ensures that the circuit remains fixed on the board, and if it weren’t for the development of soldering technology, printed circuit boards would not be as strong as they are today. At present, there are many kinds of soldering techniques used in various industries. The two most concerned soldering techniques in the field of PCB design and manufacturing are wave soldering and reflow soldering. There are many differences between these two soldering techniques. Wondering what those differences are?
What is the difference between reflow soldering and wave soldering?
Wave soldering and reflow soldering are two completely different soldering techniques. The main differences are as follows:
| wave soldering | reflow soldering |
| In wave soldering, components are soldered with the help of wave crests, which are formed by molten solder. | Reflow soldering is the soldering of components with the help of reflow, which is formed by hot air. |
| Compared with reflow soldering, wave soldering technology is more complicated. | Reflow soldering is a relatively simple technique. |
| The soldering process requires careful monitoring of issues such as the temperature of the board and how long it has been in the solder. If the wave soldering environment is not properly maintained, it can lead to flawed board designs. | It does not require a specific controlled environment, thus allowing great flexibility when designing or manufacturing printed circuit boards. |
| The wave soldering method takes less time to solder a PCB and is also less expensive compared to other techniques. | This soldering technique is slower and more expensive than wave soldering. |
| You need to consider different factors including pad shape, size, layout, heat dissipation and where to solder effectively. | In reflow soldering, factors such as board orientation, pad shape, size and shading do not have to be considered. |
| This method is mainly used in the case of high-volume production, and it helps to manufacture a large number of printed circuit boards in a shorter period of time. | Unlike wave soldering, reflow soldering is suitable for small batch production. |
| If through-hole components are to be soldered, then wave soldering is the most suitable technique of choice. | Reflow soldering is ideal for soldering surface mount devices on printed circuit boards. |
Which is better for wave soldering and reflow soldering?
Each type of soldering has its own advantages and disadvantages, and choosing the right soldering method depends on the design of the printed circuit board and the requirements specified by the company. If you have any questions about this, please contact us for discussion.
Post time: May-09-2023