Fault Finding in the Wave Soldering Process

The increasing use of the soldering process, especially in the area of mass production of PCBs, for achieving reliable joints which can nevertheless be unsoldered for repair, faulty component rectification or replacement, has led to the need for an efficient source of fault detection. Not only the sequence of steps involved in the wave soldering operation itself, but every stage from design through to final assembly, requires close examination. A Fault Finding Chart lists an extensive selection of the pertinent variables, in an attempt to help identify problems relating specifically to the soldering defect, the Chart also proving useful as a check list. Differences must be recognised between true solderability, mechanical solderability and flow solderability in order to pinpoint the cause of defects and act accordingly. This visual defect chart should serve best in marginal or reject situations, making no claim to substitute for national and company specifications as a basis for Quality Control.