In the PCBA processing process, there are two commonly used soldering methods: selective wave soldering and manual soldering. So what are the differences between these two methods, and what are their respective advantages and disadvantages? Let’s introduce the differences between selective wave soldering and manual soldering in PCBA processing.
Firstly, from the perspective of soldering quality, selective wave soldering is definitely superior to manual soldering. Although the application of high-quality intelligent electric soldering irons has improved the quality of manual soldering qualitatively, there are still some uncontrollable factors. For example, it is difficult to accurately control the amount of solder and the wetting angle of solder joints, which leads to inconsistent soldering quality, as well as requirements for the soldering rate of metallized holes. Particularly when the component leads are gold-plated, pre-tinning of the soldering area is required before soldering, which is a tedious task.
Manual soldering is also influenced by human factors, making it difficult to meet high-quality requirements. For example, with the increase in circuit board density and the thickness of circuit traces, the thermal capacity of soldering also increases. Using a soldering iron for soldering is prone to insufficient heat, resulting in cold solder joints or solder rise heights of through-hole soldering that do not meet requirements. Excessive increase in soldering temperature or prolonged soldering time may damage the printed circuit board, leading to pad detachment.
Secondly, in terms of soldering efficiency, traditional manual soldering requires multiple people to perform point-to-point soldering on the PCB. Selective wave soldering adopts a pipeline-style industrialized batch production mode, which can improve soldering efficiency through batch soldering and different sizes of soldering nozzles, typically tens of times higher than manual soldering.
At the same time, in terms of soldering flexibility, selective wave soldering uses programmable movable small solder pots and various flexible and diverse soldering nozzles, which can be programmed to avoid certain fixed screws and reinforcement positions on the PCB to prevent damage from contact with high-temperature solder. Moreover, customized soldering trays are not required. Therefore, selective wave soldering is very suitable for multi-variety, small-batch production methods. It has broad application prospects, especially in industries such as aerospace and military industry.
Furthermore, the high quality of selective wave soldering is also an important advantage. When using selective wave soldering for soldering, the soldering parameters of each solder joint can be customized according to specific requirements. Comprehensive process adjustments can be made, such as the amount of flux spraying, soldering time, solder wave height, etc., which can greatly reduce the defect rate and may achieve zero-defect soldering of through-hole components. Compared with manual soldering, reflow soldering, and traditional wave soldering, selective wave soldering has the lowest defect rate.
In summary, through the comparison of selective wave soldering and manual soldering, it can be seen that selective wave soldering has many advantages such as good soldering quality, high efficiency, strong flexibility, low defect rate, less pollution, and the ability to adapt to various soldered components. Therefore, it is the preferred method for high-reliability electronic product PCBA soldering, gradually replacing the position of manual soldering.
