Wave Soldering and Reflow Soldering are two common electronic soldering methods, and they have the following differences:
- Application Field: Wave soldering is mainly used for surface mounting of through-hole components (such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, etc.), while reflow soldering is suitable for surface-mounted components (such as QFP, BGA, etc.) and soldering of complex circuit boards.
- Soldering Method: In wave soldering, electronic components are placed on a circuit board pre-coated with solder paste, and soldering is completed by heating the solder once until it melts and cools down. Reflow soldering involves placing the entire circuit board into a constant temperature oven for heating, and controlling the temperature and time to melt the solder and form reliable connections with the solder pads on the circuit board.
- Soldering Process: In wave soldering, solder is heated until melted and components are soldered by the wave below the circuit board, while in reflow soldering, solder is melted by uniformly heating the entire circuit board, and connections are formed between the solder pads by gravity or surface tension.
- Soldering Temperature: The soldering temperature of wave soldering is relatively high, usually around 240°C-250°C, while the temperature range of reflow soldering is wider, generally between 150°C-250°C, depending on the soldering equipment and solder.
- Environmental Protection: Due to the melting and immersion of materials involved in wave soldering, there are certain environmental issues, while reflow soldering has better environmental performance because it basically does not involve the generation of waste gas and waste liquid.
In summary, the main differences between wave soldering and reflow soldering include application field, soldering method, soldering process, soldering temperature, and environmental protection. The choice of soldering method depends on specific application requirements.
