1. Applications
  2. Wave Soldering
  3. Closed-loop Process Control

Closed-loop Process Control

As board assemblies become increasingly complex and difficult to solder, board manufacturers are looking for wave soldering machines that can provide closed-loop process control and automatic features. This allows engineers and operators to focus on maintaining a repeatable and optimized process, as well as maximizing throughput and equipment utilization.

The Electrovert® Electra™, VectraElite™, and VectraES™ offer several supportive features:

  • Auto lead clearance: Recipe-controlled automatic lead clearance (standard);

  • Auto stand-by mode: When no PCBs are being processed through the wave, the RPMs slow down, saving costs by reducing dross generation. A recipe controlled standard feature.

  • Recipe integration: Recipes are integrated with the auto start feature.  An unlimited amount of recipes can be stored with process notes and saved to each recipe.

  • ExactaWave™: An optional feature that provides automatic wave height control. The ExactaWave measures the solder wave height relative to the PCB on the conveyor.

  • Bar code: An optional feature consisting of a combo 1D/2D barcode that enables board tracking. All critical machine parameters (user defined) can be tracked either by board or by time.

  • Data logging and trending: Capture and trend all machine parameters with this standard software feature.

  • Easy GUI with quick view screen: Electrovert’s software and operation controls were designed with user interface in mind. The Windows® operating system is multi-functional and easy to use. The 3D GUI provides the user a real-time view of the complete machine modules, operation, and product being soldered. All Electrovert systems have a customizable ‘dashboard’ quick view screen. Quick view allows engineers and operators to view critical machine parameters that are important to the process or application.

  • Security features: Multiple security levels are available which can be configured and assigned to specific users.  Access rights to specific machine functions are configurable.

Wave Soldering Machines:
DeltaX Wave Solder | Electra Wave Solder 
VectraElite Wave Solder | VectraES Wave Solder

Fluxing Applications

Of the many flux products developed for soldering applications, most electronics assemblers prefer to use no-clean, low solids formulations, in part because they eliminate the post-reflow cleaning or defluxing process step.

Lead-free soldering

In the demanding environment of lead-free soldering, it is important to understand the different characteristics of lead-free materials. Wetting times for lead-free alloys are slower than those of tin/lead, and flow characteristic are more viscous.

Nitrogen tunnel soldering

As PCB designs become more complex, thicker, and denser, through-hole soldering is becoming more difficult. The introduction of lead-free alloys compounds these problems because lead-free alloys don’t wet as well as lead-bearing alloys, and deeper holes (due to PCB thickness) make thorough hole-filling less certain in many cases.

Top Side Hole Filling

As the complexity of PCB assemblies continues to increase, many electronics assemblers are seeking a solution in a wave soldering machine.

Wave Soldering

Wave SolderingAward-winning wave soldering technologies have long met the demanding throughput and process control challenges of applications such as lead-free wave soldering.

Wave Soldering SMT

Even though most SMT soldering is achieved through reflow, some assemblies require that some of the Surface Mounted Devices (SMDs) on a board, such as chip components, must be wave soldered.