On Monday 28 April 2003 21:38, Ashley Roll wrote:
> Hi Guys,
>
> I'm no expert in this, but solder "Pots" are generally small (inch or s=
o)
> diameter pots that contain solder. Generally they are used to "tin" wir=
es
> etc

But there are also large ones for soldering boards, and also called solde=
ring=20
pots.  Look at Jameco's 149876 for example.



> I've been looking for one for a while for this purpose - anyone in
> Australia have one they want to get rid of?
>
> Where as "Wave" soldering machines are a bit different.
>
> The ones that I have seen are about 2 to 3 metres long with a track sys=
tem
> to move the populated board along through the machine.. Most of the len=
gth
> of the machine is used to "pre-heat" the board and components so as not=
 to
> damage them with the big temperature shock of molten solder.
>
> As the boards move though, the first encounter a flux bath, this is
> basically a liquid flux pumped out of a slot near the bottom of the boa=
rd,
> the flux is collected about and re-circulated.
>
> Then its on to the solder "wave".
>
> Think of a large chunk of aluminium.. This has a rectangular raised por=
tion
> which goes across the width of the track but isn't very "long".. the on=
e
> I've seen is probably about 2 inches in the direction of PCB travel.
>
> The rest of the aluminium chunk forms a collector and reservoir for the
> solder. The hole thing is heated so as to melt solder. Then a pump is u=
sed
> to pump liquid solder up the central part. It forms quite a high menisc=
us
> and flows off the sides to be re-circulated. The constant circulation k=
eeps
> it oxide free.
>
> BAD ASCII art:
>
>     ,-------------, Top view
>
>     |    +---+    |
>     |
>     |    |   |    |   ,------------,
>     |    |   |    |
>     |    |   |    |   | <--- PCB   |
>     |    |   |    |   | <---       |
>     |    |   |    |
>     |    |   |    |   '------------'
>     |
>     |    +---+    |
>
>     '-------------'
>
>           @@@ <--- solder "wave"
>
>     |   / | | \   | Side view
>
>     \--/  | |  \--/
>
>            ^
>
>            | Molten Solder
>
> The board move through this static wave of solder and are positioned so=
 it
> just touches the solder, and surface tension makes sure the right amoun=
t of
> solder stays on. quite cool to watch.. :)
>
> Cheers,
> Ash.

Sounds pretty neat actually.  Would love to see a pro one in action somed=
ay.

Cheers,
-Neil.

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