SMT Assembly Tips

Low Volume Surface Mount Soldering

Are you faced with having to use surface mounted components? Are you unable to obtain parts in DIP or other thru-hole packages? You should not be intimidated by SMT technology. It is not difficult to produce high quality SMT assemblies using low cost tools and materials.

Materials You Might need:

Soldering Iron
Solder Paste
Solder Removal Wick
Liquid Soldering Flux
Mini-Wave™ - Tip

Good Links to Information and Goods:

www.paceusa.com - Pace Soldering Equipment. Their MiniWave tip is a revolutionary development in hand soldering SMT parts. Check out their process guides for SMT installation and removal.

www.kester.com - Maker of solder, pastes, and fluxes. I've had good luck with their RMA no-clean solder paste.

www.techni-tool.com - Sells Pace, Weller, and other soldering equipment as well as flux, solder-wick, paste and other supplies you will need.

Allied Electronics - Sells a variety of soldering equipment and supplies. Another one-stop shop for many tools and supplies.

The Pace MiniWave tip will fit any soldering iron that will accept 3/16 inch shank tips. Pace makes great soldering tools, but they are from $200 on up. As long as your iron can maintain a temperature of about 700º F. then it should produce satisfactory results.

Follow the Pace process guide for installation of SMT parts using the MiniWave tip. The MiniWave tip works great on TQFP, QFP, SOIC, and SSOP packages. It gives satisfactory results with PLCC and other J-leaded parts but it is not as easy as the gull-winged parts.

You can facilitate the installation of J-leaded parts as well as small chip resistors and caps by using solder paste. Apply a small amount of paste (not too much or you will have a bridge) to the pads. Place the component and heat the pad with your iron enough to reflow the solder paste. You may have to hold the component in place to keep it from drifting during the reflow. You will need tips and plunger for the paste tube. Paste comes in a syringe-like dispenser.

When using the mini-wave process, make sure that you use a lot of flux and do not use too much solder. The result of either mistake will be solder bridges between leads. If you get bridges, take some solder off the tip, re-apply more flux, and go over the part again with the tip. Solder removal braid may be helpful.

No process is completely described on paper. You will need to practice and develop a technique that works for you. How much solder and flux is needed as well as how fast to drag the tip across the component leads are things you have to figure out.

More information will come as I have time to put this together.

This information is believed to be correct but I cannot be liable for the results you may achieve. SMT soldering takes patience and some practice and your results may vary. The information here is not intended as an endorsement of any particular manufacturer. It is simply based on what I have found that works for me. Trademarks are property of their respective owners.