HAND SOLDERING TRAINING

COURSE

1
 Aim
Review the whole soldering process to improve soldering quality.
Aim for high first time pass rates.
How to approach soldering
Regardless of what product an electronic assembler makes, we can say
they really only make solder joints. Its the process that brings everything
electrical together.
Every joint should be made with care. If not then you may be able to
weed out the poorest during inspection/test but some will pass and they
will be the weakest bit of the product and will fail in service, especially in
automotive products where temperature & vibration can be considerable
In service failures are expensive to repair and always have other negative
effects on the business.
All customers know the solder joint is potentially the weakest part of
the product.

2
 Contents
1. What is soldering?
2. Cored Solder Wire
3. Soldering Irons
4. Soldering Workstation
5. Soldering Process
6. Inspection +Handling
7. Practical Training

3
What is soldering?

1-1. What is soldering?

Formation of a metal to metal joint using
solder.
The joint is made by alloy formation of base
metal and solder.
In soldering, there are three key elements :
Heat , Solder , Flux , they are all important.
Flux cored solder wire is used for hand
soldering.

4
What is soldering?

1-2. Flux Function

What does it do?
Flux solder
Oxidization

Remove oxide Prevent from re- Reduce surface Solder finish

oxidation tension
Remove metal Make smooth
oxide to support Coat metal Reduce surface surface finish
wettability of surface to tension of solder to of solder and
solder. prevent from re- allow it to spread prevent
oxidation. onto pad/lead. solder bridges.

During soldering a chemical reaction takes place. The flux removes 5

all the surface tarnish leaving clean metal underneath.
What is soldering?

1-3. Solder Wetting

Check
Checkthe
thewetting
wettingangle
angle

No good

No good

Not wetted Wetted

Not soldered soldered Good
(dry joint) 6
What is soldering?

1-4. Melting and Diffusion

Alloy is formed by melting and diffusion of metals
Tin and copper alloy together
Alloy layer in good
condition
Diffusion

Alloy layer

Melting
It takes a certain amount of time to create the Thin and even thickness
of alloy layer
perfect solder joint. Too slow a process can
damage pcb/components and too fast will 7
not create a sound joint.
Cored Solder Wire

2-1.Cored Solder Wire

Alloy Composition
Solder type Diameter Sn60,Sn50,Sn45
Solder name 0.5~1.6 PbFree Alloy(Sn-Ag-Cu)

Always confirm before use. (Use of different solders and

diameters depends on the products being soldered) 8
Cored Solder Wire

2-2. Construction of Cored Solder

Attention
Sn-Pb series Solder metal
PbFree series

FLUX = Mix of resins,

activators, wetting agents
& corrosion inhibitors 9
Cored Solder Wire

2-3. Solder Wire Variables

Solder Alloy
Most use Sn60/Pb40 or Sn62/Pb36/Ag2 or LEAD FREE
Flux Type.
No-Clean RMA (ALMIT KR19 SH)
Flux residues are safe to leave on pcb. They will not cause corrosion or
electrical breakdown of cct during its lifetime.
Flux %
1,2 or 3. Higher flux % makes soldering easier but can leave more
flux residue which can make solder joint look cosmetically dirty
Wire Diameter
Select the right one for the job.
Reel Size
Generally 500g
10
Cored Solder Wire

2-4. Handling method

for cored solder wire

50100mm
2 4

Easy
Easyfeeding
feedingfor
for Not
Notsuitable
suitablefor
for
continuous
continuousprocess.
process. continuous
continuousprocess.
process.

11
 Soldering Irons

3-1. Soldering Irons

Soldering station Iron holder
Temperature setting
differs depending on
application.
Necessary to check the
temperature before
starting the process.

Soldering Iron
Sponge for cleaning soldering
iron tip.
The soldering iron is critical to good soldering. It must
provide all the heat to heat up the joint which in turn must
heat up the solder wire/flux
12
Soldering Irons

3-2. Soldering Irons

Differences in power capacity, size
and ability.
Use one depending on the type of work . 80 W
Weller better for Pb Free or large joints

Iron tip
Iron tip shape is different for each process.
Choose correct iron tip for application.

Internal part of soldering iron

Ceramic heater
Weak to impact / shock.
13
Soldering Irons

3-3. How to hold Soldering Iron

Pen-holder
Pen-holdertype
type Grip
Griptype
type
For
Fornormal
normaloperation
operation For
Forlarge
largecomponent
component
14
Soldering Irons

3-4. How the tip is made

The most important part of the soldering iron is the TIP.
The main part of the tip is made of copper. To extend the lifetime
of the tip, it is iron coated .
Before the iron is added the copper is nickel plated. The non
wettable part of the tip is chrome plated. The chrome stops the
solder flowing up the tip. The tip is pre-tinned with lead free solder.

Nickel coating: ca. 10 - 20m

Iron coating: ca. 150 - 300m
Chrome Coating:ca. 3 - 6m

15
Soldering Irons

3-5. How to clean Soldering Iron

Cut sponge in V.
Use the cut part to clean Use water or Tip Cleaning
Fluid to clean.
Do not use to much or
to little. Keep tip tinned with
Tip Cleaning Tin.

IfIftip
tipnot
notproperly
properlycleaned
cleanedthis
thiscan
cancause
causeflux
fluxsplatter,
splatter,solder
solderwaste
waste
and
andpoor
poorheat
heatconduction
conductiontotojoint
jointarea
areawhich
whichcan
cancause
causedefects.
defects.
May
Mayneed
needtotoincrease
increasethe
thenumber
numberofofcleaning
cleaningtimes
timeswhen
whenusing
usingPbPbFree
Freesolder.
solder. 16
Soldering Irons

3-6. Temperature when cleaning

Temperature Ex
back to normal Ideal range of
operation
Temperature Loss

Good condition Too much water

To start operation after temperature back
Need longer time if temperature reduce too much.
to normal and consistent..
17
Soldering Irons

3-7. Temperature Stability

Each time a solder joint is made the heat in the soldering
iron is depleted especially if joints are made quickly
C

450

80 Watt
400

50 Watt
350

300

250
| | | | | |
0 10 20 30 40 50 t/s
18
Soldering irons

3-8. Solder Iron Tip Condition

This tip has soldered 20000

joints. Still in perfect
condition

This tip has soldered 1000 joints. The tinned area is still shiny and smooth.
There is no charred flux adhering to it. Only use the tinned area to heat up
joint area. It helps the heat to be transferred quickly/consistently. Using the
none tinned area of the iron will cause soldering problems 19
Soldering irons

3-9. Solder Iron Tip Condition 2

The tinned area is dull and inconsistent and there is lots of charred flux
adhering to it. The ability of this tip to transfer heat to the solder joint is
significantly impaired by its poor condition.
20
Soldering Workstation

4-1. Soldering Workstation

Working table Ventilation Check
temperature
Always keep in clean condition. duct
Take note of solder waste. Iron
Tweezers ,etc Fix the

holder and
check the
iron tip.
solder
Check the
Sn%, type,
diameter Sponge. Check
jig the water or
cleaning fluid
qty
21
Soldering Workstation

4-2. Correct posture when

soldering
Correct Bad

Above

Must have clear view of work. Not suitable. Poor position for
Feeding in wire and iron movement back pain. Flux fumes could
must be smooth and easy. be inhaled.
22
Soldering Workstation

4-3. Considerations to create best

workstation
ESD Bench
Must be ESD safe to eliminate static
Keep it clean/tidy
Lighting
Keep it as natural as possible.
Fume Extraction
Keep the filters clean
Iron/wire Position
Must be positioned to allow smooth access to
solder joint area.
Work Jig
Must be free from flux residues etc

23
4-4. Summary so far..

Check the solder type

Check the solder iron
Check the cleaning sponge
Soldering posture

24
Soldering

5-1. Soldering
5 step method
solder iron

preparation heat Insert solder Pull out Pull out

Use iron tip to Melt properly solder iron tip
heat the
soldering part.
Solder will not alloy if the parts and solder are not fully heated.
The soldering iron is not just to heat and melt the solder, but to heat the part being soldered. 25
Soldering

5-2. Soldering
5 step method
solder iron

preparation Heat up to @ Insert solder to Pull out Pull out

over 100C. hot joint area.
Flux melts and solder iron tip
May take @ 2
covers joint. Flux
secs
helps melt solder
and it flows over
clean pad/lead.
Solder area @
230-240C. 26
Soldering

5-3. Heating Large Joint

Use iron tip body to heat
up the joint, but the area
in contact with the joint
Solder large terminal/area by moving iron tip must be tinned and clean.

Handling method of iron tip differs by

shape of terminal. 27
Soldering

5-4. Solder Wetting

Solder wets to lead

and land.
Smooth and shiny
surface.
No holes, no spikes.

o good
Poor wetting to lead.
Rough surface.
Holes.

28
Soldering

5-5. Solder Quantity

No good OK No good

Excess amount Lack of solder

Apply correct solder amount.
Solder joint is
Unable to No good if too much or too little. weak, and
confirm whether leads to crack.
solder is wetted.

29
Soldering

5-6. Solder Quantity

and Surface Condition 1
Sn60

Pb Free

Small amount Large amount

30
Soldering
5-7. Solder Quantity
and Surface Condition 2

Sn60

NG NG

Pb Free

31
 Soldering

5-8. Key Points for Heating

What is the appropriate temperature for soldering?
Joint area temperature = The M.P of solder alloy+40~50 Degree C
Sn60% Solder (190Degree C) +40~50 Degree C =230~240 Degree C
However the iron will be set much hotter @350-450 C
The hotter the iron the faster the joint can be made providing
the heat transfer from it is good.
Must try to heat up both/all parts to be soldered at the same time.
If it is difficult to do this then evaluate special solder iron tips.
Heating up more than needed, will cause overheating defects.
Using a very hot iron will increase the risk of soldering defects and
component damage. Soldering is a balance of time/temperature.
32
Soldering

5-9. Incorrect Heating

No wetting

Locate iron tip and solder feeding spot carefully. Solder cannot flow onto cold
areas or areas not cleaned by flux. Here flux has been used up on iron.
33
Soldering

5-10. Movement before solder

solidifies
Crack occurs when soldering point moves.

Crack due to vibration Crack due to movement

before solidification. before solidification.
Do not move parts until solder has solidified. Liquid solder
has no strength. Large parts may take a few seconds to cool. 34
Soldering

5-11. How to release the iron tip

Common defects caused by iron tip releasing

Projection/solder spike
Too slow release speed of iron tip

Solderball
Wrist twisting
Adhesion of scrap/flux residue
Bad direction when releasing iron tip
35
 Soldering

5-12. Process Completion

Caring for the soldering iron tip
some scrap on iron tip.
cover older plated part by solder

add new solder

use sponge to clean

put soldering iron back in iron holder .
36
Soldering

5-13. Soldering Summary

No success in soldering with poor heating,
Heat all parts at once.
Apply correct amount of solder
Dont move part until solder has solidified.
Pay attention when releasing iron.
Visual check to confirm soldering quality.

37
Inspection

6-1. Inspection + Handling

Has
Hassoldering
solderingprocess
processbeen
beendone
donewell?
well?
Take
Takeresponsibility
responsibilityand
anddo
doyour
yourown
owninspection.
inspection.
Be
Beable
ableto
tomake
makethe
thecorrect
correctjudgment.
judgment.

Inspection point
3
(1) Correct position (part, lead etc) 2
(2) Correct shape (part,lead etc) 5
(3) Wetting (lead, land) 4
(4) Solder amount (qty)
(5) Solder surface
(smooth,shiny,no-hole,etc)
1
38
 Inspection

6-2. TRB Product

Inspection of this part; Solder has wet

well to pcb pad and to pin. This
shows the flux has cleaned the
pad/lead well. The wetting angle is
good. The solder surface is
smooth/shiny. There is no charred flux
or noticeable flux residue. The
solderability of pcb and component
39
seems good.
 Inspection

6-3. TRB Solder Defect

Pin 5 from right has solder slither on.

Solder ball on pcb resist.

40
 Inspection

6-4. TRB Solder Defect

Solder process starts on right. First 2 pins are thick and soldering iron is at its
Peak temp. As iron is moved onto pins 3,4,5, which are thinner pins, the iron
temperature falls but is still hot enough to heat joint and solder. As it reaches pin 6,
which is a thicker pin, the iron is quite a bit cooler than its ideal temp. and does not
heat up the joint area before the solder is fed onto joint. The warmed solder wire is
squeezed through pcb hole and onto pin shoulder.
41
 6-5.Solder Ball
Solder ball and flux spattering Large solder ball Solder ball in flux

Apply solder material Speed of withdrawing When iron-tip slip

forcibly while the solder-iron too fast.. on to PCB
base metal is heated
Withdraw solder-iron
insufficiency.
with smooth sweeping
movement. 42
Inspection

6-6. Other Defects that require attention

Non-wetting Non-wetting Solder ball Solder scrap

Bridge Projection Crack Poor wetting

tunnel Forget to solder Land peeled off Over heat 43

Instruction

6-7. Reminder
Handling PWB
Good

No good

Do not touch the solder pad

side of the PCB before it is
soldered. 44
Instruction

6-8. Reminder
Handling PWB

The crack occurs at the solder interface even

with small impacts.
Do not ; pile up
PWB

45
 Instruction

6-9. Cleanliness
Parts to be soldered must not be contaminated.

Contaminated lead Dirty substrate Poor cleaning of

Didnt wet on the pollution. The pad on substrate was iron tip
polluted by touching it with Working with poorly
bare hands. cleaned iron tip causes
soldering defects.
46
Practical training

7. Practical training
Training 1
Soldering copper wire to pad
Inspection

47
Practical training

7-1. Operation procedure

Copper wire PCB

Remove outer layer Pre-solder

Twist Wicking

Pre-solder Pre-solder

Decide position

Heat solder iron

soldering

Cleaning?

inspection 48
Practical Training

7-2. Practical Training

Pad Tinned solder qty, must be able to see

centre pad? wire outline/shape
fillet curve in shape of a bow
smooth and shiny solder surface
without holes and spikes etc

Wire position

correct position
correct shape
49
Practical Training

7-3. Surface of copper soldering

Good sample of Sn60 Condition of Pb Free

Poor wetted parts occur

because spreadability of
lead free is poor. 50
Practical Training

7-4. Soldering Wire to Metal Pad

Poor example of Sn60 solder

Poor wetting occurs because

insufficient heat on pad
51
52