What advantages does vapour phase soldering offer over other soldering processes

Compared to other soldering processes such as convection soldering, vapour phase soldering offers a number of significant advantages that make it particularly suitable for the production of sophisticated electronic assemblies. One of the biggest advantages is the precise temperature control. As the heat transfer takes place through the condensation of a medium with a defined boiling temperature, overheating of the assembly is physically impossible. This protects sensitive components in particular from thermal damage. At the same time, the even distribution of the condensation heat over the entire surface of the assembly ensures homogeneous heating that is independent of the size, shape or heat absorption behavior of the individual components. This minimizes thermal stresses and significantly reduces typical soldering defects such as tombstoning or cold solder joints. Another advantage is the largely oxygen-free atmosphere during the process. The dense vapour displaces oxygen from the process chamber, preventing oxidation at solder joints and improving the wettability of the solder. The reproducibility of the process is also particularly high with vapour phase soldering, as the process is clearly defined by the physical properties of the medium. This means that soldering processes can be realized with consistently high quality, even for complex or high-mass assemblies. The process is also ideally suited for lead-free solders, as it reliably and gently achieves the higher processing temperatures required without endangering components. Last but not least, energy consumption is comparatively low, as no complex zone heating is required as with convection systems. All these properties make vapour phase soldering a particularly reliable, material-friendly and efficient technology that is used primarily in aviation, medical technology, defence technology and in prototype and small series production.