A potentially useful project: Reflow soldering controller for griddle/toaster oven

[OddOne]

Just wrapped up a project that would probably be of interest to the flashfiends that roll their own driver circuitry using SMDs...

A reflow soldering controller that turns a cheapie electric griddle, hotplate, or toaster oven into a temperature-controlled reflow soldering system. Little or no modification to said griddle/hotplate/toaster oven is required. And yes, you can program your desired reflow profile(s) into the controller, including leadfree solder if you choose or construct a heating device capable of the temps required.

A preview:

It was pretty easy to build, but since it works directly with AC mains it's not a project for fumblethumbs types - don't try it unless you know how to work around those kinds of voltages and currents.


The complete writeup is here.


Let the board baking begin!

oO

 

[PEU]

Re: A potentially useful project: Reflow soldering controller for griddle/toaster oven

Very nice project and writeup!

:twothumbs


Pablo

 

[eluminator]

Re: A potentially useful project: Reflow soldering controller for griddle/toaster oven

Won't a soldering iron or a hot air rework station do the job?

 

[cy]

nice!

 

[OddOne]

Won't a soldering iron or a hot air rework station do the job?

Yes and no.

An iron would be ideal for leaded devices (obviously), but for the newest crop of ceramic-substrate LEDs you have a solder pad on the bottom of the device that you cannot reach with an iron.

Hot-air reworking stations can get to that underside pad indirectly by heating the part, but also have the additional requirement of being able to preheat the board so that you don't cause thermal stresses in the part you're trying to tack down. Baking the part to death while trying to solder it isn't exactly a sound means to the desired end.

This is a "best of both worlds" solution in that if you already have a hot-air setup already you can use it to manage a precisely controlled board preheat and then spot-solder with the rework station, or you can do the entire process without needing the hot-air rig.

oO

 

[eluminator]

Re: A potentially useful project: Reflow soldering controller for griddle/toaster oven

They are making it harder all the time. I haven't come across the chips with hidden pads yet. The little resistors don't really have leads I guess but the ends are accessable to an iron.

So can these newfangled chips be removed and replaced by a rework station or do they have to go into the oven?

I've heard of using a toaster oven, but the griddle is new to me. That would heat from one side only I guess.