How to reflow solder?

[Walterk]

When is it usefull / required ?
How to reflow solder ?
Special materials needed?
Best practices?

Just for good heat transmission?
How much beter is it then thermal glue with silver additives?

 

[schmart]

Reflowing solder is used extensively in surface mount pc board manufacturing. It basically uses a "silk screen" mask to apply solder paste to the PC board. The SMD components are placed on the board where the paste serves as a glue to hold them in place. The board is then ran through an oven to melt the solder.

I've not done it, but folks at Make! and other hobbiest electronics areas have lots of discussions of how to do it with varying "tools" such as toaster ovens and electronic skillets.

 

[65535]

IIRC and it's been awhile, reflow is just a technique, it uses a solder paste with the solder suspended in the paste. The parts are heated by oven, hot air tool, or other indirect heating source.

It's IMO infinitely better than any other method of attaching LEDs and SM components.

 

[Walterk]

Thx for the info.
Will try it sometime.

 

[wquiles]

Staring in this thread, from post #342 on, we discuss which reflow equipment are we using for surface mount parts:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=215806&page=12

Will

 

[ironhorse]

At work, we mount resistors to a board by applying solder paste to the lands of the board. The the surface mount resistors are placed onto the solder paste. Then the boards are placed on a hot plate until the solder re-flows.