Using plastic film chip capacitors in ir reflow soldering systems

摘要

In the never ending quest to speed up production, reduce or eliminate "hazardous" materials (such as solvents), and reduce assembly costs, many high volume manufacturing plants have converted from wave soldering or vapor phase reflow systems to reflow solder systems using just infrared (IR) or combinations of infrared and convection air as the heating method. Unfortunately, the true methodology behind IR reflow has not been well understood and many electronic components are being "damaged" to some degree during the IR reflow process. Organic materials are highly susceptible to thermal damage because of their absorption of IR radiation, and since plastic film capacitors are made from organic material, they too can be adversely affected by IR heat sources. This paper attempts to demonstrate how IR reflow works, define how different mechanisms within the system interrelate and to show various methods employed which can prevent or reduce the degree of component damage.