Printed Circuit Board Assembly & PCB Design SMT Electronics Assembly Manufacturing Forum

Printed Circuit Board Assembly & PCB Design Forum

SMT electronics assembly manufacturing forum.


solder voids, pin holes.

Tim Murphy

#10227

solder voids, pin holes. | 9 August, 1999

Just curious what effect pinholes and solder voids can have on solder joints that have high current passing thru them. Also could moisture from steam sterilization (autoclaving) get inside a said solder joint and then outgas during high current, and/or heat, causing the joint to �explode�?

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John Thorup

#10228

Re: solder voids, pin holes. | 9 August, 1999

| Just curious what effect pinholes and solder voids can have on solder joints that have high current passing thru them. Also could moisture from steam sterilization (autoclaving) get inside a said solder joint and then outgas during high current, and/or heat, causing the joint to �explode�? | Just guessing - but I'd imagine that if a joint was so riddled with pinholes and voids so as to impair current carrying capacity you would have to worry more about complete mechanical failure first. As for explosions - if the moisture could get into a pinhole it would also have an escape path to outgas through - so no explosion. It wouldn't get into a void. Even if there were trapped moisture no reasonable design would allow such heat to be developed (unless it's a fuse) If autoclaving suggests medical or FDA qualified use you're talking about a whole lot of other requirements and regulations.

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