| | O-H-H-H-H-H-H-H Lawdy, lawdy... | | My babuh done left me... | | my dawg pee'd on my leg... | | my cornflakes are all poopy... | | don't make me hafta beg... | | I got's dem backplane blues, o-h-h-h-h-h lawdy..." | | OH! | | | | Hi there! Scared me fer a second...heheh....caught me singin' to myself...(blush). | | Well, since you're here, I gotta question. Some of you know that I was looking for a used AirVac or dynamic solder pot not too long ago. The biggest motivator behind that is because of a box build that we got coming in. It's a litlle networking type of box that has a narrow, but thick backplane in it, and has connectors going through both sides, eight on one side, and four on the other, and of course we're building the backplane too. The connectors are the solder type (not press fit darn it!)...so you can understand why I was looking for an AirVac. | | I found one at a decent price, a PCBRM-12 for 3K with 13 nozzels! Not bad huh? But wouldn't you know it, the boss is balking at buying it. He says; "What's wrong with hand soldering the connectors in?" | | "Well, it sometimes takes the girls holding two soldering on it to get solder to flow all the way thru the barrels." | | "So? it's a little extra work, that's what they get paid to do." | | But there's gotta be a better argument than the lame two soldering iron reasoning I used, ain't there? Like much better solder quality, or less intermetallics than what occurs from jamming two irons to the joints...I gotta come up with something to convince him. | | Maybe I'll threaten to sing "Dem ol' backplane blues" all day long until we get a AirVac....yeah! that's the ticket!!! | | -Steve Gregory- | Steve: There, there, pardner, I hope this helps. | I can't remember what we paid, but it wasn't $3k, LT $1k for a Leister (800.700.6894) hot air hand tool. They have so many nozzles, it'll make your head hurt. Can be used for both SMT and PTH. It works great for dis-assembly and requires a bit of finese (tell me that using two soldering irons doesn't) for soldering. Check it out. | Another LT $1k alternative is a "hot air, hot plate" made by Zephyrtronics, 207 NPalomares, Pomona CA 91767 909.865.2595fax4998. It is used to preheat large sections of the board which makes soldering with two irons easier. | TTYL | Dave F Steve, I had a boss like that ounce! So I got a Cornning hot plate and the machinist made an aluminum jig for the board and it worked. If you don't preheat the board then how good can the solder joints be? How much of a mess are these girls making ? I can only imagine! Daves right! "hot air & hot plate" But the Air-Vac PCBRM's are nice and would save you $$ as well as be there for your next need. Which will happen right when the boss decides not buy! I hope that someone can technically back me on this? Two irons is a BAD process because it puts the board at risk of stressing it's laminate and the epoxy under the pads. Boards are pretty tuff but not under high isolated heat! I will assume the thought is if two irons are better, than more heat must be better? Wrong! Steady low heat is better. But that takes more pateince than these assemblers might have. Taking us to the time is $$ thing, and if he won't flip the three grand then at least convince him to get the hot air and a good plate, if that will work in your situation? Then you wont have to sing the blues, You'll just have to hum 'em. I suspect you will hear more issues on quality and that's the point you can sell your boss on. I don't see a two iron process in my standards book! GOOD LUCK, Jeff
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