The sequential electrochemical reduction analysis (SERA) method was evaluated in production and demonstrated to provide a non‐destructive, objective measure of the solderability of production printed wiring boards. Approximately 1000 boards were analysed just before wave soldering and the SERA parameters were correlated with the soldering defect occurrence rates. The data show that PWB solderability is determined primarily by the nature of the surface tin oxide, as reflected in the corresponding SERA plateau voltage, rather than by the oxide thickness. By proper choice of the value of the plateau voltage used as the criterion for solderability, the most advantageous trade‐off between the costs of rejected boards and the rework of defects can be made.
The recently developed Reduced Oxide Soldering Activation (ROSA™) method is shown to be compatible with long‐term use with mass soldering processes. Prototype regeneration cells operated for as long as six months with minimal maintenance retained their effectiveness for providing short wetting times under a variety of perturbations. The operating window for the process is wide and component degradation caused by exposure to the fully charged solution is minimal. The ROSA treatment provides soldering performance comparable to that attainable with a fully activated rosin flux and offers the promise of providing low soldering defect rates without the use of CFC solvents.
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