PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

WEEK-12
Steps involved in Fabrication Of Multilayer PCB
Contents:
Soldering Techniques, Testing Of PCB.

Session-01

12. 1 Soldering Techniques

12.1.1 Introduction
• PCB Assembly and Soldering
– The PCB assembly and soldering process bring a board to a functional prototype.
– The PCB assembly (PCBA) stages are component placement, soldering,
inspection, and, finally, testing.
– The PCBA process can be either a manual or automated process, which is
decided by the manufacturer at each stage.
– The PCB assembly process is as shown in below
–

• Solder is the life and blood of any PCB.

• The quality of wire, paste or bar used during soldering process decides the life and
performance of the Circuit Boards.
• Soldering itself is a process in which two metals are joined together using solder (a tin-
lead metal alloy) which is first heated at high temperatures and then cooled to create a
strong electrical bond.
• With reference to the PCB manufacturing process, soldering is a process where the
electrical components are connected to the surface of the Printed Circuit Board.

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 1
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

 During PCB soldering, a soldering “iron” is used to melt the solder.

 Once melted, the solder will act as an adhesive, joining the two parts together.
 The solder will solidify once cooled and form a strong connection between both ends.
 There are two main types of PCB soldering methods/techniques i.e. soft soldering and
hard soldering.
 Hard soldering is further subdivided into two steps, silver soldering and brazes
soldering.
 Soft soldering will usually take place at a much lower temperature and makes use of a soft
alloy such as tin-lead as opposed to hard soldering which takes place at much higher
temperatures and uses stronger alloys (brass/silver).
 Tools Required
o Soldering iron/gun
o Soldering paste/flux
o Solder wire
o Printed Circuit Board

12.1.2 Soldering Process

Soldering process consists of following steps as shown in fig below.

1. Prepare the soldering iron

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 2
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

– To prepare your solder iron.

– let iron heat thoroughly.
– coat the tip with solder (make sure you cover the entire tip).
– Once your tip is entirely coated, wipe it off with a wet sponge to remove any flux residue.
Try to do this immediately before the flux has time to solidify. This is called “tinning” – a
process that stops your solder iron tips from oxidizing by creating a protective layer
between the air and iron.
2. Prepare your PCB board
• Make sure you are working with a clean surface.
• Clean away any dust or debris from the PCB
• One can even wipe it down using an acetone cleaner.
3. Place the components:
• While placing components its recommended to start with the smaller sized ones and
working up to the larger sized ones.
• Make sure the components go the right way around and secure them.

4. Apply heat
• Next is to applying some heat to the joint.
• Start by adding a small amount of solder to the tip of the soldering iron (this will help heat
pass from the iron to the board).
• Then hold the iron tip so that it touches both the PCB board and the component lead.
• The solder applied earlier will touch both the lead and the board, heating them up.
• Hold the iron here until properly heated and then remove.
• Note: Do not overheat the area, if you notice any bubbling then remove and wait for it to
cool down before you resume).
5. Add solder paste

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 3
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

• Once heated, add solder to the solder pad and lead.

• If heated correctly in the previous step the solder should flow freely and fill in the space,
the flux should begin to bubble and liquefy.
• Add the solder until the joint is completely coated, then remove your iron from the area.
• Do not move or shake your board as the joint cools.

12.1.3 Soldering Techniques

• There are many different types of soldering techniques to attach electrical components to a
PCB as listed below
– Soft Soldering
– Hard Soldering
– Wave soldering
– Reflow soldering
– Hand soldering
– BGA Soldering
– Selective Soldering
1. Soft Soldering
• It is a process used to attach smaller components to PCBs.
• These components are usually prone to break down under higher temperatures due to
their low-liquefying temperature.
• A filler metal usually a tin-lead alloy is used.
• A gas torch is used to heat the solder, causing it to break down and bind the components
to the board.
• Soft soldering is a popular technique for fixing compact, fragile components to a
printed circuit board.

`
2. Hard Soldering

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 4
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

• This creates a stronger bond compared to soft soldering.

• It involves higher temperatures to melt the solder material.
• The material is normally brass or silver and requires the use of a blowtorch to melt.
• Hard soldering is a process that uses a solid solder joint to join two metal elements
together.
• Hard soldering is subdivided into two processes:
1. Silver Soldering
• Silver soldering uses a silver alloy as a space-filler metal.
• This method is usually employed in the maintenance of circuit boards and
fabricating small components.
• Silver is used here due to its free-running individuality but for sole space filling a different
flux is recommended.
• Silver melts at a lower temperature compared to brass & is more expensive.
2. Braze Soldering
• Braze soldering or “brazing” is a soldering technique used to connect terminals of base
metals through a filler metal.

• Brazing (Animation) - Bing video

• The space-filler metal used here is brass.
• The liquid filler metal runs through the board and cools down to form a solid bond.
• A resulting much stronger joint is formed.
3. Wave soldering

• It is the process which is used for mass soldering of through-hole Electronic

Components to the PCB.
• Waves of Molten Solder is used in the Process, hence the name Wave Soldering.
• Here a PCB is moved over a wave of hot solder liquid, which solidifies and fixes the
components.
• It is the most common technique used in THT and SMT PCBAWAVE SOLDERING1 -
Bing video

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 5
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

4. Reflow Soldering
• This is done for mass production and is used for soldering of SMD components on to
the PCB.
• Equipment and raw material needed for reflow soldering are: Reflow Oven, Reflow
checker , stencil printer, solder paste, flux.
• The reflow soldering process attaches components to the board using heated soldering
paste.
• The soldering paste in its molten state connects the pads and pins in the PCB.
• Reflow Soldering Machine | SMT Reflow Soldering Process | Surface Mount Technology - Bing
video

5. Hand Soldering

– Hand soldering is done in small scale production and repair and rework
such as mobile phone repairing
– Tools and Material needed for hand soldering are – Soldering iron, soldering
station, solder wire, solder paste, flux etc

6. BGA Soldering

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 6
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

• BGA or Ball Grid Array are electronic components and need special soldering.

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 7
 PCB DESIGN & FABRICATION/20EC41P/WEEK-12 2022

• They do not have any leads coming out , rather they use solder balls under the
component.
• These are solder in the form of tiny balls in sizes ranging from 18 to 30 MIL
• Because the solder balls have to be placed under the component and soldered, soldering of
BGA becomes a very difficult task.
7. Selectively Soldering

• It is a technique of Selectively Soldering Electronic Components on the PCB that is Partially

Assembled.
• Process Depends on the Type of Machine been used.

LMS/E-CONTENT/EC Page 8