1. A Different Soldering Class “Surface Mount Soldering”
Nick Carter12/02/2016
This was taught at Nova Labs by Bob Coggeshall
nova-labs.org
Meetup Nova-Makers Reston.
See notes page for this ppt. application.
This was made for middle school students who in Tech. Ed. Classes are being introduced to soldering using a single sided PC board kit.
This kit was a “decision maker” - random “YES” or “NO”.

2. Have you Noticed?? Soldering Can Be Smelly
Peeuuu!
Cool
HOT
Solder will stick to clean objects much better and conduct electricity better.
The solder contains little strands of flux inside
The heat turns the FLUX into a gas that we can smell.
FLUX cleans dirt from the objects being soldered `

3. Why I Took THIS Soldering Class
I have worked as an Electronics Engineer for 50 years but………..
I only soldered components with wires
This class taught how to solder components with NO WIRES. I wanted to do it myself.
The components are called Surface Mounted components because DUH….
They fasten to the board surface (need no holes)
This class is not just for adults. Kids who can follow directions can come with their parents to learn this too.

4. How It Works The component are connected to the board with solder.
It makes the electrical connection
It “glues” the component onto the board
Little beads of solder are made into a paste with “flux”
The paste is put on the connection pad
The component is placed on the pads with connection areas contacting the solder paste.
The board and components are heated until the solder melts and joins the components to the board.
Resistor
paste
Solder
HEAT
Circuit wire
Component
“wire”
Paste

5. Bare Board and Components
Solder Paste

6. Soldering the Components
How are they heated?
The whole board and components can be put in an oven
Individual components can be heated with a hot air blower like a special hair dryer (but hotter)
Once the solder melts and connects the components the heat can be removed
Why don’t the components fall off?
The paste is sticky when cool
Surface tension pulls them to the board when the solder melts
When they cool the solid solder “glues” them to the board
For big components, additional glue can be used

7. Surface Mounting Soldering Station
Hot air blower
Soldering Iron
Hot Air Nozzles
& tools

8. Compare our Boards FIND THE>>>>>> Surface Mounted
Through Hole Mounted
FIND THE>>>>>>
resistor
capacitor
transistor
LED
switch
integrated circuit
connector

9. Compare our Boards Surface Mounted Through Hole Mounted
FIND THE>>>>>>
capacitor
Nope!
Gotcha - haha
integrated circuit
resistor
transistor
LED
switch
connector

10. Putting the Solder Paste On
Hand application
Screen Printing

11. Why Do It This Way? Components are smaller
boards can be smaller
everything is cheaper.
It is easier to do using machines for making a lot
Putting the solder paste on – e.g. screen printing
Putting the components on – robot with vacuum sucker to grip the components
Continuous movement of boards through an oven to heat them.

12. Putting the Components on
Robotic tool takes component from tape and puts it onto board paste location.
Board
Components are put on plastic tape, on reels

13. Heating the Boards
Continuous reflow oven melts solder then cools board

14. Test and Repair We tested by connecting the battery
More complicated boards are tested by machines and bad ones sent for repair or scrap