SMT soldering

Hi all, I am new to SMT. In past I've made many PCB boards with my small hands at home, but I've used regular technology drilling the holes for the components. I am trying to use SMT for my projects. SOP packages I was able to solder using a regular soldering iron. However it is not so easy with SSOPs. I've heard that I have to use soldering paste and oven. My question: is there any way I can use SMT (manually) and what is the process and things I need for that? Thanks in advance, Boris.

reply »

| Hi all, | I am new to SMT. In past I've made many PCB boards with my small hands at home, but I've used regular technology drilling the holes for the components. | I am trying to use SMT for my projects. SOP packages I was able to solder using a regular soldering iron. However it is not so easy with SSOPs. I've heard that I have to use soldering paste and oven. | My question: is there any way I can use SMT (manually) and what is the process and things I need for that? | Thanks in advance, | Boris. Boris: Companies place millions of SMT components every day into paste and reflow the paste in ovens. But companies also solder millions of SMT components everyday by hand. So you can do that also. When you say a "regular soldering iron" do you mean a soldering gun? If you do, go to Radio Shack and get a 30W pen type iron with a 1/4" chisel or conical tip. There's no reason that you can't solder paste with an iron. We do it every day. Request a no-clean sample from Kester, Alpha Metals, or Heraerus. If you parts are really corroded you may need to use a RMA or water soluable flux. The easiest way to get paste onto the board for hand soldering is to dispense it from a syringe. Technitool (800.505.8665) sells a cheap manual verson. You'll need dispensing tips also. Be careful handling paste. It can get every where. With solder being a hazardous material ... Having said that, there's no reason that 0.031 inch diameter solder wire won't work just fine. We use that too. Good luck Dave F

reply »

Dave, Thanks for your responce. I think I can manage to solder components by hand. But I am trying to find out an alternative way to solder them. The distance between leads becomes very small and if solder gets in between them I will have hard times removing it and will probably overheat the chip and lift up the traces. I thought that I am just missing a point and there is some method unknown to me, but which I could use without special equipnet. I would appreciate your comment. Boris. | | Hi all, | | I am new to SMT. In past I've made many PCB boards with my small hands at home, but I've used regular technology drilling the holes for the components. | | I am trying to use SMT for my projects. SOP packages I was able to solder using a regular soldering iron. However it is not so easy with SSOPs. I've heard that I have to use soldering paste and oven. | | My question: is there any way I can use SMT (manually) and what is the process and things I need for that? | | Thanks in advance, | | Boris. | Boris: Companies place millions of SMT components every day into paste and reflow the paste in ovens. But companies also solder millions of SMT components everyday by hand. So you can do that also. | When you say a "regular soldering iron" do you mean a soldering gun? If you do, go to Radio Shack and get a 30W pen type iron with a 1/4" chisel or conical tip. | There's no reason that you can't solder paste with an iron. We do it every day. Request a no-clean sample from Kester, Alpha Metals, or Heraerus. If you parts are really corroded you may need to use a RMA or water soluable flux. The easiest way to get paste onto the board for hand soldering is to dispense it from a syringe. Technitool (800.505.8665) sells a cheap manual verson. You'll need dispensing tips also. Be careful handling paste. It can get every where. With solder being a hazardous material ... | Having said that, there's no reason that 0.031 inch diameter solder wire won't work just fine. We use that too. | Good luck | Dave F

reply »