Oct 16, 2008 By controlling temperature profiles, CeTaQ optimizes process control and develops the idea of defect prevention for reflow ovens. Each part of the SMT process has an influence on the final quality of the products. The reflow oven should be controlled in the same manner as all machines involved in the manufacturing process (screen printers, glue dispensers, chip shooters and fine-pitch placement equipment).
The measurement principle for the repeatability of solder reflow ovens is to record temperatures using 7 to 12 thermocouple sensors that are fixed on small pieces of titanium on a "CeTaQ Shuttle" carrier. The board is sent 20 times through the oven using a standard profile from production. The temperature profile used by the customer is the reference for the measurement. After each run, the data are imported from the control unit which was in the oven to CeTaQ's software.
Because this test is performed using a minimum set of statistical samples through a long period of time (approx. 5 hours),"Board to Board repeatability" or "Stability" of the oven is achieved.
During this process, the following parameters are calculated: Peak temperature, Reflow time, Soak time, and Min/Max gradient. Only Cm and Cmk are used to determine the performance of the oven. By analyzing the temperature profile, CeTaQ is able to verify that products are of the highest quality and then increase throughput, and solve production problems.
For more information about stability validation of reflow ovens, visit http://www.cetaq.com.
About CeTaQ
Headquartered in Germany, CeTaQ GmbH provides a unique combination of products and services throughout world for measuring accuracy and repeatability. As a result, CeTaQ has become highly recognized as the leader in machine capability knowledge and as one of the most desired partners within the last several years in Europe, the Americas and overseas. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.cetaq.com
