Large reflow ovens with many heating zones as well as with the lead-free soldering capability are available today. But, are these what buyers need?
By Sneha Ambastha
A reflow oven, the system for soldering SMD components to the printed circuit board (PCB) using the reflow technology, comes in different sizes for medium- to high-volume production. A medium-sized reflow oven has fewer heating zones compared to the larger variants. A higher number of heating zones implies a longer heating tunnel in the oven and, hence, a faster belt speed (per minute), leading to the assembly of a higher number of boards per minute. Thus, reflow ovens offering a higher number of heating zones are meant for high-volume production. But there are other factors, too, that may affect the production rate, like the changeover time and the time taken by the oven to reach a stabilised temperature.
However, high-volume production is not always a requirement for every buyer of reflow ovens. Buyers also need to check whether the oven is capable of working with complex boards. So, the other essential factors that any buyer should consider for reflow ovens are the frequency variations of the blower, the type and quality of heaters/blowers used, the steady state of power consumption as well as the power consumed when turned on, over heating protection and the profiler option. Another important factor to keep in mind is the availability of local support and spare parts for the machine.
A few recently launched reflow ovens
Model: Konark 930/1020, Brand: Konark, Manufacturer: EMS Technologies Pvt Ltd
Launched in March 2017, the Konark 930 and Konark 1020 are lead-free reflow ovens manufactured in India by EMS Technologies. The company claims that these ovens are suitable for mainly EMS companies making complex boards in high volumes. The machines provide central board support along with an optional flux management system.
Key features
- One model is a 9-zone reflow oven while the other is a 10-zone variant
- One has three cooling zones while the other has two
- One is suitable for complex boards and the other for high-volume production
- The ovens come with a standard signal tower and a power hood lift
Technical specifications:
- Heating tunnel length: 2450mm (Konark 930) / 2840mm (Konark 1020)
- Number of cooling zones: Three (Konark 930) / Two (Konark 1020) air cooling
- Temperature range: Ambient to 300°C
- Max. PCB width: 400mm
- Power supply: 125A @ 415V, 3ph, 50Hz
- Overall dimensions (L x W x H): 4710 mm x 1600 mm x 1930 mm (including signal tower)
USP: Lead-free reflow oven manufactured in India
Contact details: [email protected], www.emstonline.com
Indian distributor: EMST Marketing Pvt Ltd
Model: GF-125 HC/HT, Brand: DDM Novastar, Manufacturer: DDM Novastar Inc.
The recently launched GF-125 HC/HT is an automatic reflow oven for medium-volume production. It has five top and five bottom vertical heating zones for conventional horizontal heating technology. Capable of fault monitoring and reporting, the GF-125 HC/HT also provides uniform temperature profiling across the entire PCB board for enhanced SMT process control.
Key features
- Is both lead and lead-free compatible
- Comes with a stainless steel conveyor and chambers
- Has a clamshell hood design with an easy lift
- Comes with a real-time graphic temperature profiler to help in the profiling of the board
Technical specifications:
- Number of heating zones: Five on top, and five at the bottom
- Heating tunnel length: 1423mm
- Number of cooling zones: One
- Temperature range: 400°C (752°F) maximum
- Maximum board width: 304mm
- Maximum board height: 35mm
- Power supply: 220V AC, 50/60 Hz, 3Ø, 70A
- Overall dimensions (L x W x H): 2133mm x 813mm x 1245mm
USP: Five-zone horizontal convection reflow oven
Contact details: [email protected], www.ddmnovastar.com
Model: HOTFLOW 4/14, Brand: Ersa, Manufacturer: Kurtz Holding GmbH and Co. Beteiligungs KG
HOTFLOW 4/14 is a reflow system brought out by Kurtz that has a robust design. It has a steel body with an interior electric cabinet and a terminal that can be operated via a PC. The company claims that the HOTFLOW 4/14 has a powder coated, airtight, welded body. Its cooling zone can work with an integrated cooling system, an external cooling aggregator or with a local water connection.
Key features
- Comes with (one to four) multi-track conveyor systems, whereby one system is fixed and three are variable
- Has individually-controllable process zones managed by energy optimised motors
- Has a multi-level controlled cooling system
- Consumes less energy during continuous operation
Technical specifications:
- Number of heating zones: Preheated zones of up to 10; and four reflow zones
- Heating tunnel length: 2,665mm
- Number of cooling zones: Up to four levels
- Power supply: 400V, 3-Phase, N, ground, 50/60Hz
- Overall dimensions (L x W x H): 5030mm x 1410mm x 1350mm
USP: Reflow system with better thermal performance and external thermal power balance
Contact details: www.kurtzersa.com
Indian distributor: Bergen India Pvt Ltd, [email protected], www.bergengroupindia.com
Model: Pyramax ZeroTurn, Brand: BTU, Manufacturer: BTU International Inc.
The recently launched Pyramax ZeroTurn is an addition to the Pyramax series of reflow ovens from BTU. Its dual-chamber has been designed to eliminate the process changeover time. Its chambers can be used for both the leaded and lead-free processes simultaneously at a specific temperature without affecting the thermal uniformity in any of the chambers. It is used for high-volume manufacturing with a high product mix and low downtime.
Key features
- Guarantees the lead-free process and allows side-by-side gas recirculation
- Comes with a flexible platform configuration
- Enabled with smart product tracking in every lane (SMEMA)
- Has an electronic over-temperature safety system
Technical specifications:
- Number of heating zones: 12 on top and 12 at the bottom
- Heating tunnel length: 3810mm
- Number of cooling zones: Two on top
- Overall dimensions (L x W x H): 6477mm x 1867mm x 1475mm
USP: Enables high-volume production with less downtime
Contact details: [email protected], www.btu.com
