Thank you.

On 2/6/2013 11:35 AM, David Beierl wrote:
> At 02:17 PM 2/6/2013, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>> What is a wave tank please ?
>
> The dominant production method for soldering PC boards with
> through-hole components is called wave soldering, because it employs
> a long slot-shaped fountain of molten solder that somewhat resembles
> an ocean wave if viewed from the side.  PC boards travel on a
> conveyer system over a flux applicator, a preheater, and the solder
> wave; after which they pass through a de-fluxing cycle and then may
> have leads trimmed on the solder side of the board.  The height of
> the wave is adjusted so the boards kiss the top of it but it doesn't
> lap over onto the upper side.
>
> The solder fountain holds a considerable amount of solder, perhaps a
> couple hundred pounds? which constantly circulate up through the
> "wave" and back into the heating tank when the machine is operating.
>
> Now that most electronic components are surface mounted, wave
> soldering has lost its dominance though it's still used.
>
> Good description with some photos here:
> http://www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0225_wave/index.html
>
> Yrs,
> d
>