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Application Notes


Soldering Acceptability Requirements
Overview

Elmo Motion Control uses IPC–A–610C standards as a means of establishing quality solder joints. It is recommended that manufacturing processes using the following pin-based drives and amplifiers refer to these same standards:

All solder joints should have a smooth, shiny appearance and exhibit wetting as exemplified by a concave meniscus between the objects being soldered. The solder fillet should appear smooth and exhibit good wetting of the solder to the parts being joined. Also, a feathered edge shall be created by solder at the part being joined, and the fillet should be concave in shape.
Soldering Procedure for Pin-based Products
Soldering Elmo pin-based drives and amplifiers to a printed circuit board (PCB) is a straightforward process that does not involve any special considerations beyond standardized soldering practices. Reliable solder joints depend on the repeatability of a proven procedure in the manufacturing process. In an effort to facilitate this, the following should serve as the basis for the procedure.
Technical Description
Elmo Motion Control has evaluated one tip size for the Weller soldering iron (Model WECP – 20) or equivalent soldering iron to determine the best method for soldering the pin-based drives and amplifiers. The following matrix calls out the parameters recommended by our manufacturing engineers and can be used in a production environment.
Hand Soldering to PC Board
Pin-based Drives and Amplifiers 500º F ( 260ºC )
Control Pins ( 0.5mm ) 5 to 10 Sec.
Power Pins ( 1.14mm ) 6 to 12 Sec.
  • Tested with 1.6mm thick PC board
  • Weller Model WECP – 20 ( 25W ) soldering iron or equivalent
  • Times specified in table are the soldering times required to achieve a topside fillet per IPC – A – 610C
Wave soldering
The pin-based drives and amplifiers achieve an adequate topside fillet formation on a wave soldering machine with conveyor speeds from three to seven feet minute.
Pin-based Drives and Amplifiers 500º F ( 260ºC )
Control Pins ( 0.5mm ) 5 to 10 Sec.
Power Pins ( 1.14mm ) 6 to 12 Sec.
Cleaning

Cleaning the assemblies should be preformed as necessary to remove foreign matter and flux residues. Assemblies must be cleaned in a manner such that the intrusion of cleaning material into the drive does not occur. Elmo products are not hermetically sealed; all the assembled boards are coated with “ HumiSeal “ conformal coating type 1B31.
Care should be taken to avoid forcing liquid into the drives. Mounting the drive with the “belly” recessed into a cutout is at most risk from a high-pressure aqueous wash. This cleaning method must be avoided.
Intrusion of cleaning solvent into the drive can damage it by dissolving the HumiSeal coating and creating corrosive conditions inside the drive.
As with any electronic component, corrosive and/or mobile ions that may be present in RA or OA flux residues should not be allowed to remain on or under the drive after soldering. The cleaning process should done by hand using a brush.