Soldering with Induction Heating

Learn how Ambrell can help you improve your soldering process! Induction heating concentrates the energy in your part only, so you don't need a torch or a costly batch furnace process. Solder your assemblies in a repeatable, precise process.

Applications Database Links

Access helpful Application Notes after a brief registration:

Soldering brass and copper (anesthetic medical equipment)
Soldering circuit board posts with solder preforms

Overview

Soldering is the process of joining metals with alloys that melt between 350ºF-700ºF. The strength of the joint depends on the chemical composition and cleanliness of the surfaces to be joined.
Soldering produces liquid- and gas-tight joints quickly and at low cost. Most soldering applications are carried out in ambient air, with the flux acting as a barrier to surface oxidation and interaction with the atmosphere. It is a convenient and economical way to produce joints when more complex joining machines are not available or cost-effective.

Using Induction

Induction heating is very well suited for soldering applications. Heat is applied to precise regions of a part in a very controlled manner. Induction heating is well suited for production line applications (like fiber optic ferrule assembly) because of low time-to-temperature, high levels of repeatability and non-contact, clean heating.

Typical induction heating systems for soldering range from 1 to 40 kW.

Setup

Flux is applied first to the bonding surfaces and then heat is applied to the joint area. The temperature required is just above the melting point of the solder. The solder is allowed to flow in the joint. After reflow, the solder is allowed to cool naturally and re-solidify.

Materials Needed

Metal: Iron, nickel, copper, lead, tin, zinc, aluminum
Solder: Generally lead and tin alloys·
Flux: Necessary to rid the surface of the metals to be joined of oxides, to promote wetting and obtain intimate contact between the solder and base metal. Consult with our experts to determine the proper flux for your process
Heat source: fast, precise heating is best.

Common Problems

Low unit strength.
Little resistance to fatigue
Limited to service temperatures below 300ºF.

Solutions

Cleanliness of the joint surfaces is critical.
Both metal surfaces that are to be joined need to come to temperature at the same time.
If the temperature is too high, a strong joint cannot be created.
Instead of stick-feeding the solder, use a paste or preform solder that is placed in the joint areas before heating