Cobar Solder Products to Introduce SELective Soldering Package at SMTAI 2011

The SEL package is a collection of soldering materials that is specially designed to make the most reliable assembly solder joints using a selective soldering application. The package is unique because it contains more than just materials. Selective soldering has overtaken wave soldering applications and has some critical areas that can only be overcome using the right materials, process control and knowledge.

Balver Zinn/Cobar has developed chemistry with properties that are required to make reliable solder joints. The company offers four different fluxes that have the right properties for high temperature applications and are chemical inert even when they are not activated. In other words, using these fluxes will take away any concerns regarding reliability, dendrite formation or corrosion issues. These fluxes have excellent spreading properties, and the low VOC flux types are environmentally friendly since they minimize alcohol emission.

Balver Zinn/Cobar has it all: chemicals and metals. All fluxes are optimized to work with the metals manufactured by the company. In order to meet all different types of selective soldering applications, the solder alloy package is diverse. The package contains different alloys offered in wire on a reel (of course different wire diameters are available), special small 500 gram solder bars, or hemispherical pallets. Additionally, the package contains special materials such as a nozzle cleaning chemistry in case wettable nozzles are used in the process.

Only supplying solder alloy and chemistry is not enough for a consistent selective soldering process. The high temperature makes the process sensitive for copper leaching. The SN100C alloy is the most dedicated alloy for selective solder applications because of its low copper leaching and low metal erosion. The package also includes solder sample analysis free of charge. The Balver Zinn/Cobar lab will analyze the solder bath sample and give recommendations regarding maintaining the composition.

The BalverZinn/Cobar team has experts with decades of experience in all types of selective solder applications. Engineers are available to provide support whenever special attention is needed to optimize the process. For detailed studies on metallurgy and/or chemistry, the company uses its well-equipped laboratories in Balve (D) and Breda (NL).

Cobar Solder Products is the U.S. division of the Balver Zinn/Cobar Group.