What Are Solder Preforms?
Solder preforms are pre-shaped pieces of solder that are used in electronic assembly and soldering processes. They are typically made from solder alloys, which are mixtures of metals such as tin, lead, silver, copper, and others. Solder preforms come in various shapes and sizes, including discs, squares, rectangles, rings, and custom-designed forms.
Solder preforms offer several advantages over other soldering methods, such as solder paste or solder wire. They provide precise control over the solder volume and shape, ensuring consistent solder joints and reducing the risk of excess solder or voids. They also eliminate the need for manual or automated solder dispensing, simplifying the soldering process and saving time.
The Benefits of Utilizing Solder Preforms
Accuracy and Consistency: Solder preforms are manufactured with precise dimensions, ensuring accurate and consistent solder volumes. This helps in achieving uniform solder joint quality and reducing the chances of solder defects.
Ease of Use: Solder preforms are ready to use and require no additional preparation. They can be easily placed on the soldering surface or in the joint area, saving time and effort compared to solder paste or wire.
Control over Solder Volume: Solder preforms allow precise control over the amount of solder used in each joint. This is particularly useful when soldering small or delicate components, where excess solder can lead to bridging or damage.
Reduction of Solder Waste: With solder preforms, the solder volume can be accurately determined and controlled, minimizing solder waste and reducing material costs.
Versatility: Solder preforms are suitable for various soldering applications, including surface mount technology (SMT), through-hole assembly, and component attach processes. They can be used in manual soldering, reflow soldering, and wave soldering methods.
Compatibility: Solder preforms are available in a wide range of solder alloys to suit different application requirements. This allows for compatibility with various substrates and components, ensuring strong and reliable solder joints.
Solder preforms are widely used in industries such as electronics manufacturing, telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, and more. They offer a reliable and efficient solution for achieving high-quality soldering results in a variety of applications.
Overall, solder preforms provide precise solder control, ease of use, and improved solder joint quality, making them a valuable tool in electronic assembly and soldering processes.
Commonly Available Preforms
Washers
The inside diameter or ID is the most important dimension of the solder washer. If it is too small, it will not fit over the intended pin. When the application calls for the solder washer to be flux coated, please be aware that the ID will be smaller than the specified ID dimension. You must compensate for the added flux material. Solder washers are referred to by the following: Outside diameter (OD) x Inside Diameter (ID) x Thickness (T) There may be some instances when the washer may be too small to be flux coated. If that is the case, Array Solders can also fabricate washers with internal flux. Internal flux percentages can range from 1-3%. When you are using a flux coated solder washer, less is more. In other words, 0.5% to 1.5% flux by weight is more than enough to reduce the surface oxides and prepare the surface for wetting. The thickness will determine the solder volume. Our engineers will work with you to determine the best inside and outside dimensions for your application.
Rectangles
Rectangles are solder preforms measured length x width x thickness. Tolerances are kept tight for precise solder volume. Also available flux coated or cored.
Squares
Squares are solder preforms utilized in numerous applications across a wide spectrum of industries. Squares are measured by length x width x thickness. Dimension tolerance is kept tight for soldering volume.
Discs
Discs are measured by diameter and thickness. Available plain, flux coated and in some cases, flux cored.
Custom Designed Preforms
We also realize that your application may be complex. It is with that in mind that Array Solders offer customized preforms. Custom designed preforms can be fabricated specifically to meet your application’s intricate demands in various alloys. Our engineering staff will work with you to develop a solution. You can find more information on Array Solders customized solder preforms here.
Flux Coated and/or Cored
Array Solders also offers our preforms flux coated and flux cored. Flux coated and flux cored preforms are offered in various weight percentages. The typical percentages range from 1%-3% with a tolerance of +/- 0.5%. Adhering to IPC J-STD-004 (ROL0, ROL1, ROM1, ROH1), available flux coatings are rosin mildly activated (RMA), rosin activated (RA), rosin (R), or no clean (NC).
Applications
Preforms are used in applications such as PCB assembly, thermal fuses, die-attach, connectors, cables, sealing and thermal interfaces. Preforms are the perfect solution for these applications because they deliver the exact amount of solder required.
Pre-Fluxed Advantages
Pre-fluxed preforms, whether coated or cored, deliver the precise amount of required flux and solder volume to the exact area where it is needed. They leave behind little to no residue. As a result, you are able to skip the additional steps of applying flux and cleaning therefore saving time and money.
Solder Preform Packaging
Solder preforms are usually bulk packed. In addition, they may also be tray packed or placed on tape and reel for automated applications. There are instances when solder preforms are in need of more secure packaging. Depending how delicate or brittle the preform may be, they can be layered and pressed packed to maintain integrity during shipping and handling.
Storage
In order to maximize the shelf life, preforms should be stored in dry areas. It would be best to store preforms at or just below room temperature.
Download our technical data sheet here: Array Solders – Solder Preform Technical Data Sheet
We hope this overview helped. If you are ready to move forward and start utilizing preforms for your application, our engineering staff stands ready to work with you.
Contact us to get the ball rolling.
