A soldering apparatus includes transfer rails as a first transfer means for transferring a printed circuit board, transfer rails as a second transfer means provided in parallel to a transfer direction of the printed circuit board to be transferred by the transfer rails, a muffle as a first reflow furnace main body for heating the printed circuit board transferred by the transfer rails, a muffle as a second reflow furnace main body for heating a printed circuit board transferred by the transfer rails, and a main frame as a frame for housing the muffle and the muffle. The main frame includes an opening/closing part as a first opening/closing means for opening/closing the muffle, and an opening/closing part as a second opening/closing means for opening/closing the muffle.

A soldering tool, comprising nozzle shaped soldering tip and a hot gas feed channel that runs in the soldering tip, wherein the hot gas feed channel includes openings that provide a hot gas exhaust, and wherein the soldering tip as well as a portion of a soldering environment is heatable by the hot gas, characterized in that the soldering tip includes one or plural contact surfaces that have a surface structure which corresponds to a surface structure of a soldering object so that the soldering object is thermally contactable by the soldering tip with a minimum heat resistance, wherein a hot gas jet that passes through the openings is forced to perform at least one directional reversal or directional deflection by placement of the soldering tip and contacting the soldering object.

A soldering tool, comprising nozzle shaped soldering tip and a hot gas feed channel that runs in the soldering tip, wherein the hot gas feed channel includes openings that provide a hot gas exhaust, and wherein the soldering tip as well as a portion of a soldering environment is heatable by the hot gas, characterized in that the soldering tip includes one or plural contact surfaces that have a surface structure which corresponds to a surface structure of a soldering object so that the soldering object is thermally contactable by the soldering tip with a minimum heat resistance, wherein a hot gas jet that passes through the openings is forced to perform at least one directional reversal or directional deflection by placement of the soldering tip and contacting the soldering object.

Disclosed are a hollow pipe-sandwiching metal plate and applications thereof. The hollow pipe-sandwiching metal plate comprises a first panel, a second panel, and multiple hollow pipes between the first panel and the second panel; gaps are arranged among the hollow pipes, and the hollow pipes are connected to the first panel and the second panel by brazing. The present disclosure further includes the applications of the hollow pipe-sandwiching metal plate. The hollow pipe-sandwiching metal plate has advantages, such as light weight, high strength, low stress, high temperature resistance, pressure bearing, thermal insulation and vibration isolation. The metal plate will not deform due to thermal difference, thereby providing permanent service life of the metal plate.

A reflow soldering system comprising one or a plurality of individually heatable soldering process zones. The reflow soldering system is configured to supply heat to a workpiece selectively through condensation or through convection or as a combination of convection and condensation.

A method of using a processing oven may include disposing at least one substrate in a chamber of the oven and activating a lamp assembly disposed above them to increase their temperature to a first temperature. A chemical vapor may be admitted into the chamber above the at least one substrate and an inert gas may be admitted into the chamber below the at least one substrate. The temperature of the at least one substrate may then be increased to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and then cooled down.

A method of using a processing oven may include disposing at least one substrate in a chamber of the oven and activating a lamp assembly disposed above them to increase their temperature to a first temperature. A chemical vapor may be admitted into the chamber above the at least one substrate and an inert gas may be admitted into the chamber below the at least one substrate. The temperature of the at least one substrate may then be increased to a second temperature higher than the first temperature and then cooled down.

A soldering apparatus has a soldering iron unit having a soldering tip for carrying out a soldering process to a printed circuit board, a heater unit for heating the soldering iron unit, and a gas supply device for operatively supplying a burning-assist gas to the soldering iron unit, when a cleaning process is carried out for the soldering iron unit. The cleaning process for the soldering iron unit is carried out when the soldering process to the printed circuit board is stopped. In the cleaning process, the soldering iron unit is heated by the heater unit and the burning-assist gas is supplied to the soldering iron unit, so that material attached to the soldering iron unit can be easily burnt out.

A soldering apparatus has a soldering iron unit having a soldering tip for carrying out a soldering process to a printed circuit board, a heater unit for heating the soldering iron unit, and a gas supply device for operatively supplying a burning-assist gas to the soldering iron unit, when a cleaning process is carried out for the soldering iron unit. The cleaning process for the soldering iron unit is carried out when the soldering process to the printed circuit board is stopped. In the cleaning process, the soldering iron unit is heated by the heater unit and the burning-assist gas is supplied to the soldering iron unit, so that material attached to the soldering iron unit can be easily burnt out.

Use of an aluminium composite material in a thermal joining method, said material consisting of at least one aluminium core alloy and at least one external brazing layer consisting of an aluminium brazing alloy provided on one or both sides of the aluminium core alloy, wherein the aluminium brazing layer has a pickled surface. Reduced costs and a lower environmental impact is achieved by using an aluminium composite material in which the pickled surface of the aluminium brazing layer had been pickled by pickling with an acid, aqueous pickling solution containing at least one mineral acid and at least one complex-forming agent or a complexing mineral acid, wherein the removal of material in the pickling is between 0.05 g/m.sup.2 and 6 g/m.sup.2, the aluminium composite material is used in a flux-free, thermal joining method, and the joining method is carried out in the presence of a protective gas.