A method of using a solder reflow oven can include disposing at least one substrate including solder in a chamber of the oven. The method can include decreasing a pressure of the chamber to a first pressure between about 0.1-50 Torr. After decreasing the pressure of the chamber, the temperature of the at least one substrate can be increased to a first temperature. Formic acid vapor can be admitted into the chamber above the at least one substrate while nitrogen is discharged into the chamber below the at least one substrate. The method can also include removing at least a portion of the formic acid vapor from the enclosure. After the removing step, the temperature of the at least one substrate can be further increased to a second temperature higher than the first temperature. The at least one substrate can be maintained at the second temperature for a first time. And then, the at least one substrate can be cooled.

A welding connection element includes a body and an assembly portion. The body includes a fitting fastening portion having an elastic withdrawal space. The elastic withdrawal space is capable of elastically withdrawing two or more fastening portions, so as to enable the fastening portions to be receivingly fastened in another object. The welding connection element has a welding surface configured to be welding connected to a welding surface of the object. The welding surface of the object is provided in advance with a solder layer configured to be heated and to welding connect the welding connection element and the welding surface of the object. The welding connection element is provided at a carrier in advance, taken out by a tool, compared with an assembly position of the object by a comparison device, and placed at the assembly position by the tool so as to be assembled with the object.

A press-forming device for forming individual solder bodies from a wire of soldering material includes a press-forming mechanism and a separation means. The press-forming mechanism forms a continuous strand of preformed solder sections from the wire by using two notched rollers that rotate in opposite directions and that press opposite notches into the wire. The preformed solder sections are disposed equidistantly along the strand and are connected to each other by connecting links disposed at the notches. The separation means forms individual solder bodies by separating the preformed solder sections one by one at the connecting links. The separation means separates individual preformed solder sections using a cutting mechanism that moves in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the strand. Individual solder bodies are transported to a solder jetting section where they are liquefied by a laser beam and jetted from the solder jetting section by gas pressure.

A press-forming device for forming individual solder bodies from a wire of soldering material includes a press-forming mechanism and a separation means. The press-forming mechanism forms a continuous strand of preformed solder sections from the wire by using two notched rollers that rotate in opposite directions and that press opposite notches into the wire. The preformed solder sections are disposed equidistantly along the strand and are connected to each other by connecting links disposed at the notches. The separation means forms individual solder bodies by separating the preformed solder sections one by one at the connecting links. The separation means separates individual preformed solder sections using a cutting mechanism that moves in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the strand. Individual solder bodies are transported to a solder jetting section where they are liquefied by a laser beam and jetted from the solder jetting section by gas pressure.

A laser-assisted soldering apparatus includes a solder jetting section and a laser coupling unit. The solder jetting section includes a jetting nozzle and a solder body holding capillary adapted to hold a solder body that is being liquefied by a laser beam. The laser coupling unit includes an optical window, a laser entry, a laser passage, a fastening section, and a laser exit. The laser passage extends from the laser entry to the laser exit and is aligned with the solder body holding capillary. The optical window is transparent to the laser beam. The fastening section is fastened to the solder jetting section. A first pressure gas feeding passage merges into the laser passage between the optical window and the fastening section. The solder jetting section includes a second pressure gas feeding passage that merges into the solder body holding capillary between the laser exit and the jetting nozzle.

A hot wind is blown to a land and a lead from the underside of a printed board, to perform preheating. At the start of preheating or after start of preheating, a laser beam is applied to a soldering point, and meanwhile, wire solder is fed to a position contacting with the soldering point. The fed wire solder is melted by the laser beam. After soldering is finished, feeding of the wire solder is stopped. Application of the laser beam is stopped, to solidify the melted solder.

A hot wind is blown to a land and a lead from the underside of a printed board, to perform preheating. At the start of preheating or after start of preheating, a laser beam is applied to a soldering point, and meanwhile, wire solder is fed to a position contacting with the soldering point. The fed wire solder is melted by the laser beam. After soldering is finished, feeding of the wire solder is stopped. Application of the laser beam is stopped, to solidify the melted solder.

An electric component manufacturing device includes a preheater that contacts and preheats a transported work, a melting heater that is downstream of the preheater in a transport direction of the work and contacts and heats the work at a temperature which is higher than a temperature of the preheater and at which a solder melts, a cooler that is downstream of the melting heater in the transport direction and contacts and cools the work, and a transporter that supports and transports the work to sequentially contact the preheater, the melting heater, and the cooler in this order. The transporter performs intermittent transport in which the work is transported from the preheater to the melting heater without stopping to contact both the preheater and the melting heater at the same time, and then the work stops on the melting heater.

A ball-grid-array component of a ball-grid array assembly is analyzed prior to reflow. A predicted warping pattern of the ball-grid-array component that is likely to occur during reflow is predicted based on the analyzing. A solder ball ball-grid-array defect that could be caused by the predicted warping pattern is predicted. An initial via suction pattern to mitigate the ball-grid-array defect is assigned. A vacuum head is applied to a via in the ball-grid-array assembly. The solder ball is located at the opposite end of the via from the vacuum head. Suction is applied to the via based on the via suction pattern. The suction draws a portion of the solder ball into the via during reflow.

A ball-grid-array component of a ball-grid array assembly is analyzed prior to reflow. A predicted warping pattern of the ball-grid-array component that is likely to occur during reflow is predicted based on the analyzing. A solder ball ball-grid-array defect that could be caused by the predicted warping pattern is predicted. An initial via suction pattern to mitigate the ball-grid-array defect is assigned. A vacuum head is applied to a via in the ball-grid-array assembly. The solder ball is located at the opposite end of the via from the vacuum head. Suction is applied to the via based on the via suction pattern. The suction draws a portion of the solder ball into the via during reflow.