A transport system for transporting material to be soldered through a soldering apparatus, and soldering apparatus with laterally movable middle support. The transport system for transporting the material to be soldered through the soldering apparatus, includes at least one transport track extending in the transport direction in which the material to be soldered is transportable in a transport plane in the transport direction, wherein the transport track includes two transport bars extending in the transport direction and at least one middle support with a middle bar extending in the transport direction. The middle bar has a revolving conveying means with folding elements, and the conveying means provides a feed in the transport direction and a return counter to the transport direction. The folding elements are displaceable between a support position and a folded position. Further provided is an adjusting device for transverse adjustment of the at least one middle support in a transverse direction running transversely to the transport direction, characterized in that a distance A between an underside of at least one transport bar facing away from the transport plane and the transport plane is smaller than a distance B between an upper side of the at least one middle support facing the transport plane and the transport plane, and that the adjustment device is designed such that the middle support with folding elements is movable in the folded position in the transverse direction underneath the at least one transport bar into a parked position provided laterally next to the transport bar.

A soldering apparatus, in particular a reflow soldering apparatus, for continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, having a process channel including a preheating zone, a soldering zone and a cooling zone, having fan units for circulating process gas in the process channel, wherein the fan units each comprise an electric fan motor and a fan wheel, and having at least one apparatus element, wherein the soldering apparatus can be operated in an operating mode in which the fan motors are controlled in such a way that they are operated at a constant or largely constant rotational speed, as a result of which process gas is conducted through the at least one apparatus element and is then drawn in again by the respective fan units. At least one and preferably a plurality of current measuring units are provided that, in the operating mode, measure the current strength consumed by the relevant fan motor over time, and in that at least one evaluation unit is provided and configured such that a control signal is generated by the at least one evaluation unit if the relevant measured current strength falls below or exceeds a threshold value.

Soldering apparatus, in particular a reflow soldering apparatus, for the continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, with an entry and an exit for feeding and removing the printed circuit boards, with a process channel including a preheating zone, a soldering zone and/or a cooling zone, and including a main body and at least one cover hood movable between a closed position and an open position, the cover hood enclosing a hood compartment above the process channel in which fan motors are provided. A central suction channel is provided in the hood compartment, in that the first suction elements connected to the suction channel in the hood compartment are provided for the suction of hood compartment air from the hood compartment, in that second suction elements connected to the suction channel in the hood compartment are provided for the suction of process gas from the process channel, and in that a switching device is provided and is configured to switch between an operating mode in which hood compartment air is suctioned via the first suction elements and a cooling mode in which process gas is suctioned via the second suction elements.

Soldering system, in particular a reflow soldering system, for continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, that includes a process channel having a preheating zone, at least one of a soldering zone and a cooling zone, including a main body, at least one covering hood that is pivotable about a hood axis between a closed position, in which the process channel is closed, and an open position, in which the covering hood is open and the process channel is accessible.

A soldering apparatus, in particular a reflow soldering apparatus, for the continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, including a process channel that has a preheating zone, a soldering zone and a cooling zone, and further includes a base body and a cover hood movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein nozzle plates, fan units with fan motors, air ducts that conduct the process gas, filter elements and/or cooling elements are provided in the base body. The soldering apparatus further includes a drawer, which extends along a pull-out direction running transversely to the transport direction, is provided in the base body, with a bottom, a front wall and a rear side. Air ducts for conducting the process gas, at least one replaceable filter element in a filter region and at least one cooling device are provided in the drawer.

Transport system for transporting soldering material through a soldering apparatus and soldering apparatus, having two transport tracks running parallel to one another and extending in a transport direction, wherein each of the transport tracks includes two transport rails, and wherein at least one of the two transport rails of the respective transport track is adjustable in the transverse direction running transversely to the transport direction for a width adjustment of the respective transport track. A plurality of guide elements are provided at least on the adjustable transport rails, wherein the guide elements interact with transverse rods extending in the transverse direction, wherein guide elements adjacent in the transverse direction of transport rails adjustable in the transverse direction are each guided displaceably on the same transverse rod toward one another and away from one another, and wherein the guide elements each have at least one recess and/or at least one projection extending in the transverse direction in such a way that a projection of the respective one guide element engages in a recess of the respective other guide element when adjacent guide rail are displaced toward one another.

A soldering apparatus, in particular a reflow soldering apparatus, for continuous soldering of printed circuit boards along a transport direction, having a process channel that includes a preheating zone, a soldering zone and a cooling zone, having a base body and a cover hood movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein nozzle plates, fan units with fan motors, air channels carrying the process gas, filter elements and/or cooling elements are provided in the base body. At least one fan unit is arranged in or on the base body laterally next to the process channel in the transport direction, and air channels are arranged and provided in such a manner that process gas is blown into the process channel during operation of the at least one fan unit, with the process gas directed through a filter element provided in a filter region after passing through the process channel, and the filtered process gas drawn in by the at least one fan unit.

A radiating structure assembly system includes a movable conveyor that supports fixtures. Work stations are spaced about the conveyor such that the fixtures are moved sequentially to position the fixtures at the plurality of work stations. A first work station includes a loading assembly for loading the radiating elements on the fixtures. A second work station includes a first automated vertical assembly machine for mounting a first printed circuit board to the radiating element. A third work station includes a second automated vertical assembly machine for mounting a second printed circuit board to the radiating element to create a dipole assembly. A holding device is movable with the conveyor aligns and supports the first and second printed circuit boards relative to the radiating element. A fourth work station includes an unloading assembly for removing the dipole assembly from the conveyor.

Systems and methods in which dot-like portions of a material (e.g., a viscous material such as a solder paste) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an electronic component at a first printing unit, and the electronic component is subsequently placed onto a substrate with the portions of viscous material between the electronic component and the substrate. Optionally, a printing unit which prints the dots of material onto the electronic component includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred in the individual dot-like portions from the donor substrate onto the electronic component by the printing unit. The system may also include imaging units to aid in the overall process.

A method for curing solder paste on a thermally fragile substrate is disclosed. An optically reflective layer and an optically absorptive layer are printed on a thermally fragile substrate. Multiple conductive traces are selectively deposited on the optically reflective layer and on the optically absorptive layer. Solder paste is then applied on selective locations that are corresponding to locations of the optically absorptive layer. After a component has been placed on the solder paste, the substrate is irradiated from one side with uniform pulsed light. The optically absorptive layer absorbs the pulsed light and becomes heated, and the heat is subsequently transferred to the solder paste and the component via thermal conduction in order to heat and melt the solder paste.