A mold is used to form a solder joint to join the distal end of the guidewire to a wire coil. The mold has a cavity that can have different configurations so that the solder joint can be any of bullet shaped, micro-J shaped, cone shaped, truncated cone shaped, or have a textured surface.

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 includes a cooling zone, upper and lower vent holes, an external channel, a blower unit, a heat exchanger, a pair of bypass channels, and a ventilation plate. The vent holes are provided, respectively, above and below a pair of rails configured to transport a board in the cooling zone. The external channel connects the vent holes with each other outside the cooling zone. The blower unit causes gas in the external channel to flow through the upper vent hole, the cooling zone, and the lower vent hole. The heat exchanger is provided in a lower opening linked to the lower vent hole in the cooling zone. The pair of bypass channels deliver gas above the pair of rails to the lower opening while bypassing locations of the pair of rails. The ventilation plate is provided in a space formed between the pair of bypass channels.

A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board assembly includes providing a circuit board, positioning a plurality of components including at least one thermally-sensitive component having a maximum temperature threshold on the circuit board, positioning a customized protective heat shield on the thermally-sensitive component, exposing the circuit board (having the thermally-sensitive component disposed thereon and the customized protective heat shield disposed on the thermally-sensitive component) to a high-temperature environment wherein temperatures exceed the maximum temperature threshold of the thermally-sensitive component, and removing the customized protective heat shield from the thermally-sensitive component. Customized protective heat shields are also provided.

An article of manufacture comprises a first component having a first mating surface and a second component having a second mating surface. The first component may include an aperture having internal splines or gear teeth, and/or an outer perimeter having external splines or gear teeth. The first and second components are disposed such that a gap is provided between the first and second mating surfaces. Brazing material is disposed between the first and second mating surfaces so as to mechanically couple the first and second components. The first component may be made of a powdered metal or a non-powdered metal, and the second component may be made of the other of such two metals. In one embodiment, the first component may be a planetary carrier plate portion having internal splines and the second component may be a planetary carrier spider portion.

A brazing apparatus to join a first component and a second component includes a heating element configured to melt a ring located at a joint between the first component and the second component, and a probe configured to contact the ring. A position of the probe is biased toward the ring. The probe is installed at a probe support. The probe is movable along a probe central axis relative to the probe support. A sensor is operably connected to the probe and is configured to determine movement of the probe along the probe central axis. The movement of the probe is indicative of melting of the ring.

An injection-molded solder (IMS) tool assembly apparatus, the apparatus including an IMS tool for dispensing a molten material via a round extrusion part to coat an inside or an outside wall of a pipe (and a chiller for providing cooling water to flow through an inside of the pipe.)

Provided are a soldering apparatus that allows a gasket to be easily attached to and detached from the soldering apparatus, and a method of fixing the gasket to the soldering apparatus. The soldering apparatus includes: a furnace body; a gasket that is provided to at least a part of the furnace body, and that seals the furnace body; and a push rivet that fixes the gasket in an attachable/detachable manner to the furnace body.

A heat transfer device for thermal coupling of a component to be soldered with a heat source or a heat sink in a soldering machine includes a heat source or a heat sink, and at least one base plate, said base plate being in thermally conductive contact at least with the heat source or the heat sink, said base plate comprising at least two contact units having respective contact surfaces, said contact surfaces being thermally contactable to the component, said contact units being designed in such a way that relative distances between the contact surfaces and the surface of the base plate facing the component are changeable.

A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board assembly includes providing a circuit board, positioning a plurality of components including at least one thermally-sensitive component having a maximum temperature threshold on the circuit board, positioning a customized protective heat shield on the thermally-sensitive component, exposing the circuit board (having the thermally-sensitive component disposed thereon and the customized protective heat shield disposed on the thermally-sensitive component) to a high-temperature environment wherein temperatures exceed the maximum temperature threshold of the thermally-sensitive component, and removing the customized protective heat shield from the thermally-sensitive component. Customized protective heat shields are also provided.