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.

A bonding stage is provided. The bonding stage includes a first heater disposed under a first region of a substrate having a plurality of semiconductor chips disposed thereon, a second heater disposed under a second region different from the first region of the substrate, a cooler disposed under the first heater and the second heater and blocking heat of the first heater and heat of the second heater from being transferred to lower portions of the first heater and the second heater, and a thin plate disposed on the first heater and the second heater to support the substrate and transferring the heat of the first heater and the heat of the second heater to the substrate, wherein the first heater and the second heater are independently operated.

A soldering method includes intermittently ejecting a solder jet to a workpiece from a jet nozzle, and spraying gas on an outer side surface of the jet nozzle when stopping ejection of the solder jet from the jet nozzle. And a soldering apparatus includes a first nozzle from which a solder jet is intermittently ejected to a workpiece, and a second nozzle from which gas is sprayed on an outer side surface of the first nozzle.

A wire splicing method including: disposing an end portion of a tape-like first wire and an end portion of a tape-like second wire in a holding base in an overlapping manner with solder interposed therebetween, pressing a heating body to the first wire and the second wire via a pressing plate, and pressing together and heating the first wire and the second wire so as to melt the solder; keeping the first wire and the second wire pressed together by the pressing plate; separating the heating body from the pressing plate; and cooling the pressing plate to solidify the solder, and thereby connecting the first wire and the second wire together.

A soldering station or a soldering station system including a soldering station and a soldering iron includes a control console and an iron holder operably coupled to the control console for supporting a soldering iron. The iron holder comprises a handle support portion and a base portion operably coupling the handle support portion to the control console. The handle support portion is oriented with respect to the base portion to define an axis. The axis forms an angle of between about 10 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to a horizontal surface supporting the soldering station. The handle support portion is shaped to receive the soldering iron in a tip-up orientation. The soldering iron may include a handle, a transition portion, a shaft portion, a tip, and a longitudinal centerline.

A flux applying device for applying flux to a surface of solder, wherein the flux applying device includes: a dipping means that applies the flux to the surface of the solder by dipping the solder into the flux; a load applying means that applies a predetermined load to the solder, the load applying means being provided at a upstream side of the dipping means; a constant speed conveying means that conveys the solder at a predetermined speed with being under load by the load applying means; a drying means that dries the solder to which the flux is applied; a cooling means that cools the dried solder; a conveying speed measurement means that measures a conveying speed of the solder; and a control means that controls the conveying speed of the solder.

A wire splicing method including: disposing a tape-like first wire and a tape-like second wire in a holding base so that an end portion of the first wire and an end portion of the second wire face each other; disposing solder to straddle the first wire and the second wire; disposing a connection wire on the solder; pressing a heating body to the first wire, the second wire, and the connection wire via a pressing plate, and pressing together and heating the first wire, the second wire, and the connection wire so as to melt the solder; keeping the first wire, the second wire, and the connection wire pressed together by the pressing plate; separating the heating body from the pressing plate; and cooling the pressing plate to solidify the solder, and thereby connecting the first wire and the second wire together.

Solder housed in flow tank 20 is ejected from nozzle 22 by a pump provided inside flow tank 20. Jet motor 26 that drives the pump is provided outside flow tank 20, and cooling device 30 is provided between flow tank 20 and jet motor 26. Cooling device 30 includes cooling pipe 52 that is formed folded back on itself. Nitrogen gas is supplied from an upper end of cooling pipe 52, flows along cooling pipe 52, and flows out of a lower end of cooling pipe 52 so as to be supplied to flow tank 20. The temperature of the nitrogen gas increases due to heat dissipated from jet motor 26, thus lowering the temperature of jet motor 26. Heat is transferred from jet motor 26 to the nitrogen gas, and jet motor 26 is cooled satisfactorily.

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.

A fluxing system for a bonding machine is provided. The fluxing system includes a flux holder defining a cavity for holding flux, and a fluid source for providing a cooling fluid to cool the flux holder.