Mid-Level Benchtop Reflow Oven Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit

[pnoyes]

I am looking to move in house assembly of prototypes under our own roof. Our boards are typically very small, but it is nice to be able to do as many at the same time as possible. We need to do lead free soldering. I have been evaluating different options of ovens in the 5k price range. Much of the information out there seems dated at this point and I am having difficulty understanding the best model for us. Also, would Nitrogen be worth the added complexity? I can't seem to find an honest review comparing the reliability of these machines to each other. Here are some of the models I have been looking at:

LPKF ProtoFlow S Reflow Oven
Mancorp MC-301

I also want to know what the advantage of those ovens would be over this one:

http://www.smtmax.com/detail.php?id=225

Any information would be much appreciated!

[SDMI]

I might suggest an option.

The t962a is a cheap Chinese oven that many retailers sell.

ESTechnical offers a controller upgrade that significantly improves performance.

http://www.estechnical.co.uk/reflow-con ... er-upgrade

Before you add nitrogen to your process I might suggest re-evaluating the paste you are using.

For many Lead Free assemblies I have used AIM M8 solder paste - it has a very wide process window and seems very easy to deal with. It also has a much better shelf life than other Lead Free pastes I have used.



www.sdmideas.com