Golfsolderen

Golfsolderen, known in English as wave soldering, is a manufacturing process used to solder through-hole components onto printed circuit boards. The board is exposed to a continuous wave of molten solder, formed by a solder bath and a nozzle, so that joints contact the liquid metal briefly and are formed by wetting.

The typical workflow includes four stages. Flux is applied to clean and prepare surfaces for wetting. The board passes through a preheating zone to activate the flux and to reduce thermal shock. It then moves into the solder wave, where the joints are wetted as the board is conveyed over or through the melted solder. Finally, the board is cooled and inspected; cleaning is optional if a no-clean flux is used and residues are acceptable.

Equipment and materials vary, but a wave soldering system consists of a solder pot, a wave-forming nozzle, conveyors, and a preheater. Common solder alloys range from traditional lead-containing solders (for example Sn-Pb) to lead-free alloys such as SAC305. Flux choices include rosin, water-soluble, and no-clean types, with selection depending on board design and cleaning requirements. Process parameters—such as preheat temperature, solder temperature, and wave height—are tuned to minimize defects like solder bridging, icicles, or thermally induced board warpage.

Applications and limitations: wave soldering is well suited for high-volume production of boards with through-hole components and some mixed assemblies. It is less effective for highly dense surface-mount boards or very heat-sensitive components. Variants include selective wave soldering, which targets only certain areas, and dual or split waves to control heat distribution. Safety and environmental considerations include fume control and handling of lead-free alloys.