Efficient HOME > SOLUTIONS > AN INTRODUCTION TO CONDUCTIVE HEAT TECHNOLOGY
An Introduction to Conductive Heat Technology
By Greg Ayers
I would like to take this opportunity to describe the different advantages of the SIKAMA Reflow Systems. Most reflow ovens whether they be I.R. or Convection or a combination of both, use air or gas to transfer their latent heat to the product (PWB, HYBRID, MICROWAVE ETC.) to be heated. The SIKAMA system differs in that we transfer our heat energy through metal, aluminum to be precise, then directly to the product via Conduction. An example is a very simple experiment that anyone can perform. Take a saucepan full of water and place it on the electric burner of your stove, set at medium to high. This pan of water will reach boiling temperature in less than 10 minutes, because of the Conduction of the heat. Next preheat a standard kitchen oven to 400deg F, even up to 500-F, then add the pan of water, it will take over an hour to reach the boiling point!
We at SIKAMA combine the excellent heating characteristics of Conduction heating with optional Convection heating to combine the two technologies into a highly controllable heating medium. The addition of convection holes into our plates allows for efficient heating even if full contact is not made with the product. This also allows the Nitrogen atmosphere to enter through each zone at precisely the temperature set for each plate. This combined with the inert gas hood for containment of atmosphere adds up to an incredibly efficient and versatile reflow oven. Another advantage not offered to you by our competition is the cooling zone(s) on the Falcon systems. By bringing the temperature of the product down quickly, below the liquidus point of the solder, the solder is above the melt point for a minimum period of time. This reduced "time above liquidus" allows for a tight grain structure in the solder to be achieved. This grain structure is directly affected by length of time above the melt point of solder. The strength of the solder fillet is diminished by longer liquidus times. Thermal cycling of these solder bonds will show that MTBF (mean time before failure) will increase with the tighter grain structures formed by shortened "times above liquidus".
These advantages are combined with a very robust mechanical design, which will give many years of trouble free service, all with a very economical use of valuable floor space. With over 1000 units in the field and 16 years of experience in the reflow market, SIKAMA'S technology will continue to service the ever expanding needs of electronics customers for many years to come.
