GB2120152A - Rapid soldering of wire to terminal pads - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method for rapidly soldering insulated wire to terminal pads of a printed circuit board 5, a soldering tool 32 is electrically heated to a high temperature above 530 DEG C, and preferably between 870 and 1100 DEG C, and has a predetermined effective mass for holding a quantum of heat just sufficient to vaporize the wire insulation and to make an effective solder joint in less than 500 milliseconds over a broad range of terminal pad conditions. Solder may be applied by solder-coating the terminal pads or the wire, by introducing powder or paste into the joint zone, or by use of preforms in the shape of washers, discs or ribbons or use of microdots and microspheres. Electrical heating of the tool 32 may be effected before and/or during tool contact with the wire. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Short pulse soldering system This invention relates to soldering and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for short pulse soldering suitable for automatic wiring equipment.

The technology for production of circuit boards for interconnecting electronic components has advanced considerably in recent times. The advance in integrated circuit technology has brought about ever increasing densification of electronics which, in turn, has brought about an ever increasing demand for denser and more reliable circuit boards for interconnecting the components.

According to one highly successful technique, dense circuit boards are created by scribing or writing wires on the surface of the board using very fine insulated copper wire. The wires are deposited according to a computer generated program. The wire pattern is, thereafter, encapsulated and the ends of the wires are connected to terminal pads on the board surface.

The technology is described in GB patents 1 352 557 and 1 352 558. One of the significant advantages of the wired circuit boards over conventional printed circuit technology is, that the insulated wires can cross one another and, therefore, very dense connection boards can be made in a single layer thereby eliminating the need for interlayer connections.

In the past, the connection to terminal pads in wired circuit boards has usually been accomplished by plating. After the wire pattern is deposited and encapsulated, holes are drilled through the board at appropriate locations and then plated. The hole plating is done in a manner that not only plates the hole and forms the terminal pad, but also that the end of the insulated wire exposed by the drilled hole is electrically connected to the pad.

Soldering techniques have, of course, long been used to connect wires to terminals. However, such soldering techniques have generally not been regarded as useful in high speed automatic production of circuit boards because of the difficulty in keeping the solder joint localized, because of the need to avoid heat damage to the plastic board substrates, and because of the danger of solder entering the holes associated with the terminal pads.

There have been prior attempts to solve these problems, such as (a) configuring the solder pads to provide a narrow heat transfer restriction between the solder area and the plated hole; (b) providing an electrically conductive, heat resistive nickel layer under the solder regions; (c) cooling the soldering area with the flow of air or inert gas; (d) prestripping the segment of wire to be soldered so that the solder joint need not be subjected to high temperatures required for insulation stripping; (e) using parallel gap soldering where the heat is generated at the solder surface by using the solder pad to complete an electric heat generating circuit; and (f) controlling the heat generated by using temperature measurements to control the electric current generating the heat.

Although, by using a combination of the above techniques, it is possible to produce satisfactory solder joints, these techniques do not provide a system capable of tolerating the range of variations and conditions encountered in commercial production. Also, some of the methods according to the prior art techniques enumerated above add considerable cost and complexity to the operation or require special board configurations which reduce the board's surface area available for routing wires.

In accordance with this invention, it has been found, surprisingly, that there is a combination of conditions and hardware capable of soldering very fine insulated wires to terminal pads under the wide range of conditions normally encountered in commercial production without damaging the substrate or the plated holes, without requiring special circuit board configurations and without significantly increasing costs.

The present invention provides for a high speed method of operating in the presence of solder for soldering wire to a terminal pad or the like on a circuit board, using a soldering tool of predetermined mass, bringing said tool into thermal contact with the wire to be soldered and the terminal pad, and, while in contact, substantially imparting just enough heat to said wire and said terminal pad to complete a solder joint including solidification of said solder, said method being characterized in that the effectice mass of said soldering tool is selected so that the quantum of heat energy stored therein is only slightly in excess of that required for an effective solder joint and is substantially used up during formation of the solder joint; heating said effective mass to a preselected temperature so that the solder joint is formed in less than 500 milliseconds, but said preselected temperature being below that which would cause rapid deterioration of the tool, said quantum of heat being insufficient to permit significant heat migration into the circuit board beyond said terminal pad.

An essential aspect of the invention is to control both the peak temperature of the soldering tool and the quantum of heat made available during a soldering operation. The quantum of heat is a function of the temperature of the soldering tool, the mass of the soldering tool, and the duration of energy application. The quantum of heat is adjusted so that it is just sufficient to provide a reliable solder joint under the range of conditions expected to be encountered. It is important that the quantum of heat does not exceed the required value. The peak temperature employed in the soldering tool during the operation is quite high, above 530 C, and preferably in the range of 870 to 11 00,C. These high temperatures are capable of vaporizing insulation off the wire to expose the bare copper for soldering.Also, if the quantum of heat and timing is properly controlled, it is possible to achieve a steep temperature gradient which confines the high temperatures to the regions where they are useful in stripping insulation and melting solder while, at the same time, avoiding high temperatures where they would be harmful. By controlling the quantum of heat applied and the time of energy application, the wire can be stripped and soldered before there is sufficient heat migration to raise the temperature in the sensitive regions to a point where damage to the circuit board, insulated wire or terminal pad would occur.

With the techniques according to the invention the soldering time is very short, below 500 milliseconds and preferably less than 50 milliseconds.

With proper conditions and apparatus, it is possible to complete a solder connection in less than 50 milliseconds during which the peak temperature for vaporizing insulation off the wire exceeds 400"C, the peak temperature available for soldering the wire to the terminal pad exceeds 230 C, but the temperature in the substrate adjacent the terminal pad does not exceed 290 C. By controlling the quantum of heat applied and the timing of the operation, the high temperature insulation removal and the soldering are completed and the heat used up before it can migrate into areas where damage would occur.

Figure 1 is a partial plan view and partial block diagram illustrating the system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed drawing illustrating the placement of wire on the circuit board and the soldering tool associated therewith; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the wire, soldering tool and terminal pad; Figures 4 and 5 are illustrations showing a completed solder joint when made in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a single pulse type control system for energizing the soldering tool; and Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multiple pulse type control system for energizing the soldering tool.

The soldering apparatus according to the invention can be incorporated in an automatic circuit board wiring machine as illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Further details of the overall apparatus are disclosed in GB patents 1 593 235, 1 352 557 and 1 352 558.

A circuit board 5 is mounted for movement by an X-Y transport 40 and is moved from pointto-point according to a computer control 42. A wire guide unit 10, scribing stylus 20 and soldering tool 30 are mounted above the circuit board so that they can rotate as a unit.

Insulated copper wire 11 is fed through the wire guide towards stylus 20 which presses the wire into the tacky surface coating 6 on the circuit board as is best seen in Fig. 2. The rotational position of the scribing unit (including wire guide 10, stylus 20 and soldering tool 30) is determined in accordance with the direction of the table movement so that the wire is laid down on the board surface as the board moves away from the scribing unit.

The soldering tool 30 is pivotally mounted with respect to a pivot 31 so that it can be raised and lowered by a suitable solenoid or pneumatic actuator 48. When lowered into the soldering position (shown in solid lines in Fig. 1) the soldering tip 32 straddles the wire being laid down.

A soldering operation is normally performed while the table is at rest at a point where the wire overlays a terminal pad area to which the wire is to be connected. The terminal pad is preferably pre-tinned and thus, when the appropriate heat is applied, the insulation is stripped and a solder joint is completed.

A position sensor 44 is attached to the X-Y transport 40 to sense the table position and determine when it is in the proper position for the soldering operation. When in the proper position, computer control unit 42 provides activation signals for a solenoid control unit 49 and a timer control unit 46. Solenoid control unit 49 is connected to solenoid 48 and raises and lowers soldering tool 30. A high current power supply 52 is connected to soldering tool 30 via a switching circuit 50, the switching circuit in turn being controlled by timer control unit 46.

The timer control causes one or more high current pulses of predetermined energy content to be applied to the soldering tool 30 when called for by computer control 42.

Details of soldering tip 32 of the soldering tool 30 stradling wire 11 and located over a terminal pad is as shown in Fig. 3. The terminal pad can be formed by pressing a pre-tinned hollow copper terminal into circuit board 5 at the proper location or by using printed circuit techniques to copper plate a drilled hole and by subsequently tinning the plated surface. The H terrnin ni dee - c'!ndrir8I bocly portion 6?. 3hin Ba pausing through the hole and a surface flange portion 61.

Tip 32 of the soldering tool 30 has a generally U-shaped cross section with the bridge portion of the 'U' being the effective mass of the tool. Tip 32 is preferably made of tungsten alloys which are only slightly oxidized at high temperatures. In some cases it may be desirable to carry out the soldering operation in an inert atmosphere to avoid oxidation of the soldering tool 30.

The bridge portion of the soldering tool preferably has a groove on the lower surface dimensioned to partially accommodate the wire 11 being soldered to maintain good thermal contact. The dimensions of the effective mass are 'W', the width between the leg portions 34 and 35 of the tip, 'L', the length in the direction of the wire, and 'H', the height of the bridge portion. The legs 34 and 35 of the bridge portion are integral with support arms 36 and 37 secured in a suitable mounting structure 38 (Fig. 1).

A typical solder joint appears as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. The hole through body portion 62 of terminal pad 60 has a diameter of 1,0 mm, the radial dimension of flange 61 is 0,38 mm, and the outside flange diameter is 1,75 mm. The copper flange is 0,05 mm thick. The insulated wire 11 includes the copper wire with a 0,1 mm diameter surrounded by insulation which is 0,0125 mm thick.

The solder layer is about 0,038 mm thick. The solder fillet 50 which joins the stripped wire to the terminal pad is about 0,38 mm wide and 1,0 mm long.

Preferably, the solder for the solder joint is supplied by a solder coating on the terminal pad which can be a pre-tinned coating as mentioned above, or a plated (non-eutectic) coating.

Alternatively, the wire can be solder-coated to supply solder for the joint. Other techniques for supplying the solder can also be employed. For example, solder in a powder or paste form can be ejected into the solder joint area, preformed solder in the shape of washers, disks or ribbons can be placed in the solder joint area, or solder in the form of microdots or microspheres can be used.

In accordance with the invention, the quantum of heat utilized in a soldering operation is carefully controlled. The quantum of heat depends on the effective mass of the soldering tool, the temperature of the soldering tool, the energy applied during the soldering operation, and the mass of the wire and copper foil forming the terminal pad on the circuit board.

The soldering tip temperature is also controlled to achieve a desired temperature profile so that maximum heat energy is available for completing the solder joint and so that there is minimum heat migration into the areas of the board sensitive to heat.

Conditions are selected to achieve rapid soldering since, when constructing a circuit board by point-to-point wiring, the time efficiency can be very important to the realization of an effective wiring machine.

The selected conditions should permit the apparatus to make good solder connections regardless of the surrounding structure on the board. In commercial circuit board operations, the size of the terminal pads may vary and in many cases are associated with, or are near to, sizable ground planes. The size of the copper area in the soldering region affects heat dissipation and heat migration. According to this invention, conditions can be selected which will provide a good solder joint for the broad range of conditions normally encountered in a circuit board. In order to arrive at the appropriate set of conditions a series of experimental runs were made utilizing soldering tools of different dimensions and energizing these tools at different energy levels abd different periods of time.The results of these tests are summarized in Table I below. Table 1 Time for Time for Volume of Good joint Good Joint Effective 0.76 mm 25.4 mm Time Mass Tool Dimensions Volt Ampere Wide Strip Wide Strip Overlap Tool Temperature (mm x 10-3) (mm) DC DC (millisec.) (millisec.) (millisec.) ( C)** 8,4 0,55 x 0,30 x 0,50 4,25 175 40 68 --- 900 6.40 250 11-14 12-23 12-14 1000 8.60 275 6-8 6-8 6-8 1100-1200 9,4 0,50 x 0,38 x 0,50 4,40 200 95 --- --- 315 6.40 300 35 55 --- 580-1200 8.60 370 18 23 --- 1000-1300 10,9 0,55 x 0,40 x 0,50 4.20 200 50-60 110-170 --- 700-1000 6.50 250* 22-24 30-45 --- 840-1145 8.60 300 10-12 15 --- 760-1200 11.7 0,55 x 0,43 x 0,50 4.20 160* 120 180 --- 400-1200 6.50 250 30 50 --- 580-1100 8.60 330* 17-18 19 --- 1100-1200 12,5 0,50 x 0,50 x 0,50 4.40 250 110 170 --- 400-1200 6,60 325 34 47 --- 800-1200 8.60 425* 18 20-23 --- 1040-1300 28,0 0,76 x 0,76 x 0,50 4,15 225 165 --- --- 520 6.50 300 45 60 --- 580-1100 8,30 380 24 --- --- 900 * Calculated approximate values ** Visual estimates based on color incandescence The tool dimensions are in terms of the width, height and length (W X H X L) for the effective mass on the soldering tool as indicated in Fig. 3. Thus, for example, the dimensions in the first line of Table I indicate a width of 0,56 mm, a height of 0,3 mm and a length of 0,5 mm for a total volume of effective mass of 8,4 X 10-3 mm3. The voltage applied to the tool is 4,25 volts which results in a current of 175 amperes.

To test the operation over the range of conditions likely to be encountered in commercial circuit board operations, tests were conducted on standard board configurations using a relatively small terminal area in the form of a 0,76 mm wide strip and relatively large terminal area in the form of a 25,4 mm wide strip. Tests on these strips represented approximately a 30:1 ratio of width and, hence, simulated the broad range of conditions encountered in commercial operation. Tests were then run using different soldering times for the various conditions and, thereafter, inspecting and visually judging the solder joints.

The conditions that resulted in acceptable solder joints are set forth in Table I. For example, looking at the second line of Table I, a soldering tool with an effective mass volume of 8,4 X 10-3 mm3 is energized with 6,4 volt resulting in a 250 ampere current flow through the tool. On the smaller strip (0,75 mm width) an acceptable solder joint was achieved using energization periods between 11 and 14 milliseconds. For shorter periods (in this case less than 11 milliseconds) there was insufficient heat for ablation of the insulation or insufficient heat to form a good solder joint. Longer energization periods (in this case greater than 14 milliseconds) resulted in damage to the substrate or damage to the insulation on the wire outside the solder area.Tests run with respect to the larger strip (25,4 mm width) determined that acceptable solder joints were achieved using an energization period between 12 and 23 milliseconds. Thus, in the range between 12 milliseconds and 14 milliseconds, using this particular size tool, acceptable solder joints are achieved regardless of terminal pad size, i.e., in the range from 0,75 to 25,4 mm.

The temperature of the tool was determined visually by observing the incandescent color and estimating the corresponding temperature. For the second line of Table I the tool temperature was estimated to be 1000 C from the bright cherry-red color.

This series of experiments establish that there are conditions which can be selected for making satisfactory solder joints over the range of conditions encountered in normal commercial operations. As indicated in lines 2 and 3 of Table I, if the soldering tool mass is relatively small (corresponding to an effective mass volume of 8,4 X 10-3 mm3 and the tool is energized with a potential of 6,4 or 8,6 volt with corresponding current flows of 250 and 275 ampere then energization periods exist which will satisfy the full range of board conditions. At the lower potential of 6,4 volt (corresponding to current of 250 ampere) an energization period of 12 to 14 milliseconds resulting in a tip temperature of 1000 C produces acceptable solder joints over the range of terminal pad sizes.Likewise, at the somewhat higher potential of 8,6 volt (corresponding to current of 275 ampere) an energization period in the range of 6 to 8 milliseconds at a corresponding soldering tool temperature of 1100 to 1200 C also achieved acceptable solder joints over the range of terminal pad sizes.

As can be seen from Table I, where the range of terminal pad sizes is narrower or where all terminal pads are of a uniform size, other conditions can be found that produce satisfactory solder joints. It should be noted that in all cases the energization period is less than 500 milliseconds and thus provides a rapid soldering technique useful in automatic machinery. In most cases satisfactory solder joints are achieved using energization periods of less than 150 milliseconds and in many cases below 50 milliseconds.Although in a few cases acceptable solder joints have been made at low soldering tool temperatures, in general, the tool temperature should be above 530 C and preferably in the range of 870 to 1100 C. Lower soldering tool temperatures require longer soldering times and energization periods and result in greater heat migration into the substrate of the circuit board. Higher temperatures generally provide a steeper temperature gradient with less heat migration and shorter energization periods and contact times. Temperatures above 1 00 C, however, are undesirable because of the more rapid deterioration of the soldering tool at such temperatures.

A soldering temperature of 760 C is provided by a tool having dimensions of 0,55 X 0,4 X 0,5 mm (10,9 X 10-3 mm3 volume) energized by 6,5 volt (current of 250 ampere). An energization period of 22 milliseconds provides an acceptable solder joint to a pad with a diameter of 1,77 mm.

The soldering tool first vaporizes the insulation off the wire. The unstripped insulation outside the solder area reaches a maximum temperature of about 370 C. The copper wire reaches a temperature above 400 C and, appr., 480 C, i.e., a drop of about 260 C from the peak tool temperature. The solder reaches a temperature above the melting point of 230 C and normally about 275 C which is a drop of about 1 90 C below the temperature of the copper wire. The temperature of the copper terminal pad is close to that of the solder. The pad temperature would normally reach a peak of about 260 C, approximately 1 5 C below the solder temperature, and remains safely below 290 C. The plastic in the circuit board would normally reach a maximum temperature of about 250 C, about 10 C below the pad temperature and, hence, would remain safely below the temperature of 290 C where damage to the substrate occurs. Most of the solder inside the hollow portion of the terminal pad stays below a temperature of about 175 C and, hence, stays below the solder melting point of 230 C.

The temperature profile is important since it provides high temperatures and heat energy where required for stripping and soldering without providing excessive heat inside the hollow portion of the terminal pad or in the circuit board where damage could occur. Higher tool temperatures (and shorter energization periods) tend to provide steeper temperature gradients and, hence, more heat is available at the soldering area without significantly increasing temperature in areas where damage would occur. Of particular significance is the selection of conditions so that the quantum of heat supplied is only slightly in excess of that required for an effective solder joint so that the heat is used up in making the solder joint and does not migrate to areas where damage would occur.

In operation, when the heated soldering tool first comes in contact with the insulated wire, there is relatively poor heat conduction. After the insulation breaks down, the soldering tool comes in contact with the copper wire and the thermal resistance drops considerably. At this point, the wire in contact with the soldering tool is heated to that the portion of the insulation between the wire and the terminal pad can be removed. The heat remaining after removing the insulation must be sufficient to melt the solder and form the solder joint. Temperatures in excess of 370 C are required in the ablation of the insulation whereas temperatures in excess of 230 C are required to melt the solder.

The energy supplied to the tool should be DC or high frequency AC and should be in the form of high current pulses. Where only a single electrical pulse is used in a soldering operation, the current should be in the range of 50 to 500 ampere and the pulse duration in the range of 500 to 5 milliseconds.

As previously indicated the two primary factors which are controlled in accordance with the invention are the tool temperature and the quantum of heat delivered. Generally, the tool temperature should be as high as possible but below the temperature causing significant deterioration of the soldering tool. The quantum of heat delivered to the soldering area, which is a a function of the tool temperature, the effective mass of the tool and the energization period, should be only slightly in excess of the amount of heat required for stripping the insulation and completing the soldering joint. This objective can be achieved by constructing the soldering tool having a certain mass and controlling the current and energizing the tool for a predetermined period while the tool is in contact with the wire being soldered.Proper control of the quantum of heat applied can also be achieved by preheating a preselected tool to store the correct quantum of heat and by then bringing the tool into contact with the solder area. Also, appropriate control can be achieved by combinations of prestored heat and energy supply during contact.

Preferably, the soldering tool applies pressure to maintain the wire in contact with pad area and stays in contact until the solder solidifies. In this fashion, the risk of wire movement during solidification of the solder is minimized. In cases where the required quantum of heat is prestored in the tool, the tool contact period is selected to achieve the heat transfer and also to include an appropriate cooldown period. Where energy is supplied during contact, the contact period after completion of the energization period is controlled to provide an appropriate cooldown period. Preferably, the soldering tool is designed so that after the correct quantum of heat has been delivered to the solder joint, the soldering tool vvhile still in contactdissipates heat from the solder joint.This can be achieved, for example, by including thermally conductive support arms 36 and 37 (Fig. 3) in thermal contact with the effective mass 32 of the soldering tool.

In some cases, multiple energization has advantages. For example, a first energization pulse may be supplied for stripping the insulation and a separate second pulse may thereafter be supplied for soldering. A suitable two pulse program sequence could include a first pulse at 6 volt for 8 milliseconds to strip insulation followed by a second pulse at 4 volt for 25 milliseconds to complete the soldering joint. With this arrangement, there is a higher temperature (above 370 C) for stripping for a short period followed by a lower temperature (above 230 C) for a longer period for soldering.

As previously mentioned with regard to Fig. 1 the control apparatus for the soldering tool generally includes a power supply, a switching circuit and a timer control. A specific preferred system for single pulse soldering operations is shown schematically in Fig. 7.

As indicated in Table I, short, high current pulses in the range of 150 to 400 ampere are required. Although any high current source can be used, a storage battery 70 including up to four Gates BCRTM cells provides a convenient low voltage, high current source. Each cell is rated at 2 volt and 25 ampere-hours. A conventional charging circuit 72 is connected across the battery to maintain a full state of charge.

The switching circuit includes six NPN power switching transistors 100 to 105, three NPN drive transistors 92 to 94, and an initial transistor 90, also of the NPN type. The timer control includes a controllable monostable multivibrator 82 and an associated flip4lop circuit 80.

In the illustration, a switch 78 is shown for initiating an energizing cycle. In an actual system switch 78 may be the contacts of a relay in the control computer. The normally closed contact of switch 78 is connected to the reset input R of flip-flop circuit 80 and the normally open contact is connected to the set input S. One of the outputs of flip-flop circuit 80 is connected to the trigger of monostable flip-flip circuit 82. A variable resistor 83 and a capacitor 84 are connected between the + 12 volt supply and the monostable circuit 82 to provide the timing control. The variable resistor and capacitor have values selected to provide time intervals between 5 and 500 milliseconds. Each time switch 78 moves to the alternate position from that shown in Fig. 6, flip-flop circuit 80 changes state and produces a transient change at the output.Monostable circuit 82 responds to the transient change and produces a positive pulse at its output having a duration determined by the setting of variable resistor 83.

The output of monostable circuit 82 is connected to the base of transistor 90. The collector of transistor 90 is connected to the + 12 volt supply via a resistor 89 and the emitter is connected to the ground. A bias resistor 88 is connected between the base of transistor 90 and the + 12 volt supply.

The collector of transistor 90 is connected to the base terminals of drive transistors 92 to 94 and to ground via a resistor 91. The collectors of transistors 92 to 94 are connected to the positive terminal of battery 70 via variable resistors 96 to 98, respectively. The emitter of transistor 92 is connected to the base terminals of power transistors 100 and 101; the emitter of transistor 93 is connected to the base terminals of power transistors 102 and 103; and the emitter of transistor 94 is connected to the base terminals of power transistors 104 and 105.

The positive terminal of battery 70 is connected to one arm 36 of soldering tool 30 and the other arm 37 is connected to the common collector connection of transistors 100 to 105. The emitters of transistors 100 to 105 are connected to the negative terminal of battery 70 via fuses 110 to 115, respectively. Variable resistors 96 to 98 are used to balance the drive and power transistor circuits for a proper sharing of the load. A positive pulse at the outputs of monostable circuit 82 renders transistor 90 conductive which renders drive transistors 92 to 94 conductive which, in turn, render power transistors 100 to 105 conductive.When the power transistors are conductive, current flows from the positive terminal of battery 70 through soldering tool 30 and then through the parallel paths of the collector-emitter circuits of power transistors 100 to 105 back to the negative terminal of battery 70.

Thus, actuation of switch 78 produces a high current pulse through soldering tool 30 having a a duration in accordance with the setting of variable resistor 83. The amount of current that flows through the soldering tool depends on the dimensions and composition of the tool. Two cells in battery 70 provide a voltage somewhat above 4 volt and, with tools dimensioned as indicated in Table I, current pulses in the range of 160 to 250 ampere are produced. With three cells, the potential is somewhat above 6 volt and current pulses in the range of 250 to 325 ampere are produced. With four cells the potential is somewhat above 8 volt and the current pulses are in the range of 275 to 425 ampere.

As previously mentioned, in some cases a multiple pulse sequence is preferable such as 6 volt for 8 milliseconds for high temperature insulation stripping followed by 4 volt for 25 milliseconds for completing the solder joint. A suitable circuit for such a pulse sequence is illustrated in Fig. 7. In this case, the energy for the soldering tool is provided by a three cell battery including a pair of cells 121 in series with another cell 120. A charging circuit 122 is connected across the battery to maintain the battery at a full state of charge.

Two power transistors 180 and 181, in parallel, are used to connect the 4 volt source to soldering tool 30 and transistors 170 to 172 form the drive circuit therefor. Three power transistors 160 to 162, in parallel, are used to connect the 6 volt source to the soldering tool and transistors 150 to 152 form the associated drive circuit. A monostable flip-flop 130 forms timer A for controlling the 6 volt energization period and a monostable multivibrator 140 forms timer B for controlling the 4 volt energization period.

Monostable circuits 130 and 140 have variable resistors 131 and 141, respectively, connected between the circuit and the + 12 volt source. The variable resistors and associated capacitors 132 and 142 form the timing circuits for the monostable multivibrators.

An input terminal is connected to the trigger input of circuit 130 and the output of circuit 130 is connected to the trigger input of circuit 140. If resistors 131 and 141 are set for 8 milliseconds and 25 milliseconds, respectively, then a transient trigger signal on terminal 135 produces a positive 8 milliseconds pulse at the output of circuit 130 followed by a positive 25 milliseconds pulse at the output of circuit 1 40.

The output of circuit 130 is connected to the base of NPN transistor 150 via resistor 153.

The collector of transistor 150 is connected to the + 12 volt source via resistor 154 and to the base of NPN transistor 151. The collector of transistor 151 is connected to the + 12 volt source via series resistors 155 and 156 and the junction of the resistors is connected to the base of NPN transistor 152. The emitters of transistors 150 and 151 are connected to ground whereas the emitter of transistor 152 is connected to the + 12 volt source. The collector of transistor 152 is connected to the base terminals of NPN power transistors 160 to 162. The positive terminal of battery 120 is connected to the common collector circuit of parallel transistors 160 to 162, the emitters thereof being returned to the negative battery terminal through fuses 163 to 165, respectively, and soldering tool 30.

The output of circuit 140 is connected to ground through resistors 173 and 174 and the junction of the resistors is connected to the base of NPN transistor 170. The emitter of transistor 170 is connected to the base of NPN transistor 171 and the emitter thereof is connected to ground. The collectors of transistors 170 and 171 are connected to the + 12 volt source through series resistors 175 and 176 and the junction of the resistors is connected to PNP transistor 172. The emitter of transistor 172 is connected to the + 12 volt source and the collector thereof is connected to the base terminals of NPN power transistors 180 and 181. The positive terminal of battery 121 is connected to the common collector circuit of parallel transistors 180 and 181 and the emitters thereof are connected to the negative battery terminal through fuses 182 and 183, respectively, and soldering tool 30.

A trigger pulse at terminal 135 causes monostable circuit 130 to produce an output pulse which renders transistors 150 to 152 in the drive circuit conductive which, in turn, render parallel power transistors 160 to 162 conductive. As a result, a high current pulse of a duration determined by the setting of variable resistor 131 is supplied to the soldering tool 30 from the 6 volt battery source 1 20/1 21. Termination of the pulse at the output of circuit 130 triggers operation of monostable circuit 140 which then produces an output pulse which renders drive transistors 170 to 172 conductive which, in turn, render parallel power transistors 180 and 181 conductive. This results in a high current pulse being supplied to the soldering tool via transistors 180 and 181 from the 4 volt source 121 for a period of time determined by the setting of variable resistor 141.

While only a few illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it should be obvious that there are numerous variations within the scope of this invention.

Claims (19)

1. A high speed method of operating in the presence of solder for soldering wire to a terminal pad or the like on a circuit board, using a soldering tool of predetermined mass, bringing said tool into thermal contact with the wire to be soldered and the terminal pad, and, while in contact, substantially imparting just enough heat to said wire and said terminal pad to complete a solder joint including solidification of said solder, characterized in that the effective mass of said soldering tool is selected so that the quantum of heat energy stored therein is only slightly in excess of that required for an effective solder joint and is substantially used up during formation of the solder joint; heating said effective mass to a preselected temperature so that the solder joint is formed in less than 500 milliseconds, but said preselected temperature being below that which would cause rapid deterioration of the tool, said quantum of heat being insufficient to permit significant heat migration into the circuit board beyond said terminal pad.

2. The method of claim 1 for soldering wire to a solder-coated terminal pad of a circuit board, wherein the said wire is an insulated wire, characterized in that the effective mass of said soldering tool is selected so that the quantum of heat energy stored therein when heated to a preselected high temperature is only slightly in excess of that required to vaporize the insulation of the wire and to create an effective solder joint between the wire and the pad.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the total contact time is less than 50 milliseconds.

4. The method of claim 1, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to a temperature above 530 C.

5. The method of claim 4, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to a temperature between 870 C and 1100 C.

6. The method of claim 1, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to said preselected high temperature prior to contact with the wire to be soldered.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to said preselected high temperature after contact with the wire to be soldered.

8. The method of one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said terminal pads are solder-coated prior to contact with said soldering tool.

9. The method of claim 8, characterized in that said terminal pads are plated with solder in a non-eutectic state.

10. The method of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said terminal pads are pre-tinned.

11. The method of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said wire is precoated with solder prior to contact with said soldering tool.

12. The method of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the solder used for forming said solder joint is in a preformed configuration.

13. The method of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the solder used for forming said solder joint is in a paste-like or fluid form.

14. The method of one or more of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said soldering tool remains in contact with the wire until the solder solidifies.

15. The method of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the volume of the effective mass of said soldering tool is in the order of 8 x 10-3 mm3.

16. The method of one or more of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to said pre-selected temperature by passing an electrical current in the range of 50 to 500 Ampere for a period of 5 to 100 milliseconds.

17. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said soldering tool maintains the wire in contact with the terminal pad with a contact force in the range of 100 to 800 grams.

18. The method of one or more of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that said soldering tool is heated to conform with the following temperature profile: a) a soldering tool temperature greater than 540 C; b) a temperature for vaporizing insulation off the wire greater than 400 C; c) a temperature at the terminal pad for melting the solder greater than 230 C; and d) a temperature at the substrate adjacent the terminal pad of less than 290 C.

19. The method of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said small effective mass of said soldering tool is thermally coupled to a larger mass so that heat is dissipated into the larger mass to cool the solder upon completion of the solder joint.