SMT-Guide

APPLICATION INFORMATION 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 From THT to SMT the evolution of PCB assembly 4
2 THR the revolution in PCB assembly 5
3 The SMT process for modules with THR components 6
3.1 The process steps at a glance 6
3.2 Design of the PCB and stencil 6
3.3 Paste printing 10
3.4 Placement 12
3.5 Reflow soldering 14
3.6 Quality control 16
4 SL-SMT Weidmllers innovative THR components 18
for the SMT process
4 APPLICATION INFORMATION
SMT compatibility in the case of
modules with component mixes
There are still applications in which
SMDs and l eaded components have
to be placed on the PCB. Up to now,
i n the case of modul es wi th such
component mixes use has been made of
two different soldering processes: firstly
reflow soldering for the SMDs followed
by (mostly manual) placement of the
l eaded components wi th subsequent
manual or wave soldering.
Manual pl acement and the use of
manual /wave sol deri ng for SMT
manufactured PCBs i s a costl y and
cri ti cal process, whi ch can l ead to
qual i ty defects. There i s a need for
achieving consistent SMT compatibility,
i.e. making leaded components suitable
for the SMT reflow soldering process in
order to reduce manufacturing costs and
to eliminate the wave soldering process,
which is susceptible to faults.
The special process developed for this
purpose is known by various names on
the market, namely Through-Hole-Reflow
(THR), Pin-in-Paste (PIP) or Pin-In-Hole-
Intrusive-Reflow (PIHIR).
components and the soldering process
employed. Thus, when the SMT process
is used, PCBs can be equipped with SMD
components both on one side and on
both sides. They are assembled with
machines, for example "Pick & Place" or
"Col l ect & Pl ace" systems, whi ch
process all components in the state in
which they were delivered, dispensing
with special preparation of components.
In the SMT process, use is made of
reflow soldering, for example infrared,
convection and vapour phase soldering.
Contrary to the wave soldering process,
only a solder paste deposit applied to the
PCB is melted on.
Advantages of SMT:
high quality
lower processing cost
smaller components
high packing and integration density
optionally single-sided or double-
sided assembly
THT assembly with leaded
components
When use is made of Through-Hole-
Technol ogy (THT), whi ch was the
standard process in module production
up to a few years ago, the wire terminals
of the components are i nserted i nto
the holes on the printed circuit board.
Boards are assembl ed manual l y or
with special placement machines. The
so-cal l ed manual or wave sol deri ng
process is used.
Drawbacks of THT:
production is time-consuming and
costly
low function density
increased susceptibility to faults
due to a lack of manual precision
PCB double-sided mixed assembly with
THT and SMD components
PCB double-sided assembly with
SMD components
Single-side PCB assembly with
THT components
1 FROM THT TO SMT
THE EVOLUTI ON OF PCB ASSEMBLY
SMT assembly with
SMD components
Wi th the advent of Surface-Mount-
Devi ces (SMD), Surface-Mount-
Technology has increasingly taken the
place of THT. And the trend towards
producing electronic modules by surface
mounting is continuing.
As the current standard process i n
electronic module production, SMT is
defined by the method of processing
APPLICATION INFORMATION 5
Advantages of THR:
stable connection to the PCB
only one soldering process
manual/wave soldering is eliminated
automatic component placement
lower production cost
For THR components to be processed in
the SMT process, certain demands have
to be met. These are described in greater
detail in Chapter 3.
2 THR
THE REVOLUTI ON I N PCB ASSEMBLY
Through-Hole-Reflow is a process for
joining THT components using the SMT
reflow soldering process. In addition to
conventional SMD placement, when THR
is employed the SMD components are
placed onto the SMT board together with
leaded components and are soldered in
the reflow process.
The THR process was the result of the
awareness that stable soldered joints are
still needed for heavy components such
as coils or transformers and wherever
mechani cal forces act on the PCB
(e.g. in the case of connection terminals,
connectors, rel ay sockets, etc.).
Considering mechanical criteria, SMD
soldered joints are not suitable for heavy
components.
A SMT compatible product is al ways
a compromise between optimum SMT
capability and maximum stability of the
soldered joint. With push-through pins,
THR ensures a stable joint between the
THT components and the PCB.
100% SMT process compati bi l i ty i s
achieved at the same time.
Mechanically not stressable connection: e.g."Gull Wing" type
Mechanically stressable connection: THT
6 APPLICATION INFORMATION
1
3
3.1 The process steps at a glance
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
3.2 Design-in
The SMT production process begins with
design of the PCB. It is as early as in
this first step that the later smooth
sequence of the production process and
thus the quality of the PCB a s s e mb l y
process are defi ned. I n compari son
with the classical SMD or Through-Hole-
Technology, a few special features have
to be observed in the design of PCBs
for THR components. Speci al desi gn
recommendati ons contri bute towards
ensuri ng an opti mum producti on
process.
Placement: inserting the THR
component pins in the solder paste
The design of a printed circuit board
for SMD components is generally very
easy to produce. Once the design of the
sol dered j oi nts has been defi ned, to
avoid process errors the hole layout of
the stencils for paste printing is often
defined about 10% smaller.
By contrast, i n the case of THR
components a drill hole must be filled
wi th sol der paste. I n thi s case, the
quality of the soldering process depends
on what degree of filling of the holes
with solder paste can be achieved in the
printing process.
To opti mi se the degree of fi l l i ng,
Weidmller recommends the following
steps:
3.2.1 define the diameters of placement
holes and soldering eyelets
3.2.2 calculate the solder volume or
the necessary paste volume
3.2.3 determine the degree of solder
paste filling
3.2.4 design the stencil layout
Design-In: design of the PCB and
stencil layout for THR components
2
4
5
Quality control: assessment of the
finished THR soldered joint
Paste printing: solder paste applied
into THR placement holes
Reflow soldering: melting on the
solder paste
Soldering eyelet diameter:
The volume of the soldering meniscuses
shoul d al so be opti mi sed so as to
mi ni mi se the sol der vol ume. Thi s i s
achieved by minimising the soldering
eyel et di ameter i n compari son wi th
di ameters as are usual i n cl assi cal
Through-Hole-Technology.
Recommended soldering eyelet diameter
for through-hole soldered joints:
placement hole diameter
+
2 x residual ring width
=
soldering eyelet diameter
The residual ring width usually amounts
to 0.3 mm. For THR components such
as connectors a slight increase in the
residual ring width to about 0.4 mm is
advisable for reasons of higher soldered
joint stability and reparability.
APPLICATION INFORMATION 7
Soldering eyelet diameter
Placement hole layout for THR pins
Placement hole diameter
Residual ring
width
3.2.1 Defining the diameters of
placement holes and soldering
eyelets
To calculate the necessary paste volume,
first define the volume of the soldered
joint in accordance with the required
quality. For an adequate soldered joint,
the i nternati onal l y recogni sed qual i ty
standard IPC A610B calls for a 75%
fi l l i ng hei ght i n the PCB (see al so
Section 3.5 "Quality control").
The designer first defines the relevant
diameter of the placement hole and of
the soldering eyelet. Both parameters
determi ne the necessary sol deri ng
volume for a given THR component.
Placement hole diameter:
For THR sol dered j oi nts (contrary to
wave sol deri ng), a sl i ghtl y l arger
placement hole diameter is advisable
because melting-on of the paste in the
hol e needs suffi ci ent space. Sol der
pastes also consists of a mixture of
soldering globules and admixtures (flux),
and are categorised according to grain
sizes. To avoid jamming or friction of
the pin in the hole with these soldering
globules during the placement process,
the chosen grain size should be as small
as possible.
The tol erances of the PCBs, the
placement machine and the component
must be taken into account as further
factors in determining the placement
hol e di ameter for the automati c
pl acement process. For exampl e, i n
the case of connectors the position of
the pin end in the pitch is subject to
special tolerances, with the result that
it is the respective manufacturer's task
to optimise the pin end position's circle
of throwout.
Weidmller recommends the following
as suitable placement hole diameters
for THR soldering processes:
For round pins:
pin diameter + at least 0.3 mm
For rectangular pins:
pin diameter + at least 0.25 mm
8 APPLICATION INFORMATION
3.2.4 Design of the stencil layout
If the optimal degree of solder paste
filling was achieved, the standard design
rule can be used for the stencil hole
design: stencil hole diameter about 10%
smaller then soldering eyelet. Diverse
process parameters contribute towards
a situation in which the degree of hole
filling is not achieved. In this case,
several possibilities of optimising the
degree of fi l l i ng are at the pri nted
circuit board designer's disposal:
optimising the printing parameters
(see Section 3.3 "Paste printing")
optimising the stencil layout: If there
is not enough paste, printing over the
soldering eyelet is advisable. Various
forms of asymmetrical printing can
also be applied. As an alternative,
stepped and additive stencils or
double printing by means of
extremely thick stencils can also
be applied. If there is too much paste,
webs over the breakouts of the stencil
may function as a paste brake.
3.2.2 Calculating the solder volume
or the necessary paste volume
The solder volume that is necessary for
an optimum soldered joint is calculated
as follows:
placement hole volume
+
meniscus volume

terminal pin volume

=
solder volume
Once the sol der vol ume has been
determined, the necessary paste volume
can also be calculated. Due to the high
evaporation factor of the solder paste in
the soldering process (generally about
50%), it amounts to approximately twice
the volume:
paste volume
=
solder volume x 2
3.2.3 Determining the degree of
solder paste filling
For an optimum layout of the PCB, it
makes sense to check whether the
previously calculated necessary paste
volume can be achieved at all. Therefore,
in a test the degree of solder paste filling
should be determined in a PCB hole.
According to the test setting, a test PCB
wi th the defi ned hol e di ameters, for
example is entered in the paste printing
process. The filling height of the holes in
the PCB can then be checked visually.
The following applies:
100% filling of the PCBs thickness
=
100% degree of filling
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
Placement hole
Solder meniscus
Necessary solder volume for THR soldered joint
Pin
Degree of filling approx. 120 %
Determining the degree of filling
APPLICATION INFORMATION 9
Additional design factors :
For a smooth SMT production process,
the fol l owi ng factors shoul d al so be
observed when designing a module:
shadow formation in the reflow
oven, caused by high housings of
the THR components, can be avoided
by an adequate distance between the
components
the components' contact faces must
be taken into account to ensure that
the insulator does not come into
contact with the paste
fixing by glueing may be necessary
if, in the case of double-sided
modules, a THR component is placed
on the first placement side
Stencil hole diameter
Stencil hole layout assuming adequate degree of paste filling
Stencil hole diameter about
10% smaller than soldering
eyelet diameter
Solutions and recommendations from Weidmller
In a first draft of the printed circuit board and stencil layout, you can safely work
with the known standard process parameters.
For their SL-SMT pin headers with short pins (1.5 mm), Weidmller suggests the
following PCB design:
Placement hole diameter: 1.5 mm
Soldering eyelet diameter: 2.3 mm
Stencil hole diameter: 2.1 mm (assuming adequate degree of paste filling)
Stencil hole diameter: 2.8 mm (if the degree of paste filling is not enough)
Valid for:
PCB thickness: 1.5 - 1.6 mm
Stencil thickness: 0.12 - 0.18 mm
10 APPLICATION INFORMATION
For an optimum degree of solder paste
filling, the following process parameters
must be taken into account in the paste
printing process:
stencil thickness:
generally 120 to 200 m
optimum coordination of the solder
paste grain size (20-40 m) and
volume percentage of the flux
(mostly 50%)
coordination of squeegee speed and
pressure: a higher degree of filling
with open paste systems is achieved
by a lower speed or a flatter angle
(e.g. 45 instead of 60)
3.3 Paste printings
Preparation of the PCB, i.e. applying
solder paste on the soldering pads, is
one of the most important steps in the
SMT producti on process. The qual i ty
achieved here has a crucial influence
on the quality of all further process
steps. The sol deri ng resul t i n the
subsequent pl acement and refl ow
process is determined by the necessary
paste vol ume and thus the degree
of sol der paste fi l l i ng duri ng paste
application. For optimum filling of the
THR hol es wi thi n the usual process
tolerances, printing of the solder paste in
two different stencil printing processes
has asserted itself, namely the open and
closed stencil printing processes.
In the open stencil printing process,
a metal or plastic squeegee pushes the
roll of solder paste over the stencil.
The drawback of this process is that both
the pressure and the pri nti ng speed
can only be varied within a very limited
range.
I n cl osed pri nti ng systems such as
"ProFlow", however, a paste deposit with
a variably adjustable pressure travels
over the stencil. The advantage: better
monitoring of the pressure and printing
speed permits paste printing by High-
Speed Fine-Pitch Technology as well as
controlled filling of the THR hole. Various
stencil variants can be used depending
on the chosen technology, namely the
low-cost standard metal stencils or even
expensi ve "exoti c" vari ants such as
stepped or double printing stencils.
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
Open stencil printing process
Example of a recommended paste volume or degree of filling for SL-SMT pin headers accord. to data sheet
Pin header (open and closed ended): 2 to 8 poles 9 to 24 poles
Pin header (flanged LF): 2 to 24 poles
recommended inside diameter d
I
= 1.4
+0.1
mm d
I
= 1.5
+0.1
mm
finished hole *1):
paste volume VP [mm
3
] /
filling level fp [%] after print
minimum solder joint shape 2.4 mm
3
/ 70 % 3.1 mm
3
/ 85 %
optimum solder joint shape 2.9 mm
3
/ 90 % 3.5 mm
3
/ 100 %
Solutions and recommendations from Weidmller
To realise the lowest possible paste volume in stencil printing, the SL-SMT pin
headers from Weidmller feature short octagonal pins with chamfered pin ends.
Above all thanks to the pin length of only 1.5 mm for standard pc boards with a
thickness of 1.6 mm, a filling degree of 90 % only is adequate for an optimal solder
joint shape. Therefore in most cases normal single-layer stencils for fine-pitch
technology and the standard process parameters for the squeegee speed and
pressure can be used during paste printing.
Further advantage: in the placement process, the paste is forced out of the
placement hole to a lesser extent.
APPLICATION INFORMATION 11
Vari ous requi rements for the l eaded
components can now be derived from
these parameters:
as the housing of the leaded
component must not touch the solder
paste, its stand-off height should be
at least 0.3 mm
the pin cross-section geometry, the
pin tip and its length must be
optimised to minimise the paste
volume needed
If the degree of solder paste filling is too
low, then it is advisable to overprint to
achieve the necessary paste volume.
Overprinting means that the stencil hole
diameter is designed to be larger than
the soldering eyelet diameter and the
paste is printed over an area larger than
the soldering eyelet, and out onto the
PCB. This can, of course, cause soiling
of the underside of the stencil, which
can be removed by a shorter cleaning
cycle of the stencil.
Overprinting can lead to soiling of the underside of the stencil
Thi s resul ts i n the fol l owi ng
requi rements for l eaded termi nal
elements:
minimised weight for an placement
speed that is as high as possible
minimised component length for a
high rotation and transport speed
and thus maximum placement
performance
minimised height to avoid a
restriction of the travel height
over the PCB and thus to prevent
collisions
minimised tooling effort by using
components in high packed numbers
to achieve lower product and tooling
costs
12 APPLICATION INFORMATION
3.4 The placement process
Automatic sequential placement is one of
the placement processes that is used
most frequently in the SMT process. Use
is made of both pick & place systems
and of collect & place systems (chip
shooter). In the pick & place station, only
one components i s taken from the
component feeder by means of a vacuum
pipette, and is placed on the pcb.
By contrast, a chip shooter transports
several components to the corresponding
placement position and deposits them
there.
Packagi ng of the components i s the
basis for the use of both processes.
A distinction is made between tape-on-
reel, tray, tube and bulk. The pick & place
process with tape-on-reel or tray has
established itself for leaded terminal
elements.
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
Pick & Place head transports SL-SMT 3.5
Tape-on-reel packaging accord. to IEC 286-3
The fol l owi ng parameters must be
observed with regard to the optimum
placement suitability of leaded terminal
el ements and thus easy i ntegrati on
into the placement process with usual
standard placement systems:
packaging in line with standards:
fully automatic feeding of the
terminal elements with tape-on-reel
or tray is possible
dimensional stability of the
component: lowest possible water
absorption during storage under
normal climatic conditions ensuring
pitch fidelity of the component
suction surface of the component:
determined in relation to the weight
or size for the use of standardised
vacuum nozzles
precision of the pin end position:
smallest possible tolerances
(in addition to hole position and
machine placement tolerance)
prevent problems caused by collision
of the component with the PCB
Tray packaging accord. to IEC 286-5
APPLICATION INFORMATION 13
Changes in length because
of water absorption
50.5
50.015
Total length for a 10 pole pin header with pitch 5.00 mm
mm
%
1.0
0.03
PA 4.6: 1 % => 0.5 mm / 50 mm =>
50.5 mm (total length for a 10 pole pin header)
LCP: 0.03 % => 0.015 mm / 50 mm =>
50.015 mm (total length for a 10 pole pin header)
Dimension changes because of water absorption for different materials.
Pin header SL-SMT with
pick & place pad
Solutions and recommendations from Weidmller
To avoid quality-reducing dimensional changes, the SL-SMT pin headers from
Wei dml l er are made of LCP (Li qui d Crystal Pol ymer). LCP i s parti cul arl y
distinguished by very low water absorption.
The SL-SMT pin headers have a low height thanks to the use of short pins (1.5 mm).
This is why the height of the tape-on-reel or tray packaging can also be very low.
The result: a large number of packaged units in each reel. The antistatic packaging
in line with standards also permits fully automatic placement using commercially
available pick & place systems.
Further advantages of the short pins of the SL-SMT are optimised travel height
and the precision of the pin end position, thus avoiding collisions between the
components and the PCB. And, as the SMT-optimised pin headers from Weidmller
are very light, they also maximise placement performance.
Infrared soldering, convection soldering temperature/time diagram (temperature on connection)
14 APPLICATION INFORMATION
3.5 Reflow soldering
The most important step in the SMT
producti on process besi des paste
printing is the reflow soldering process.
This process is characterised by melting
of an existing solder deposit. During the
process about 50% of the paste volume
evaporates. The aim of reflow soldering
is to enable soldering of all THR joints in
all soldering processes.
Currently three different reflow soldering
processes are needed i n i ndustri al
applications:
Infrared soldering:
exploits heat radiation with natural
convection, as generated by quartz
or area radiators, for example, to heat
the module.
Convection soldering:
heats up the module by force
convection by means of the
circulation of large volumes of a
process gas such as air or nitrogen.
Vapour phase soldering:
uses a condensating saturated
vapour phase as the transmission
medium which dissipates its
condensation heat directly to the
surface of the medium.
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
Melted isolation body due to inadequat thermal
resistance of the plastic
Each of the three processes calls for a
speci al process temperature curve,
which also applies to THR components.
As i ncreased use wi l l be made of
unl eaded sol deri ng processes wi th
increased temperatures in the future,
the demands on the temperature load
carrying capacity of components will
continue to rise.
For use in the reflow soldering process,
the following factors or requirements are
crucial in regards to THR components:
Soldering heat resistance:
the shape and the functionality of the
component must not be damaged by
the soldering process. In this respect,
all components can be checked with
a test method that is described in
EN 61760-1. This process permits the
measurement of THR components
thermal resistance by means of a
simulation.
Melting
Pre-heating
Usual
Time (sec)
180 C
Approx. 60sec
> 180 C
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(

C
)
160 C
150 C
130 C
240 C
230 C
215 C
Soldering heat resistance is tested for
the highest category A, by dipping the
component in a soldering bath:
The insulator floats on the surface of
the solder and all soldering contacts
are immersed. The minimum
requirement is 260 C/10 sec.
Moreover, the component's suitability
for passing through the soldering
process twice (double-sided
assembly) must be guaranteed.
APPLICATION INFORMATION 15
Thermal coefficient of expansion:
very long components such as
multiple-pin connectors, which
exhibit a significantly different
thermal response to that of the PCB
material may lead to sagging of the
module after soldering or in the
cooling phase. To avoid this problem,
the temperature response of the
components and PCB materials
should be as similar as possible.
Usual materials such as PBT or
PA 6.6, which are used in connectors
designed for wave soldering
processes are therefore not suitable
for reflow processes.
Water content:
only components made of insulators
with minimum water absorption
prevent bubble formation during the
soldering process and thus
modification of the insulator's
surface.
Solution:
make components out of highly
temperature-resistant plastics with
low water absorption.
Even i f apparentl y al l factors and
requi rements for the components
parti ci pati ng i n the refl ow sol deri ng
process have been met, though, in some
cases the desi red producti on qual i ty
cannot be achieved.
Melted isolation body due to inadequat thermal
resistance of the plastic
Solutions and recommendations from Weidmller
Weidmller manufactures long components such as multiple-pin pin headers out of
fibre-glass reinforced LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer). This high temperature-resistant,
halogen-free insulator has a melting point of 335 C and therefore exhibits high
stability of shape and very good soldering heat resistance. Weidmller surpasses
EN 61760-1 and subjects its terminal elements to 2 x 260 C/10 sec. for a double
passage through the process. The SL-SMT pin headers made of LCP even withstand
2 x 290 C/30 sec. and are therefore oriented to the future and can also be used in
every lead-free soldering process.
One further advantage of LCP is its extremely low thermal coefficient of expansion.
Measured on the SL-SMT pin header from Weidmller, it amounts to 0.16% at
260 C = 0.08 mm for a length of 50 mm, for example.
It therefore exhibits a thermal response that is similar to that of common PCB base
material, for example FR4, with the result that sagging of a pcb after the soldering
process is avoided in any case.
The most frequent sources of faults are:
Errors in component design:
accessibility of the soldered joints for
the thermal transmission medium
(e.g. air) is restricted by neighbouring
components. This can, however, be
defined in advance by means of an
appropriate component design.
Errors in PCB design:
copper terminal faces that are too
large lead to heat sinks on the
soldering eyelets.
Faults of the soldering machine:
the melting temperature that is
necessary for the solder paste at
the soldered joint is not reached
due to inadequate efficiency of the
reflow soldering machine or of the
programmed process profile.
I n the case of X-ray i nspecti on, a
so-cal l ed radi ographi c eval uati on i s
run by means of an automated X-ray
microscope. In addition the inspection
processes during the production process,
an important inspection step consists
of destructi on tests. Carri ed out on
samples, they serve to check measurable
quantities:
analysis of the degree of filling by
means of a cross-section through the
soldered joint
mechanical inspection of the force
needed to pull the pins out of the
through plated holes
16 APPLICATION INFORMATION
3.6 Quality control
Qual i ty control concl udes the SMT
producti on process. The ai m of thi s
process step i s to enabl e swi ft and
simple assessment, by suitable means,
of the quality of the soldered joints of
THR components with short or long pins.
The same rules apply to quality control of
the THR technology as to reflow or wave-
soldered THT components.
Inspection method:
Qual i ty control i n paral l el wi th the
process can be realised by means of
di fferent processes. At the moment,
mostly optical or X-ray inspection is
used. The opti cal test eval uates the
shape, reflection and colour of soldered
joints.
When done manual l y, a magni fyi ng
glass or a microscope is used and, in
the automated process, a computer-
controlled camera performs computer-
assisted image evaluation.
3 THE SMT PROCESS
FOR MODULES WI TH THR COMPONENTS
75 %
Dimensioning the filling height for through-hole soldered joints in accordance with IPC-A-610B
Optical test of soldered joints below the
housing body.
Cross-section of the THR-solder joint
with short pin
Standards:
Various standards have come into force
in the past years to enable objective
quality control. Besides other acceptance
test criteria for the production quality
of electronic modules, the assessment
criteria based on the IPC-A-610B have
been acknowledged the world over.
According to IPC-A-610B, the quality
requirements for THR soldered joints are
subdi vi ded i nto three categori es.
Generally the requirements of category 3
are decisive for high-power el ect r oni cs
in industrial applications. The following
values have been defined for the total
number of five assessment criteria:
circumferential wetting of the
primary side (i.e. the component
side from the component's point of
view), the terminal and the sleeve
must not fall below 270
vertical solder filling must be
at least 75%
APPLICATION INFORMATION 17
circumferential wetting of the
secondary side (i.e. underside from
the point of view of the component)
must not fall below 330
solder wetting of the original land
face (i.e. residual ring in the case of
THR soldered joints) on the primary
side is defined as 0%
solder wetting of the original land
face on the secondary side must be
at least 75%
With regard to quality control, these
standards result in several requirements
for leaded components. It is necessary
to take into account the fact the two
different designs are normally used for
the THR process:
shorter pins in comparison with the
PCBs thickness
longer pins in comparison with
the PCBs thickness (approx.
1.0 1.5 mm overhang)
The following requirements apply in the
case of short pins:
the soldered joints on the primary
side of the PCB must be visible
in the case of components with pins
under the insulator, the height of the
stand-off or the product design must
be adequately dimensioned for visual
inspection
These requirements apply to long pins:
the soldered joints on the secondary
side must be visible
by comparison, soldered joints on
the primary side are not necessary
In the case of destructive inspections
in conjunction with THR components,
demands are also placed on the PCB.
The force needed to pull the pins out of
the soldered joint is checked to ensure
the quality of PCB production:
Required pull-out force:
- for short pins: approx. > 150 N
- for long pins with solder meniscus on
the primary and secondary sides:
approx. > 220 N
Short pin pulled out with pull-out
force of >150N
Solutions and recommendations from Weidmller
Short pins with a solder meniscus only on the primary side attains a comparably
high stability which is otherwise only possible when using the conventional THT.
Hence THR components - like Weidmllers SL-SMT - fitted with short THR pins have
a considerable advantage over real surface-mount connections.
The special design of the SL-SMT pin headers from Weidmller permits visual
inspection of a PCBs primary side, even in the case of variants with an 180
outgoing direction, thus creating the prerequisite for quality control in parallel
with the process.
However it is important that the control side of the components is not concealed by
other high elements. Weidmller recommends therefore, during the layout of the
PCB, to take into consideration the placement possibilities of the components on the
primary or quality inspection side.
For comparison:
in the case of surface connections with
SMD components, the required pull-out
force amounts only to about 15 20 N.
SL-SMT are extraordinary!
SL-SMT use short pins with a length
of only 1.5 mm.
Your advantages:
double-sided SMT placement with
a PCB thickness >= 1.5 mm
required paste volume minimised
simplified paste printing process
no-problem outgassing of the flux
in the soldering process
guaranteed assumption of the
necessary temperature in the
soldering process thanks to a
reduced metal mass
lower component height avoids
collisions in the placement process
reduced packaging height permits
the use of standard feeders
optimised quantity in each packaged
reel
SL-SMT are consistent!
SL-SMT are made of high-grade LCP
(Liquid Crystal Polymer).
Your advantages:
maximum pitch fidelity and
dimensional stability in the
placement process
thermal response similar to that
of common PCB materials
temperature-resistant for all
common soldering processes
maximum orientation to the future:
halogen-free and capable of recycling
maximum design flexibility: available
in versions from 2 to 24 pins
18 APPLICATION INFORMATION
4 SL- SMT WEI DMLLER' S I NNOVATI VE
THR COMPONENTS FOR THE SMT PROCESS
2 to 24 poles
1.5 mm
The new standard in the SMT process
of printed circuit board assembly comes
from Wei dml l er: the SL-SMT pi n
headers. Every SL-SMT pi n header
incorporates Weidmller's many years
of experience in the SMT production
process and the concentrated know-
how about what demands i t pl aces
on THR components. Thi s i s why
SL-SMT pi n headers not onl y ful fi l l
these requi rements, they al so offer
you the optimum workflow in automatic
two-sided PCB assembly, thus reducing
your production costs by up to 30%.
Optimised pin tip
SL-SMT are innovative!
SL-SMT feature an i ntegrated paste
space wi th stand-off hei ght of at
least 0.3 mm.
Your advantages:
very simple stencil design for
standard layout or for printing over
design-compatible with standard pin
headers because there is no
additional stand-off
SL-SMT are application-optimised!
SL-SMT feature octagonal pins which are
specially designed at the ends.
Your advantages:
minimisation of the necessary
through hole diameter and thus
of the necessary paste volume
better recognition in vision
systems thanks to enlarged
reflection faces
APPLICATION INFORMATION 19
Pin header with 180 outgoing direction
and open ends: SL-SMT 5.08/8/180
Product specific packaging design
optimised stability in the soldered
joint in comparison with round pins
minimisation of the placement force
needed, for setting the pins
into the paste by the placement
machines
SL-SMT are intelligent!
SL-SMT are obtainable in the intelligent
packaging design suitable for several
pin number variants.
Your advantages:
only one feeder width is necessary
for several pole numbers
compatible with all common
pick & place placement systems
lowest possible packaging heigth
for a higher quantity per reel
antistatic ESD materials for
problem-free placement
0.3 mm
PCB-kompendium EL-nr. 79 00 011 163
EAN nr 57 03472 254173