Reflow Soldering: Better Than Easy-Bake

Desktop or even home-made reflow ovens are becoming much more common in the tech world for both DIYers and small start-ups. The overall concept of reflow soldering is simple: put a pre-assembled board with some solder paste into an oven and bake it until the solder properly melts. As is true with many things in life, the actual application is a bit more complicated. When a board is reflowed, it typically is put through four different stages or zones of the reflow process. The difference between stages or zones is dependent on the reflow process. The smaller, do-it-yourself or prototyping-sized ovens do not move the boards, but rather change the internal temperature of the oven as needed. For larger, commercial-sized reflow ovens, the boards are moved through zones of different temperatures via a conveyor belt. These four different stages, and their settings, are crucial in achieving consistent results in the soldering process.