We just switched to lead-free this school year, and I have been very happy with FCT SN100C type solder (both wire and paste), and NC26 no clean flux. I ordered it from Pacwest Supply, but I have no idea whether you can get FCT products in Sweden.
I discovered that applying a little dab of the NC26 flux to smd pads from a syringe makes the solder paste stick to the pad much better when applying paste from a syringe. For most boards we get a stencil and apply the paste with a putty knife, but for the occasional single part, the flux and paste by syringe works well. The flux is also excellent for assisting in removing solder bridges between fine-pitch leads. I did have to crank up the temperature on our reflow oven a bit, and lengthen the heating cycle to get heavier parts to reflow reliably, and I've had some requests for hotter soldering iron cartridges, but otherwise the switch was much less painful than I was fearing. We aren't so concerned with long-term reliability of joints though. -- Ralph ________________________________________ From: Jon Elson [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2019 11:13 AM To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) Subject: Re: [Emc-users] No clean solder flux, how to buy in Sweden On 02/24/2019 08:48 AM, Gene Heskett wrote: > I've noted a general lack of availability of decent rosin cored solders > here too. The anti lead folks are getting laws passed by people who have > no knowledge of the technology involved. So called lead free, is mostly > tin, and tin grows whiskers that short to adjacent connections. So the > last time I saw 3% silver but otherwise eutectic solder for sale I > stocked up what I thought was a lifetime supply, but I'm beginning to > worry I may run out while I am still sucking air. Expect to pay north of > $100 a pound for good stuff. And it may be completely under the table > stuff in another 10 years, Stock up when you get a chance. > Well, I've been buying some of my wire solder (SAC305) on eBay for a while. Lots of outfits are selling the stuff for about half the distributor price (which is wildly expensive). As for plain flux, GC chemicals made the stuff I use. I think you can still get this from distributors.I add a bit of butanol to keep it at the right consistency, but that is not something everybody has around. I also use some water-soluble liquid flux for my dip soldering process, get that from eBay also. Jon _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
