Open Aperture
Open Aperture Wave Solder Carriers
These are machined from high performance, high temperature composite sheet Durostone.
Standard material thickness is 10mm (3/8″) although a marginal cost reduction can be
achieved by using thinner (8mm, 6mm) sheet but stiffeners and wave riders are then
required and the carrier will deform more in the wave.
Research carried out with the University of Strathclyde shows a reduction in centre dip of
40% by using 10mm over 6mm.
The “picture frame” border used to provide for fixings and clamps is normally between
40-50mm (1.5-2″) wide, depending on clamping and line width requirements.
When to use
To increase throughput :
- By standardising on a fixed line width allowing rapid product changeover.
- By having multiple apertures in the carrier (generally small boards).
- To cope with awkward shaped boards that will not run along conveyors.
To reduce board cost :
- By removal of “tooling strip” or “salve edge” to get greater yields from your board manufacturer.
- To remove post wave operations – routing, nibbling, salve edge removal etc.
- To allow clamping of unstable components.
- To allow rotation of the aperture within the carrier
(normally 7-15° – to reduce shorting on PGAs and large connectors.) - To minimise “dipping” of large boards by using a bridge with a titanium hook.