WAVE SOLDERING PROBLEM - COMPONENTS are RAISED

Have you tried smaller holes?

It may be a problem with your flux and/or preheating. A raised component is lifted by the surface tension of the solder wave and properly fluxed components break through the surface tension and settle down properly. The flux is activated partly during the preheating phase. Contact the flux supplier for advice.

-- Joe

Thank you very much. I will contact my supplier of flux. Maybe that's the problem. Size of holes is also too big I think :( I have problems especially with 3-pin plastic connectors mounted on the PCB.

If they're extemely light you may have to hold them down with adhesive. Also, try soldering one manually - some parts, such as old stock that has corroded, are just about unsolderable.

-- Joe

Great answer.

You can also squirt (drape) a bead of solder mask over the connector for a temporary "stay". Remove right after wash, or it gets firmer with age.

Hmm... I don't quite understand. Could you please explain it one more time for me? I understood, that I must cover tips of connector with tin solder. It's impossible to do this, because I work in very big factory, and we cannot make this with each connector :((( I know, that we should buy special PCB carriers, but money money money.... :)

Thank you for this message, but I have question. Do you know which exactly glue would be perfect for this problem? I'm not a glue- specialist :)

Does anybody know glue which will be OK for this purpose?

Solder mask is usually placed on the solder side of a PCB assembly over those holes that one does not have a component in, but needs to keep clear of solder.

In this usage, one places a big, long squirt of it on the component side of the board. About a quarter to half inch on the board (in a clear area) and then up and over the component, and back down to the board.

After curing, the part will remain in place through the solder process, and the "mask" (glue in this case) can easily be removed, just as it is in the case of solder side coverage.

With this method, it is not required to pre-solder for fixturing, which does not guarantee against movement completely anyway.

It's like a rubber tie wrap... :-] (latex)

Surface mount component adhesive is very expensive, and usually heat cured... more extra steps. The latex mask from a squirt bottle, however, is cheap, and can be applied by the assembler right after inserting the connector, and be dried by the time the assembly reaches the wave solder process.