![]() These compounds are incredibly effective solvents and are cheap to manufacturer - one of the many reasons they were used in countless applications, from hairspray to refrigerant systems to foaming agents¹. In the early 90s, the mainstream practice in the industry was to remove the flux residues after fabrication, usually through the use of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and methyl chloroform (now known mainly as 1,1,1-trichloroethane). ![]() It has been used for millennia to increase frictions (for example in violin bows), as glue, binding agents, or varnish. Rosin is a resin obtained by heating and/or distilling of naturally-occurring resins, such as those produced by pines and other conifer trees. Up to the 70s, most fluxes were rosin-based. The customer, however, will likely want to take into consideration future reliability, corrosion resistance, environmental impacts, and compatibility with successive treatments, such as conformal coating. The EMS house wants the cheapest and easiest to use base materials, with the highest yields possible. HistoryĬhoosing the right kind of flux is something where the interests of the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) house and of the customer (that’s you) can experience a divergence of values. In this article, we’ll discuss fluxes - what they are, what they are made of (yes, there is going to be a lot of chemistry, don’t be scared), how they should be used, and in what direction the industry is going. Unless connectors, conductive adhesive, wire-bonding, or zebra-tape are used, in the modern electronics industry it’s always necessary to use some kind of flux during the soldering process to create an electric connection. The truth of the matter is, when studied in-depth, PCB fabrication is an extremely complex technological topic that deserves recognition as the most fundamental part of PCB engineering. As engineers, we sometimes sit high on our pillowy chairs, looking at the nitty and gritty of the industry - such as the fabrication of the PCB - with a bit of nonchalance.
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