Influence of pin offset in PCB through-hole during wave soldering process: CFD modeling approach

This paper presents the three-dimensional finite-volume-based simulation of the effects of pin through-hole (PTH) offset position in a wave soldering process. The PTH model was built and meshed by using GAMBIT software and tetrahedral/hybrid elements. In the wave soldering process, the advancement of molten solder was tracked by using Volume of Fluid technique. FLUENT software was employed to analyze the filling of molten solder (63Sn37Pb) and the capillary action between printed circuit board (PCB) and PTH connector. The effects of five offset positions (i.e., cases I to V) for a single PTH connector through PCB were investigated in the simulation study. The PTH offset position revealed significant influences on the filling time and profile. The increase of offset position resulted in a decrease of filling time and encouraged an uneven solder profile. Predicted solder profiles were substantiated by the experimental results, demonstrating the excellent capability of the current simulation model to handle the PTH filling problem.