Category Archives: Quality


Oct24
Causes and Prevention of PCB Warping and Bending After Reflow

A reader recently asked: “In surface mount assembly, PCBs often warp or bend after going through the reflow process, which can cause issues like open solder joints or tombstoning. How can we overcome this?” To be honest, the reasons behind … Continue reading

Oct17
Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Nitrogen (N2) in SMT Reflow Ovens: Optimizing Soldering Quality and Reducing Oxidation

The primary purpose of adding Nitrogen (N2) to the SMT reflow oven is to reduce oxidation on the soldering surface and improve the wettability of the solder joints. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, and chemically inactive gas. It belongs to … Continue reading

Oct03
What Causes Wave-Like Wrinkles or Cracks in Solder Joints After Reflow?

These soldering wrinkles appeared quite a while ago, but Workingbear recently came across a similar situation on an online forum. Thinking others might encounter the same issue, I decided to document it for both personal reference and to share with … Continue reading

Sep26
The Role of Immersion Gold and Electroplated Gold in PCB Soldering

Workingbear previously wrote an article about how insufficient gold thickness in the ENIG surface treatment of a PCB led to the oxidation of Electroless Nickel, weakening solder joints and causing components detachment during plug and unplug. However, many sources explain … Continue reading

Sep19
Does the Gold Thickness in ENIG PCBs Affect Component Detachment?

Does the Gold Thickness in ENIG PCBs Affect Component Detachment? Do you know how the thickness of the gold layer in ENIG surface-finished PCBs impacts soldering quality? What role does the gold layer play in PCBA soldering? How could the … Continue reading