Category Archives: Soldering


Aug15
Causes of Poor Solderability on HASL Finished PCBs (Data Collection and Analysis)

Workingbear personally doesn’t recommend using HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) surface-finished PCBs in today’s SMT reflow processes, especially for double-sided reflow or fine-pitch components located on 2nd side. The defect rate of soldering with HASL is quite high and hard … Continue reading

Aug08
What Do PCB and PCBA Stand For? What’s the Difference?

What is the difference between PCB and PCBA? This should be an easy concept to understand, but since someone asked Workingbear, let’s explain it a bit. If you find any errors while passing by, please let us know to correct … Continue reading

Aug01
3D CT X-Ray Non-Destructive 3D Tomography Analysis for PCBA and BGA Failures

In recent years, the commercial application of 3D CT X-Ray has become increasingly noteworthy. As the technology matures, more companies are investing in its development, making the equipment more affordable, though still not quite at a consumer-friendly price point. Additionally, … Continue reading

Jul25
Effects of Nitrogen (N2) in SMT Reflow on Various Soldering Defects

“Oxidation” is a major enemy of solder quality, but oxidation is a natural law of elements striving for stability that cannot be avoided. Using nitrogen (N2) to isolate solder from oxygen (O2) is one of the few effective methods currently … Continue reading

Jun20
The Benefits of Using SMT Synthetic Stone or Aluminum Alloy for Reflow Carriers

With the advancement of technology, electronic products are becoming thinner and more compact. Consequently, electronic components are also getting smaller, and even the thickness of printed circuit boards (PCBs) is decreasing. The thinnest PCB Workingbear has seen is 0.4mm. Such … Continue reading