Thinking About Solder...

[superlew]

So, I'm working on a unit for a friend. It's a black box, poor build quality (I'm being generous), made in Hong Kong. I got tired of chasing around every bad solder joint, so I re-flowed / added more solder to every. single. point.

My question is this: Did manufacturers intentionally skimp on solder to save on production costs?

I'm a project manager for a construction company and I'm telling guys all the time, "We're not saving any money by skimping on fasteners, so just do it right." I guess it is / was different in the manufacturing sector. Truth be told, we're not the cheapest company in the area by any stretch.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Most printed circuit boards are soldered in a bath. Meaning the board has the components either stuffed by hand or by machine (all the diodes, resistors, IC's) and then run through a machine that is basically a shallow pool of melted solder. As the board with the components is dipped in the pool all the exposed metal on the board is etched with solder and so are the components, soldering them all in place at one time.

Depending on the quality of the soldering machine, the solder, the metal used in the PC board or on the components will decide how good the finished product is. Chances are, to keep the cost down, some or all of these could be low quality.

 

[superlew]

Thanks for the response, Lasonic. This unit obviously received a half-hearted bath. Sure keeps me busy, though.

 

[Superduper]

Solder baths construction are newer technology with typically SMD components. The typical classic through holes are usually hand assembled especially given the cheap chinese labor costs back in the day.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I'm not sure what year this equipment is, we used to use solder baths in the 80`s. But your right Norm, with the cost of labor, there is a good chance this was soldered at a low cost factory.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

 

[Superduper]

Superlew was talking about a cheap black box made in Hong Kong and the 80's was 30 years ago. I assure you Chris, cost of chinese labor back then was probably less than $1/hr usd, and it would have been far cheaper to have them assembled manually rather than invest in the big $$'s for mass production equipment for which such small production runs are not cost effective. Back then, HK had little industry compared to the Japan industrial juggernaut.

 

[BoomboxLover48]

Here is the bath....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ChAaaC-sY

 

[BoomboxLover48]

Back in those days several people were in the assembly line and each one had a few components to solder on the PCB. That is all they do and give to the next person who does another set of hand soldering. I have seen black and white movies of that operation for making transistor radios.
<p>&nbsp;</p>
At min 5:45 they show the soldering for transistor radios.
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUeWCe7kVo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUeWCe7kVo</a></p>

 

[Superduper]

Forget about BW movies, I know family people who did this stuff. They are known as electronic assemblers. A board moves across a conveyer assembly line. Each assembler has a bin of one (or a few) components and place, then solder the parts they are responsible for.

Wave soldering, a process where boards are moved across a molten solder pond with a "rippling wave" that coats and solders a pre-fluxed board, was indeed popular in the '80's but remember that China then, is not the same as China today. Back then, they were behind the industrial nations by quite a bit and they were using the more primitive forms of manufacture. Not so today.

 

[BoomboxLover48]

Talking about primitive things did in many parts of the World I remember a retired scientist who worked with me for several years mentioning about about the 'Human Clamp'.

This happened in Chicago saburbs.

There was a local paint manufacturing company where they had a big cowles pigment dispersing equipment for making 1 drum batch size of paint. They were making the pigment grind in drum which is a high speed process. My friend was visiting this company and saw a poor guy sitting on the floor grabbing the drum with both his hands and legs all wrapped around it so that it won't move. The TD told my friend that he is the best human clamp for the job.

 

[Superduper]

One $1/hr human clamp is so much more cost effective than a $2M robotic clamp. Guess which process gets the nod 35 years ago in 3rd world country?

 

[TW5]

The bad soldering was not done on purpose
sometimes they just don't have the skilled people available
to do a proper setup of the machines etc.
There Solder Machine Operators as
basic electronic assemblers today don't do much soldering.
Manufactures do save on solder but that's what the 'solder mask' is for.

 

[superlew]

Thanks guys. I knew there was something to it. Some of the leads were just stuck to the sides of the thru-holes with a miniscule dot of solder, so I could still see the hole. That's all been corrected.

 

[BoomboxLover48]

I'm glad you are getting there Arom!
I know it is lot of work without overheating the components.
For some short leads there is no much room to use tiny heat sinks.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Thanks guys. I knew there was something to it. Some of the leads were just stuck to the sides of the thru-holes with a miniscule dot of solder, so I could still see the hole. That's all been corrected.

Wow, now that is bad soldering....as everyone has said above, that time period, the place of manufacturing and the quality level, I'm not too shocked. Probably had little or no QC in those places too. I feel bad for people stuck in those dead end jobs. Place 3 components on PC board, solder, next, 3 components in board, solder, next, day after day! Mind numbing!

At least with those issues you can SEE the problem and it's an easy fix, even if it's a bunch to repair.

Any chance we can see what box you're working on?

You know, back in the day, here in the US people used to put down the Japanese made products, but now, you can see that they were reaching for a high level. Stuff made in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and other places at the time couldn't hold a candle to the Japanese made items. Yet another reason why 30 year old radios made in Japan still work today.

I come from a long line of electronics manufacturing and aerospace. My grandfather on my dad's side was an engineer for many of the defence contractors that dotted Southern California in the 50's-60's. My father followed along with my sister and myself. I remember my grandfather going to Japan to help them set up electronic manufacturing facilities in the 70's. He brought back some rare Toyota around 1973-4 and everyone thought he was CRAZY for driving that small car. I remember a family member telling him he was a "Communist" for supporting our "Enemy". My how things have changed!