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Solder is adhering to steel fasteners

Q. Might you know how to minimize the above condition? Solder is adhering to steel fasteners plated zinc & yellow chromate during an automated soldering process of PC Boards containing these fasteners. My customer believes this is due to a defect in the plating of these fasteners.

Thanks

Al Mueller
Hardware Specialty Company
1998

A. Al, by automatic soldering, do you mean wave form soldering?

If so, you are going to have to mask off the fasteners to keep them from plating.

If it is truly splatter, then you can just cover the fastener with something like tin foil to shield them. Chromated parts do not solder easily, but Murphy's Law says that they will if you do not want them to.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
1997

1997

A. Your wave solder person is going to love me, but how about a post treatment of wax or lacquer on the chromate? I would mention this before I did it, but maybe that is what they are used to having parts.

- Been known to shut down finishing operations before, I remain, unrepentant.

Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania

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