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Soldering pc boards to bright tin plated housings

November 17, 2009

I am try to solder my pc boards to my bright tin housings and they are not working?
6060t6 housing and I have them bright tin plated.

Rob WALL
buyer - Bohemia

November 17, 2009

Rob,
What type of solder flow process is used on the boards? Hot air leveling, hot oil reflow, wave solder, or hand soldering?
Keep in mind that usually an acid tin sulphate bath is used for etch resist. Tin-lead baths are not being used much anymore. Many of the acid tin sulphate baths used in PCB mfg. do not contain brighteners. That could be the reason for the mismatch in luster. Another reason would depend on the quality and alloy of the solder, or the flow process itself. Let me know what process is used, and I could give you a better answer.

Mark Baker
Fellow Plater - Syracuse, NY, USA

Mark touched on it, but bright tin is a poor choice. Matte tin solders far better because it does not have the organics in the plate.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
November 18, 2009

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