How to adjust the process parameters of solder paste scraper?

Solder paste printing is a key process step in SMT, and its quality directly affects the reliability of welding and the performance of electronic products. In the process of solder paste printing, the adjustment of the technical parameters of the scraper is very important. First, the properties of the solder paste need to be considered. Solder paste is a thixotropic fluid with a certain viscosity. When the scraper moves at a specific speed and Angle, pressure is applied to the solder paste, pushing the solder paste to roll in front of the scraper in order to inject the solder paste into the mesh or leak. The shear force reduces the viscosity of the solder paste, which is conducive to the smooth injection of the solder paste into the mesh or leak hole. Therefore, there are complex constraints between the speed of the scraper, the pressure of the scraper, the Angle of the scraper and the solder paste viscosity, and these parameters need to be precisely controlled to ensure the printing quality.

Angle of the scraper

The Angle of the scraper affects the force in the vertical direction. The smaller the Angle, the greater the component force in the vertical direction, resulting in greater pressure. However, if the Angle is too large, the solder paste will not be able to roll and keep moving forward, resulting in no injection of mesh or leakage. Therefore, the optimal scraper Angle should be between 45° and 60°.

Scraper speed

The faster the speed of the scraper, the greater the force on the solder paste, but too fast a speed will cause the solder paste can not roll but just slide on the printing template. In general, it is better to control the speed of the scraper in the range of 20 to 40mm/s to ensure that the solder paste can be fully injected into the window.

Scraper pressure

The pressure of the scraper is usually referred to as the printing pressure, and the change of the printing pressure has a great impact on the printing quality. Too low a pressure will result in unclean scraping, while too high a pressure will result in penetration. The ideal pressure should be able to scrape the solder paste clean from the surface of the steel plate.

Blade width

If the scraper is too wide relative to the PCB, then more pressure is needed and more solder paste is involved in the work, which will cause waste of solder paste. Therefore, the general width of the scraper should be controlled at the PCB length plus about 50mm, and ensure that the scraper head falls on the metal template.

Printing gap

It is usually required that the PCB and the template are in zero-distance contact to ensure the printing quality. Some printing machines may require the PCB to be slightly higher than the template, but care should be taken not to be too high to avoid damaging the template.

Separation velocity

After solder paste printing, the instantaneous speed of the steel plate leaving the PCB is crucial to the printing quality. Some advanced printing machines will have a small stop process when the steel plate leaves the solder paste pattern to ensure that the best printed pattern is obtained.

In actual operation, the above parameters need to be considered comprehensively and adjusted according to the specific situation to obtain the best solder paste printing effect.