ECSS-Q-ST-70-07C, SPACE PRODUCT ASSURANCE: VERIFICATION AND APPROVAL OF AUTOMATIC MACHINE WAVE SOLDERING (16-APR-2010)

ECSS-Q-ST-70-07C, SPACE PRODUCT ASSURANCE: VERIFICATION AND APPROVAL OF AUTOMATIC MACHINE WAVE SOLDERING (16-APR-2010)., Wave soldering is regarded as a critical process that can find limited application during the assembly of components on to printed circuit boards (PCBs) intended for spacecraft. The preferred procedure is by manual soldering to the requirements of ECSS‐Q‐ST‐70‐08. Generally the small number of identically designed circuits does not warrant the setting up of unique machine parameters for each individual layout. When wave soldering is identified as a suitable alternative to manual soldering for use in the customer’s projects, it can be essential to follow the steps outlined in this document before the final customer’s approval is granted. The sequence of main events is shown in XFigure 4‐1X. Each step is fully completed and the details recorded, so that a dossier is compiled for each manufacturer’s assembly line. All dossiers are kept updated by the approval authority and serve as a reference for the approval authority’s Project Engineers. A general qualification is not granted for wave soldering. Wave soldering lines that have been previously verified (see also clause X5.2X) can be also approved for use on named projects, but this depends entirely on the specific project requirements. Project process approval is requested, as for all materials and critical processes, by means of ECSS‐Q‐ST‐70.