Numerical modelling of the heat and mass transport processes in a vacuum vapour phase soldering system

The heat and mass transport processes were investigated with numerical simulations in a vacuum vapour phase soldering system during the vapour suctioning process. Low vapour pressure/concentration is applied during vacuum soldering to decrease the number of gas voids in the solder joints. Three-dimensional numerical flow model was developed which based on the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the standard k-ε turbulence method. The decrease of the vapour concentration and its effects on the solder joints were studied in the case of different oven settings. It was found that vapour suctioning has considerable effects on the heat transfer processes in the soldering chamber which might lead to early solidification of the solder joints and reduces the efficiency of the void removal. Different oven settings were simulated in order to decrease the heat loss of the soldering chamber during the vapour suctioning. It was shown that with appropriate setting of the vacuum vapour phase soldering technology, the efficiency of the void removal can be increased.