Roy B Shepard

US Patent:

55381758, Jul 23, 1996

Filed:

Nov 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/342562

Inventors:

Anthony L. Massini - Palm Harbor FL
Roy D. Shepard - Largo FL

Assignee:

AT&T Corp. - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

H05K 334
B23K 306

US Classification:

228102

Abstract:

In a wave solder manufacturing process, a test device is used to measure the contact-area between a solder wave and a printed wiring board. In particular, the test device is a printed wiring board (PWB) that includes at least two arrays of electrical contacts, one array near each side of the PWB. As the PWB makes contact with a solder wave, the number of electrical contacts in each array that are grounded by the solder wave are counted and displayed on an alpha-numeric display mounted on top of the PWB. This "distance-based" measurement provides an accurate determination of the uniformity of the contact-area, and concomitantly the dwell-time of the soldering process. This test device provides a basis for real-time adjustment of solder wave height, and end-to-end balance, in a solder wave machine. In particular a wave solder machine includes a means for receiving contact-area information from the test device and a means for adjusting the solder wave in response to the contact-area information.

US Patent:

55336639, Jul 9, 1996

Filed:

Nov 21, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/342561

Inventors:

Anthony L. Massini - Palm Harbor FL
Roy D. Shepard - Largo FL

Assignee:

AT&T Corp. - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

H05K 334
B23K 306

US Classification:

228103

Abstract:

In a wave solder manufacturing process, a test device is used to measure the contact-area between a solder wave and a printed wiring board. In particular, the test device is a printed wiring board (PWB) that includes at least two arrays of electrical contacts, one array near each side of the PWB. As the PWB makes contact with a solder wave, the number of electrical contacts in each array that are grounded by the solder wave are counted and displayed on an alpha-numeric display mounted on top of the PWB. This "distance-based" measurement provides an accurate determination of the uniformity of the contact-area, and concomitantly the dwell-time of the soldering process.