Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.

uk

INTRODUCTION
Wave and SMT pallets are an essential and cost effective tool for the PCB assembly process. Pallets
designs allow for increased through put, the securing / aligning of critical components and allow for
soldering of thru-hole components affected by bottom side SMT component layout violations. Review
your process using the justification section below and see how Wave and SMT pallets can improve your
process.

MATERIALS
Materials now have been designed for the wave solder and reflow PCB assembly process. Durapol,
Durostone and Haysite have been adopted and are now the materials of choice. For the lead free wave
solder and reflow process Durapol and Durostone have new formulation to withstand the higher
temperature requirement and the more aggressive fluxes. All these materials are similar in their
machining and durability characteristics.

JUSTIFICATION
As a result of the newer materials, one-piece construction, and ease of machining, reduced fabrication
cost, justification can be easily achieved. Listed below are some of the more notable cost reductions
associated with solder pallets.

Elimination of SMT bottom side Glue process

Reduced 2nd hand load components due to outer edge board overlap.
onetime pallet cost versus recurring breakaway tab cost
1st hand load labor versus 2nd hand load labor
Eliminate hand masking and Kapton tape processes
fixture will mask areas on bottom side

Eliminate recurring breakaway tab cost for odd shaped PCB’s

one time pallet cost Reduced rework / touchup cost
layout violation and mis-orientation of SMT components well be masked from wave
additional support for assemblies with heavy component and PCBs with large width
dimensions
ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

Better quality than hand soldering

Secure and alignment of critical components with over head tooling
Increase PCB through put with multi-up pallet design
Allows the processing of multiple PCBs at one time.

Eliminates the additional cost of panel up layouts.

All the above cost reductions can easily be attained with high runner assemblies. When assemblies
are small runners, rework or touchup, breakaway tabs and hand masking, if applicable, can constitute
justifiable paybacks.

WAVE SOLDER PALLETS

45 Beveled leading and trailing edges

Aluminum stiffeners / solder dams on all four (4) sides of pallet
Spring loaded rotary hold down buttons, made from static dissipative, high temp. plastic
Fabrication process insures flatness held within .010 over 6 linear inches
Rail fingers .150” wide top, .250” wide bottom, and bottom edge flush with PCB bottom side
Board pocket lip shall be minimum .062 standard
Board pocket shall be .030” larger than PCB in each axes
Pallet machined for solder openings, with 60 bottom side chamfers
Pallet design optimized to travel with the short axis leading/trailing
(unless PTH components layout dictates other)

PCB pocket depth will match pallet’s conveyor rails

All fasteners mounted metal to metal with 316 SS hardware on solder side
COMPOSITE WAVE SOLDER DRAWING

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

Bevel /chamfer
Stiffeners corners

Durapol,
Board pocket Durastone,
Haysite materials

Rotary Pallet fingers

hold downs .150 ”wide top
.250 ” wide bottom

60 chamfer All solder

leading and openings 60
trailing edges chamfered
bottom side
SELECTIVE WAVE SOLDER PALLETS
“Seal” walls can be .030” thick (min.), based upon length
.020” clearance between the SMT components and pallet floor
Pallet “floor” shall be .030” thick (min.), base upon size of area
.020” min. clearance between the SMT component pad and the outside seal walls (short axis only)
.050” (lead solder) .100” (lead free solder) min. clearance between annular ring of PTH and seal walls
Board pocket shall be .030” larger than PCB in both axes
Pressure relieving pallet solder side, shall be applied to meet aspect ratio requirements
Aluminum stiffeners / solder dams on all four (4) sides of pallet
Pallet conveyor edges shall be .150” wide top and .250” wide bottom, .090 min. thickness
Pallet design optimized to travel with the short axis leading/trailing
(unless PTH components layout dictates other)
PCB pocket depth will match pallet’s conveyor rails
ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

Spring loaded rotary hold-downs buttons, made from static dissipative, high temperature plastic
45 beveled leading and trailing edges
Fabrication process insures flatness held to within .010” over six (6) linear inches

COMPOSITE SELECTIVE WAVE SOLDER DRAWINGS

Radius corners
Stiffeners

Durapol,
Board pocket Durostone,
HC-300 materials

Rotary
Solder opening
Hold downs
.030” seal walls
60 chamfered
bottom side
Pocket floor

Pallet fingers
.150” top
.250” bottom

45 chamfer All solder

leading and openings 60
trailing edges chamfered
bottom side

PCB LAYOUT GUIDE LINES

PTH COMPONENT CLEARANCES FOR LEADED AND LEAD FREE SOLDER

Recommended minimum distance, from the outside edge of the annual ring to a SMT component
pad:
Short axis of SMT pad layout (see figure 3-1)
ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

Long axis of SMT pad layout (see figure 3-2)

.100 ” lead
.100 ” lead
.150 ” lead free
PTH .150 ” lead free
PLUS 50%
PART WIDTH

SEAL WALL
.030 ” THIC K .020 ”
CLEARANCE

Figure 3-1 Figure 3-2

SMT COMPONENT HEIGHT CLEARANCES

Offset tall SMT components as much as possible to insure the maximum aspect ratio and pressure
relieving (see figure 3-3).

PRESSURE ASPECT
RELIEF RATIO

Figure 3-3

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

PTH COMPONENT PCB PLACEMENTS

PTH component layouts

Align so the long axis is traveling perpendicular to the solder wave. Long axis of the PCB travels
parallel to wave solder conveyor. If PTH connector placement is required along outside edges of
PCB, leave sufficient spacing for seal wall support between components.
Group PTH components to allow for larger solder openings. This will allow better bottom side
preheat penetration to insure:
o good topside solder fillets
o reduced occurrences of upward PCB bowing due to insufficient bottom side preheating
(if topside preheat is used)

Do not place passive SMD components within PTH component land patterns

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

ASPECT RATIO OF SOLDER OPENINGS

This aspect ratio relates to the solder openings length / width versus the vertical travel required for the
solder to reach the bottom of the PCB.

The min. ratio: 1:1 (lead solder)

Length / width dims. .150”min.
Vertical travel dims. .150”

The min. ratio: 1.7:1 (lead free solder)

Length / width dims. .250”min.
Vertical travel dims. .150”

Vertical travel may increase as long as the soldering opening increases proportionally.

Lead to be PCB
soldered

Vertical Travel Length /Wide

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

Min. vertical travel = (no bottom side component, + .020 air gap + .050 pallet floor) = .070”

Air gap Min. pallet

Floor de pth

.070 ” min.
vertical travel

Max. vertical travel = (bottom side component height + .020 air gap + .050 pallet floor) = .320”

.020 ”min. .050 ”Min.

Air gap pallet Floor
depth

.320 ” max.
vertical
travel

Solder openings of .150” (lead solder) and .250” (lead free solder) are the minimum in the Y axis. The
openings in the X axis must be larger with an aspect ratio of 1: 3 width (Y) to length (X). This will
allow for the solder to recover and reach the bottom of the PCB.

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk

 Tel: 02380 650065 | Email: sales@kaisertech.co.uk

When the short (Y) axis solder opening is .300” a 1:1 aspect ratio can be used for the X & Y dims.

The long axis of the solder opening should travel perpendicular to the solder wave.

Lead solder
.150 ” in the Y axis Wave solder travel direction
.450 ” in the X axis
1:3 ratio

Lead Free solder

.250 ” in the Y axis
.750 ” in the X axis
1:3 ratio Y

Lead & Lead Free

solder
.300 ” in the Y axis
.300 ” in the X axis
1:1 ratio

CONCLUSION

Wave solder pallets are a proven solution for mixed technology PCB assembly processes. Evaluate the
assemblies you are considering per the guidelines and draw your own conclusions. AGI will be glad to
help you with your evaluation and design. Let AGI be your assembly solution partner.

Challenge Us!

ABOUT KAISERTECH
Founded in 1998, Kaisertech Ltd is situated in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Through hard work and dedication Kaisertech has grown to be a well-recognized supplier of electronic
production equipment and tools.

Specialists in: Soldering, Static Control, Vision, Industrial Furniture, Electric Screw Drivers & Special Projects.

Tel: +44 (0)23 8065 0065 kaisertech.co.uk | kindustrial.co.uk