Fellow Technetters:

My company has recently adopted IPC-A-610 as the workmanship standard.
We build class 2 printed circuit boards.
This Standard states that blowholes are acceptable, as nonconforming
process indicators, as long as acceptable wetting is present.

In the past, all blowholes were 'touched up'.  I do not wish to continue
to rework the bottom side solder joints if it is truly not necessary.
I do have reservations about saying 'Use As Is' since at least one
soldering process authority states that blowholes must be reworked.

Does anyone have any quality or reliability data that supports or
refutes the argument for accepting blowholes as process indicators?

John Ryaby
Process Engineer