Hi TechNet! Does anyone have any knowledge regarding solder dross contamination in otherwise properly formed solder joints? The joints were formed in a wave solderer and exhibit dross contamination roughly .005" - .010" in diameter. **Solder dross typically ends up in solder joints when the wave solder pot maintenance is poorly done or you have a solder wave motor problem. Check out those areas first as a corrective action. The joints seem to have proper "meniscus" and are mostly "shiny", but are dull around the entrapped dross. **Solder dross trapped in a solder joint may not be a bad thing depending on what the use environment of your assembly is. However, solder dross should not be ending up in your solder joints - this condition is an indication that the soldering process is out of control and needs corrected. Is this purely cosmetic or does it present a potential solder joint problem? **Solder dross in the solder joint will definitely change the solder joint/stress interactions and could lead to solder joint failure depending on the use environment. Good Luck Dave Hillman Rockwell Collins [log in to unmask] ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: FW: FAB: Dross in Solder Joints Author: [log in to unmask] at ccmgw1 Date: 5/15/97 12:50 PM Hello Technet: Does anyone have any knowledge regarding solder dross contamination in otherwise properly formed solder joints? The joints were formed in a wave solderer and exhibit dross contamination roughly .005" - .010" in diameter. The joints seem to have proper "meniscus" and are mostly "shiny", but are dull around the entrapped dross. Is this purely cosmetic or does it present a potential solder joint problem? Thank you for your help *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To subscribe/unsubscribe send a message <to: [log in to unmask]> * * with <subject: subscribe/unsubscribe> and no text in the body. * *************************************************************************** * If you are having a problem with the IPC TechNet forum please contact * * Dmitriy Sklyar at 847-509-9700 ext. 311 or email at [log in to unmask] * *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To subscribe/unsubscribe send a message <to: [log in to unmask]> * * with <subject: subscribe/unsubscribe> and no text in the body. * *************************************************************************** * If you are having a problem with the IPC TechNet forum please contact * * Dmitriy Sklyar at 847-509-9700 ext. 311 or email at [log in to unmask] * ***************************************************************************