WAVE SOLDER FIXTURES
Our Wave Solder and Selective Wave Solder Fixtures will improve productivity, quality, and profits. We have 100% in-house manufacturing capabilities and possess the most modern manufacturing and inspection equipment available. These fixtures will provide stable support for the circuit board as it passes through the wave process. Our Selective Wave Pallets provide masking for gold fingers, mounting holes, and bottom side SMT components. Our Wave Solder Fixtures are manufactured from ESD composite material and are designed to withstand the thermal environments of wave solder and reflow ovens.

SURFACE MOUNT FIXTURES
Our Surface Mount Fixtures are designed to simplify your screen printing, pick and place, and reflow operations. All hold down hardware is recessed below the surface of the fixture so there is no interference with your squeegee blades. Our hardware provides accurate and repeatable location of the circuit board in the fixture and quick reloading to keep your production line moving.

CONFORMAL COATING FIXTURES
Conformal Coating Fixtures are designed to provide a solution for holding circuit boards during the conformal coating process. These fixtures are ideal for odd shaped boards as well as rectangular boards requiring a holding mechanism through a conveyor style coating system. These fixtures will reduce labor required by hand masking procedures.

PRESS-FIT FIXTURES
Our Press-Fit Fixtures are custom designed, rigid tools to support the circuit board during press fit operations. These fixtures allow the assembler to apply the necessary pressure on the circuit board to make the connection without damaging the circuit board or other components on the board. The fixture prevents cracked boards and breaks in the solder joints. We machine thick plates of aluminum to exact tolerances.


PALLET DESIGN GUIDELINES
PALLET THICKNESS
The thickness of the pallet is determined by the thickness of the PCB and the height of any bottom side components.

PALLET DIMENSIONS
The overall size of the pallet will be calculated by adding 2 inches per side beyond the board pocket. This general guideline is adjusted based on customer requirements for conveyor width.

PALLET GEOMETRY

• Edges that run along the wave-guides are milled 0.140” from the bottom of the pallet. The top will be milled down leaving a minimum of .090” lip.
• The bottom groove will be 0.250” wide and when applicable, the top groove will be 0.150” wide.
• All four bottom edges are to be chamfered.
• Stiffeners should be added on long pallets or pallets with excessive openings.
• Solder dams are added per customer request.
• All hold-downs are fastened from the topside of the pallet and placed as space permits. A general rule of thumb will be to place a hold down every 4”.
• Bottom chamfers for areas exposed to the wave will be 30 degrees if space permits. 45 degrees can be used if there is a concern about breaking through topside pockets.

BASIC DESIGN GUIDELINES

• Presence of components on the bottom side, their maximum height and the amount of area to be cut completely through the pallet.
• The minimum floor thickness is 0.100”. The floor can be reduced to 0.075” if the area is less than 2 square inches. A thicker floor will last longer.
• The board pocket will be 0.015” larger per side than the PCB. This will allow for expansion and board tolerance.
• Add 0.125” radius to all board corners. Program a 0.250” end mill and a drill hit at all corners. The depth should be the board pocket plus 0.005”.
• Use the largest board lip possible. The minimum board lip is 0.060”.
• The Set the PCB as deep in the pocket as possible. This is done by milling a deeper board pocket or by leaving the top of the PCB even with the top of the pallet and milling channels on the bottom side. The method used is determined by the minimum area between a pocket and a through pocket (wall thickness) should be 0.050” to ensure an adequate seal.
• Bottom side component pockets need 0.020” clearance beyond the component height.
• Add 0.010” per side to the x – y dimensions of the components to get the pocket length and width.
• Unless specified by the customer, orientate the boards in the pallet so the majority of long openings are parallel to the direction of travel (perpendicular to the wave).
• Keep areas open to the wave a minimum of 0.150” wide when perpendicular to the wave. Whenever possible, make openings greater than 0.250”.
• Use of over-arm bars and component hold-downs will be determined by the board design.