Specs
Nitrogen Note specs
Setup notes and briefing numbers for Nitrogen Note.
Nitrogen thresholds through reflow
The Nitrogen Note specs page lists the process details to check when a line uses nitrogen through reflow. It helps compare board type, solder behaviour and oven conditions before nitrogen use becomes a default instead of a decision.
Record when nitrogen is genuinely needed on an SMT line, not simply left on from the previous product. Note the board finish, paste alloy, component density, and the reflow recipe so oxidation, wetting and voiding can be compared against an air run. In South African workshops, winter dryness inland and coastal humidity can shift paste behaviour enough to justify separate references.
Capture the baseline before changing gas flow, conveyor speed or zone temperatures. A useful spec note includes measured oxygen ppm at the oven, top-side appearance after reflow, and any bridges or dull joints seen on the first inspected boards. That gives technicians a proper comparison when the same assembly returns months later.
Figures worth recording first
List the values that affect nitrogen use most: target oxygen level, peak temperature, time above liquidus, and the product code running through the oven. Add whether the job is lead-free or tin-lead, because the acceptable surface finish and wetting result are not judged the same way. One clear process sheet is more useful than scattered settings copied from different shifts.
Link this spec page to the matching reflow profile record and the board-level check before approving nitrogen as the standard condition. Confirm bottle supply, regulator setting, alarm status and logged readings before boards are packed or moved to inspection. If details need to be sent through the contact form, include the line path and one oven screen capture with the current recipe name.
- Oxygen ppm noted against each run
- Board finish checked after first reflow
- Gas setting tied to oven recipe
Workshop conditions across South Africa
Nitrogen notes should reflect where the line is running. Gauteng sites often deal with dry dust around feeders and oven intakes, while Durban and Cape Town lines may need closer attention to moisture-sensitive stock and storage discipline before reflow. Those conditions can change whether a cosmetic solder improvement is really from nitrogen or from better material handling.
Power interruptions matter here because an oven restart can shift soak and peak behaviour even when the saved recipe name stays the same. Record whether the machine resumed from standby, full warm-up or a complete restart, then compare joints on the first confirmed board. That note is especially useful on mixed-volume lines where one oven serves several assemblies in a day.
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What to add to the spec note
Write down the assembly code, oven model, nitrogen source and the defect that triggered the review. Include whether the concern was solder balling, poor hole fill, dull joints, copper oxidation or voiding seen on X-ray.
Attach the nitrogen note to the process record when a customer or internal quality check asks why nitrogen was used on one build but not another. It also helps buyers and production staff check whether gas consumption is tied to a specific board family, finish or paste choice.
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