Altus Group, a prominent distributor of electronics production equipment in the UK and Ireland, is spotlighting Heller Industries’ groundbreaking Short-Cycle Vacuum Reflow Oven (SCVR) as interest in high-volume vacuum soldering escalates across the region.
Vacuum reflow soldering significantly reduces voids in solder joints, enhancing reliability in demanding applications. However, traditional systems have struggled with the slow pace required for high-volume production. Heller’s SCVR introduces a patented multi-stage conveyor system that decreases board transfer time in and out of the vacuum chamber, effectively tackling the primary limitation in vacuum cycle times. This innovation allows manufacturers to double units per hour (UPH), maintaining the superior solder joint reliability that vacuum reflow offers.
Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group, stated, “Electronics manufacturers are increasingly looking to vacuum reflow to improve reliability in complex assemblies, but adoption has been limited by cycle time bottlenecks. The SCVR’s design makes high-volume, high-reliability production more practical than ever before, giving engineers confidence that they can meet demanding process requirements without sacrificing throughput or quality.”
The SCVR includes three infrared heating panels within the vacuum chamber to optimise heating profiles for solder paste. Real-time temperature control ensures ±0.5°C accuracy at the PCB level, guaranteeing consistent results across production runs. Additionally, the system incorporates Heller’s HELLER365 platform for process monitoring and Industry 4.0 integration, enabling real-time tracking of temperature curves, vacuum pressure values, and board-level data.
The system’s modular, open-architecture design simplifies upgrades, maintenance, and cleaning, which is crucial for maintaining uptime in high-reliability production environments. The SCVR is tailored for applications where void-free solder joints are essential, such as automotive power modules (IGBT/SiC packaging), RF components for telecommunications, Mini/Micro LED assembly, and high-density interconnect (HDI) soldering.
By introducing Heller’s SCVR to the UK and Ireland, Altus Group continues to support electronics manufacturers with advanced assembly solutions that meet both reliability and productivity demands in an increasingly competitive market.
For more information, visit www.altusgroup.co.uk.
