Solder Bars

What is a Solder Bar? 

Solder bars refer to solid metallic bars used to form solder joints, usually made of an alloy of tin and lead or tin and silver. Other metals such as copper and zinc can also be added to improve certain properties. The composition of a given alloy determines its melting point and therefore is a major factor in the selection of a specific solder for use in various applications. The most popular combinations are SAC (Tin (Sn)/Silver (Ag)/Copper (Cu)) alloys and Sn63Pb37 (Sn63A) which is 63% tin and 37% lead. Higher tin compositions result in higher corrosion-resistant solder, but also, raise the melting point. A popularly used combination containing 11% tin, 37% lead, 42% bismuth, and 10% cadmium provides an advantage on soldering components that are sensitive to heat as it has a low melting point. 

Solder bars are used in wave soldering of through-hole components which involves bulk soldering of PCBs. The circuit board is passed over a pan of molten solder in which a pump produces an upwelling of solder that looks like a standing wave. This molten solder wave is obtained by melting solder bars. The manual version of automated wave soldering is called dip soldering. Here, the only required equipment is a small tank containing molten solder bars. A PCB with mounted components is dipped manually into the tank so that the molten solder sticks to the exposed metallic areas of the board. The molten solder is obtained in these tanks, by putting and heating the solder bars in the tank. In both wave soldering and dip soldering techniques, the flux is applied separately. The flux is sprayed under the bottom side of a PCB that needs to be wave-soldered.

Key parameters of Solder Bar 

• Type of solder: Indicates if the solder is lead-free or not. 
• Alloy: Specifies the combination of metals used in the solder bar. 
• Alloy Composition: Refers to the percentage by weight of metals used to make the solder. 
• Melting Point: Defines the temperature range in degrees over which the solder bar transitions from solid to liquid. 

PCB Directory has listed PCB Solder bars from the leading manufacturers in the industry and made it easy for users to find these based on their requirements. You can specify the type, alloy and other parameters to find a solder bar that meets your requirements. You can also view solder alloy specifications, download the spec sheet, and get a quote. Quotes requested are routed to the manufacturers.

Click here to explore Solder Bar manufacturers.