PIN-IN-PASTE (PIP) Assembly

Despite predictions of the demise of through-hole components, they remain commonplace throughout the industry. However, their use is in decline and assemblies may only incorporate one or two through-hole components. An alternative technique for soldering through-hole components, eliminating the need for a separate soldering process, is the Pinin-Paste (PiP) or Intrusive Reflow method. PiP utilizes solder paste printing and the SMT reflow processes to solder through-hole devices. The PiP technique can be more cost effective by eliminating the need for a wave or selective soldering process and the associated costs. This paper will detail the PiP process including PCB and stencil design considerations as well as solder paste selection and reflow guidelines.