S Hello everyone. I am Steve, a soldering engineer at Japan Unix.

Today, I would like to discuss the principles of laser soldering, which have been attracting a great deal of attention.

Japan Unix has been providing this technology to many customers for over 20 years.

If you would like to see actual laser soldering solutions used in manufacturing, please also visit our laser soldering systems page.

S The soldering process for both conventional “tip soldering” and “laser soldering” is actually the same.

The common soldering process involves four main steps.

First, “preheat” the soldering points to the melting temperature.
Second, supply the solder wire during the “main heating” process.
Third, allow the solder to wet into the hole and around during “post-heating”.
Finally, let the solder joints cool down once they have sufficiently wet.

Now let’s watch some videos.
The process starts with preheat. Followed by the supply of solder. Then, the solder spreads. And finally, it is cooled down.

As you can see, the four processes for both “iron tip” and “laser” soldering are essentially the same.

For manufacturers considering practical implementation, our laser soldering systems apply this process with highly localized and controllable heat input.

S The heating principle is slightly different.

The process of “tip soldering” involves heating components by bringing the tip into contact, making it suitable for gradual and diffusible-heat soldering.

“Laser soldering” is a surface heating method that uses laser irradiation to heat the surface of a component.
It’s suitable for instantaneous and limited heat and space soldering.

If you want to compare these approaches in real equipment terms, see our laser soldering systems and, for contact-heating applications, our automated soldering robots.

S Neither is superior to the other.

The best method to choose depends on your application and purpose.
If you have any questions about laser soldering, please feel free to contact Japan Unix.

For further information on industrial laser soldering systems, please visit our product page.

Thank you and see you next time!