What is Pin-in-Paste (PIP) Technology?

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Jul 26, 2022|Technological Advancements and Materials

Pin in Paste technology entails soldering pins using reflow technology to produce quality and sturdy electrical connections. Component placement and soldering are the primary processes in the current mixed PCB manufacturing process, encompassing surface mount and through-hole components.

Conventional pin-in-paste processing techniques used by PCB assemblers are becoming less popular since introducing a more sophisticated alternative invention.

In this article, we’ll examine the Pin-in-Paste (PIP) Technology in detail, covering everything from the process to the benefits and downsides of using it.

What Is PIP Technology?

What is pin-in-paste (PIP) technology? The intensifying technological advances in the electronics sector are the driving force behind the increasing competition among printed circuit board (PCB) industry players. Each manufacturer is seeking solutions to minimize costs, improve quality and reduce lead times for PCB design, configuration, and experimentation.

SMDs are first placed on the PCB and soldered via the reflow process. The Through Hole constituents are then fixed and fused manually or through wave soldering.

Pin-in-Paste (PIP) technology can be used in place of the mixed PCB configuration where through-hole constituents and surface mount fusing to the board use reflow soldering.

The method omits the wave soldering process entirely, saving a great deal of time and reducing the cost of PCB Assembly. Since its conception around 1985, this method has been widely employed for mixed components PCB configuration.

The PIP process can eliminate the onerous wave soldering, minimizing the additional manufacturing costs. The PP procedure alternative is highly desirable if a PCB consists mainly of SMT constituents and only a few PTH constituents.

Thermal cycling is reduced to one cycle in a PIP process, meaning PCBAs will be subject to less heat. Additional heat fluctuations are no longer a risk for PCB decomposition.

PCBs can now be constructed with complex constituents on both the top and bottom sides, removing the need for wave soldering. Thanks to this, lightweight and denser electrical devices can be made more compact.

How Does It Work?

The filler material squeezing into the through-contacted holes is the first step during the Pin-in-Paste (PIP) procedure. An even distribution of solder paste is essential for a strong final solder bond.

Once the solder application is complete, the component insertion into the holes follows. The board is subsequently subjected to reflow soldering to fortify the solder bond also known as paste in hole. First, what is paste in hole? It refers to the method known as Through-Hole Reflow Technology or paste in hole.

PCB designs with the internal ground or power planes can reduce the solder’s degradation temperature because the heat from the bottom will go into the planes and function as an internal heat sink.

Consequently, the mounting stream of molten solder will halt its wetting activity, leading to an underfilled barrel. In the PIP process, solder flows into the barrel without regard to plane connections and depends on the SMT process’s heat.

Wave soldering produces a significant temperature difference, with the top side of the board always being cooler than the bottom side because the board will heat through contact with the solder wave.

Despite extra heating on the upper side, the temperature difference persists. For some reason, solder is drawn to heat and thus will not spread across a cold surface like the top of a circuit board, leading to a short barrel fill. In “PIP” soldering, however, this is not the case.

Substantial quantities of copper are dissolved during wave soldering when solder waves make contact with the knee of the barrel. There’s no chance of copper dissolving in the PIP process because the barrel will fill from the upper side and the amount of solder subjected to it is constant.

Advantages of Using PIP

Innovation has been critical in the introduction of this alternative solution. Integrating PIP Technology as opposed to the conventional pin-in-paste configuration is groundbreaking since it is simpler to insert by exerting pressure on the flange and needs up to 33 percent less soldering.

There’s no need to use excess solder to make a strong and sturdy bond under the flange. Consequently, the volume of the solder and debris needed for the procedure is lower. It allows makers to create stronger electrical and mechanical bonding.

Also, because you’re using less solder, the circuit board may be modified more quickly and easily. This means that any components that need removal will not affect the structure as a whole.

It implies no twisting, which is common when applying pressure to the pin tip using conventional wave soldering techniques. PIP Technology is increasingly popular among circuit board makers during the design of manufacturing procedures.

The technology provides electrical connections that are dependable and sturdy. It gives a convenient method with fewer faults throughout the configuration process and reduced power generation costs.

Here is a summary of PIP advantages that you should remember:

• Cost-effectiveness considering the prevalence of the practice, equipment costs, and possible hazard management.
• Get sufficient hole filling and robust solder joints.
• Utilize the same pick-and-place equipment for SMT and THR constituents.
• Minimize machine installation time, manufacturing turnaround, and space requirements.

Disadvantages of Using PIP

The arrangement of the technology’s constituents is critical to its efficacy. If the PCB hole’s dimension is too large, excess solder will be required to fill it. This renders it hard to properly fill the hole with paste when printing with solder paste. In addition, when utilizing a small solder quantity, solder faults may emerge.

Here are some of the disadvantages of using PIP technology that you should consider:

• Faults and solder loss.
• The paste volume in the through-holes is challenging to regulate.
• Conventional pin-through-paste production creates contamination, flaws, and scrap by dispersing conductive material.

Conclusion

Pin in Paste process of PCB configuration is highly beneficial for the large-scale manufacture of lighter-weight PCBAs, which can significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing. With PIP technology, makers can achieve robust and sturdy through-the-hole solder bonds instead of wave soldering.

Makers can also put intricate SMT constituents on both sides of the PCB, streamlining board space and modularizing electrical gadgets using Pin in Paste technology. Such is impossible with conventional processes since wave soldering does not work with complex constituents.