# US 11,850,684 B2 · Wave solder pallets for optimal solder flow and methods of manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,850,684 B2 - Document ID: US11850684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/787,177 - Filed: 2020-02-11 - Published: 2020-06-11 - Granted: 2023-12-26 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-08 - Assignees: Flex Ltd. - Applicants: Flex Ltd - Inventors: Zohair Mehkri; Anwar Mohammed; Jesus Tan; David Geiger; Murad Kurwa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11850684B2 ## CPC - B23K 3/08: Auxiliary devices therefor - B23K 1/085: {Wave soldering} - B23K 3/0653: {with wave generating means, e.g. nozzles, jets, fountains} - B23K 3/087: {Soldering or brazing jigs, fixtures or clamping means} - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - B29C 64/112: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - H05K 3/3447: Lead-in-hole components - H05K 3/3468: Application of molten solder, e.g. dip soldering - H05K 13/0465: {by soldering (H05K13/0469 takes precedence)} - B29L 2031/3425: {Printed circuits} - B29L 2031/7178: {Pallets} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - H05K 2203/0165: Holder for holding a Printed Circuit Board [PCB] during processing, e.g. during screen printing - H05K 2203/0173: Template for holding a PCB having mounted components thereon - H05K 2203/044: Solder dip coating, i.e. coating printed conductors, e.g. pads by dipping in molten solder or by wave soldering - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method of manufacturing a pallet for use during manufacture of a printed circuit board assembly includes determining optimal solder flow for establishing connections between lead pins of a plurality of pin-through-hole components arranged on a circuit board, designing a pallet to include geometries configured to provide the optimal solder flow when the pallet, supporting the circuit board thereon, is passed through a wave solder machine, and creating the pallet based on the design. Pallets configured for optimal solder flow and methods of manufacturing printed circuit board assemblies using such pallet are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board assembly, the method comprising: providing a circuit board; determining a solder flow for the circuit board; supporting the circuit board on a pallet, the pallet including an inner body comprising at least one opening for receiving solder flow and geometries to achieve the determined solder flow, the geometries of the inner body including one or more of tunnels in fluid communication with a lower surface of the pallet and the at least one opening, a plurality of channels defined through the lower surface of the pallet and in fluid communication with the at least one opening, at least one ramp seated within a recess defined within the inner body, wherein the at least one ramp is in fluid communication with the at least one opening; positioning a plurality of components on the circuit board, the plurality of components including a plurality of lead pins extending through the circuit board and protruding from an underside of the circuit board and at least partially through the at least one opening defined within the pallet; and passing the pallet through a wave solder machine such that molten solder contacts the pallet and the geometries of the pallet control the molten solder to flow according to the determined solder flow to establish connections between the plurality of lead pins. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solder flow is determined at least in part based upon microfluidics of solder flow. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solder flow is determined based upon speed, acceleration, volume, and direction of solder flow. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel interconnects at least two openings defined through the pallet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the geometries of the pallet include at least one ramp configured to be an adjustable component or a replaceable component feeding into one or more of the at least one openings.