Using the wrong solder paste for a job can have disastrous consequences, however, when removed from it's original container, all solder pastes look the same! But while this may be true visually, electrochemically, they are all quite different and these differences can be used as a quality control check to ensure the correct paste is being used.
Let's take a look at two different solder pastes from the same manufacturer (one no clean and one water soluble with surprisingly similar names). Can you spot the difference?
Now, let's see what we measure with the Vision MARK-1. The solder paste on the left gives an average powder reactivity coefficient (PRC) result after stirring of 423620 and the solder paste on the right has an average PRC of 8717.
Figure out which one is which yet? The PRC relates to how active a solder paste is and a higher value indicates a less active solder paste. Therefore, as the solder paste on the left is less active, it is the no clean!
Have you ever used the wrong solder paste on a job? Prevent these issues with the Vision MARK-1 by confirming you are using the correct solder paste.