Reflow oven T100C

[gsattler]

Just got a quote direct from Beijing Torch for a T200N, the nitrogen gas purge version of the T200C. It was for $2200USD FOB Beijing with an additional $530 shipping to Houston, Texas via DHL. Even with shipping that's a 50% discount to Manncorp's price ($4495) and just a tad less savings from Stencils Unlimited/PCB Unlimited ($4120).

[adafruit]

let us know if you get it and how it works!

[Hans Chr]

Could someone please explain to me how you use the nitrogen gas? Is it in a container? Where do you buy it? Expensive??

Regards

Hans Chr

[sirket]

Could someone please explain to me how you use the nitrogen gas? Is it in a container? Where do you buy it? Expensive??
Regards
Hans Chr

Nitrogen gas comes in a cylinder. You connect it to the oven via a hose and it displaces the oxygen to prevent oxidation. The price depends on where you are located but generally speaking, nitrogen is inexpensive. Nitrogen may be available at your local welding supply company.

[ralphstirling]

You really do need more wattage than a 110 circuit can deliver to get even
heat for a large-ish board. Anything bigger than a toaster oven will be 220v.
Now, if you really can't get a 220v circuit wired, there is one possible solution.
Look in your breaker panel, and find two 110 receptacle circuits that are on
opposite sides of the panel (one on the left and one on the right). The hot side
of an outlet on one circuit will be 220v from the hot side on the other circuit.
I leave it to your imagination to see how to proceed from there...

-- Ralph

[adafruit]

yup, we know how to wire up legs into 220v...but being in a rented loft its just not as straight forward as if we were in a home

[gsattler]

When we used to use nitrogen more frequently we were constantly replacing the cylinders. If you don't have time to constantly run down to the gas supply store and chunk (carefully) a large cylinder in your car, the cost with delivery is pretty intense. We ended up doing the rental/delivery thing for a while. What we found in Houston was that places make you rent the cylinder ($25/mo.) plus pay for the pickup & delivery ($75 each time), as well as pay for the fill ($10 each time). It adds up even if you don't go through gas all the time because of the cylinder rental. To buy the cylinder costs $100-150 so if you live nearby and feel comfortable dragging the tank back and forth to the welding supply store, then its alot less expensive. Alternatively you could get a nitrogen generator and never worry about gas supply or oxidation again, but of course that will cost you $2k (eBay) or $5k (new name brand).

[sirket]

Look in your breaker panel, and find two 110 receptacle circuits that are on
opposite sides of the panel (one on the left and one on the right). The hot side
of an outlet on one circuit will be 220v from the hot side on the other circuit.
I leave it to your imagination to see how to proceed from there...

-- Ralph

The panel isn't divided into a left and right side with one leg on each side. The only guarantee is that any two adjacent (not opposite) breakers will each come from one of the two legs.

[sirket]

yup, we know how to wire up legs into 220v...but being in a rented loft its just not as straight forward as if we were in a home

Bah.... Just Do It!

It's commercial space- I'm sure they won't mind

[gsattler]

T200N ordered from Beijing Torch. Will let you all know how it works when it arrives.

[adafruit]

please do!!!

[freaklabs]

Second that. Very interested to hear about the oven from Beijing Torch. Looks like just the right size to fit in my apt.

[Hans Chr]

Any news about the T200N?

Regards

Hans Chr

[spiffed]

Could someone please explain to me how you use the nitrogen gas? Is it in a container? Where do you buy it? Expensive??

You'd generally know if it's the case, but some industrial units include nitrogen service along with your regular utilities (gas, water, hydro). Depending on how they get their nitrogen, you either pay by the unit or you pay for your maximum flow rate. The one occasion I was in this situation, I think we payed $50/mo for 1l/m. The particular unit included shop air for free and I think you could include O2, but it wasn't cheap.

[gsattler]

Hey All, sorry it took me soo long to get back and post this on the boards (wife just had a baby and things have been insane). Got our T200N in a while back. The hardest task we do in our oven involves reflow soldering an ADSP-BF561 BGA chip with ROHS-compliant solder. Our previous good solution used an OK Industries JEM 310 oven with nitrogen purge. That oven didn't have convection and we just couldn't get consistent results when we had to switch to a ROHS-compliant solder with a higher reflow temp that was closer to the max chip rated specs. We tried the dubious and ever-sketchy T-962A off eBay and that did no better (probably worse, tons of burnt boards, totally uneven heating). So far our results with the T200N are excellent. We still won't know if we are having any long-term faulty solder ball contacts on the BF561, but initial results look good. Be forewarned that the temperature sensor is directly above the quartz heating elements in the T200N, so the temperature at the board surface a few inches below will be off by 20-30°C. The evenness of the temperature across the board surface appears to be really good. Also, the suggested temperature profiles that have been packaged with the unit need to have the ramp-up times increased. It just doesn't heat up fast enough to keep pace with the packaged profiles. You will have to mess with the profiles for a while to find something that works, and a good temperature probe mounted just above your test board was really really helpful when we set ours up. Hope this helps!