There are almost as many ways to reflow a surface-mount circuit board as there are hackers. Today, we add another method to the list. [Dasaki] converted a halogen floodlight into an SMT oven, and did so with all the bells and whistles. Check the video below the break.
We’ve actually seen the low-tech version of this hack before, but it’s nothing we would want to use on a daily basis. [Dasaki] needed to get 100 boards done, so it was worth the effort to get it right.
The floodlight was a natural choice — it’s got its own built-in chamber, and when [Dasaki] tested it out, it got up to 300 °C at 5 °C/sec and showed no sign of stopping. Contrast with toaster ovens which start complaining around 250 °C, if they make it at all. Aside from the lamp itself, the rest is standard temperature-controller fare, a SSR and a thermocouple interfaced with a microcontroller. Code is up on his GitHub.
We’re partial to skillets ourselves, but a professional halogen/IR unit is Bil Herd’s favorite. Indeed, there are so many ways to get the job done, ranging from the hacky to the nearly-professional, that you’re sure to find the reflow oven design that fits your budget and tolerance for fooling around. [Dasaki]’s halogen lamp oven looks like a worthy addition to our list.
Filed under: hardware
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