Vapour Phase Thermal Profiler

A Vapour Phase Thermal Profiler is a measurement system specifically designed to record the temperature profile of PCBs when processed through a vapour phase soldering machine — whether in batch, inline, atmospheric, or vacuum setups. It helps engineers understand and control the vapour-phase process, preventing issues like tombstoning, poor wetting, or component misalignment due to overly aggressive vacuum settings.

The system uses the SolderStar datalogger, capable of up to 16 Type-K thermocouple channels, with high precision. It monitors temperature from −150 °C to +600 °C, with an accuracy of ±0.5 °C and resolution of ±0.02 °C. It supports auto shutdown if internal temperatures exceed +85 °C.

A specially developed two-piece protective heat shield (model HS-VP006-01) is included. This shield is “O-ring sealed” and Teflon coated (PTFE) to resist vapour attack and to protect the logger. It is lightweight (low mass) to minimise its impact on process profiling, yet strong enough to endure harsh conditions.

The profiler offers 120,000 memory points, with sampling interval adjustable from 0.1 seconds up to 10 minutes per sample. Data can be downloaded via USB or optionally via 2.4 GHz wireless telemetry.

The logger is compact: 125 mm × 52 mm × 9 mm, and weighs about 110 grams. The heat shield (for a 6 channel version) weighs approximately 620 g.

The system uses Type-K thermocouples, meeting standards EN 05842:1993 and ANSI MC 96.1 (Class 1). This ensures reliable, standardized measurements.

• Improved joint quality and reduced defects (e.g. tombstoning, voids) through better thermal control.
• Reduced energy consumption by optimising vapour phase heating set-points.
• Lower rework and scrap costs.
• Easier audit compliance and better process traceability.

• The protective shield adds some insulation and may slightly increase heat-mass, so profiling must account for that small thermal lag.
• Telemetry may have reduced signal strength inside vacuum or tightly sealed chambers; wired data download may be required.
• Because vapour phase machines often feature vacuum and inert atmospheres, the user must ensure that the setup (shielding, logging sensors) can handle these environments without failure.
• Profiling adds overhead to production in terms of setup and measurement capture; for high-throughput lines planning is needed to avoid bottlenecks.