Altus Group, a leading distributor of electronics production equipment in the UK and Ireland, is highlighting Heller Industries’ innovative Short-Cycle Vacuum Reflow Oven (SCVR) as interest in high volume vacuum soldering grows across the region.

Vacuum reflow soldering helps to eliminate voids in solder joints, dramatically improving reliability in demanding applications, but traditional systems have been too slow for high-volume production. Heller's SCVR introduces a patented multi-stage conveyor system that reduces board transfer time in and out of the vacuum chamber, directly addressing the primary limitation in vacuum cycle times. This innovation enables manufacturers to increase units per hour (UPH) by up to 100% while maintaining the superior solder joint reliability that vacuum reflow delivers.

Joe Booth, CEO of Altus Group said: “Electronics manufacturers are increasingly looking to vacuum reflow to improve reliability in complex assemblies, but adoption has been limited by cycle time bottlenecks. The SCVR’s design makes high-volume, high-reliability production more practical than ever before, giving engineers confidence that they can meet demanding process requirements without sacrificing throughput or quality.”

The SCVR features three infrared heating panels within the vacuum chamber that optimise heating profiles for solder paste. Real-time temperature control delivers ±0.5°C accuracy at the PCB level, ensuring consistent results across production runs. The system includes Heller's HELLER365 platform for process monitoring and Industry 4.0 integration, enabling real-time tracking of temperature curves, vacuum pressure values, and board-level data.

The system's modular, open-architecture design simplifies upgrades, maintenance, and cleaning which is critical for maintaining uptime in high-reliability production environments. The SCVR is designed for applications where void-free solder joints are critical, including automotive power modules (IGBT/SiC packaging), RF components for telecommunications, Mini/Micro LED assembly, and high-density interconnect (HDI) soldering.

By bringing Heller’s SCVR to the UK and Ireland, Altus Group continues to support electronics manufacturers with advanced assembly solutions that address both reliability and productivity demands in an increasingly competitive market. http://www.altusgroup.co.uk/

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