Thermal profiling proves what your PCB really sees in reflow. Learn TC placement, ramp/soak/TAL checks and quick fixes to stop SMT defects on every shift fast!
You can set every zone on your reflow oven “perfect.”
Then you run boards, and boom—cold joints, tombstones, or a random open that only shows up in the walk-in cooler.
That’s why thermal profiling matters. Not the setpoints. Not the “same recipe we used last year.”
You validate what the PCB and parts actually feel, not what the oven claims it did.
If you build electronics that end up near cold storage equipment—fan assemblies, refrigeration unit components, rear mesh sensor kits, or little control boards that live in a wet, cold room—you want stable solder joints. Small failures become big headache later.
At wireshelvingmfg.com, we do OEM/ODM work. Sometimes you bring drawings, sometimes we help design. And when your build touches cold storage room components (like Cold Storage Room Multilayer Wire Shelving or Walk-in Refrigerated Wire Shelving), you usually care about reliability and repeatability, not drama.
Here are the profiling habits that keep reflow ovens honest, and keep your line calm.
Thermal profiling means you attach thermocouples (TCs) to a real board, run it through the oven, and record the temperature curve over time.
That curve answers one question:
Did the board hit the process window your paste and components need?
If you don’t know the window, you can’t validate anything. You’re just watching a pretty graph.
A validated oven profile should let you say:
No magic. Just controlled heat.
Most people talk about four sections:
You don’t “win” by chasing the highest peak. You win by hitting the window with margin.
Here’s a practical checklist. Values below are typical industry ranges you’ll see on many paste datasheets and JEDEC-style guidance. Your paste and BOM may need different limits, so follow your own TDS and component rules.
| Parameter (what you measure) | Typical target range (common) | Why it matters (real talk) |
|---|---|---|
| Ramp rate (°C/sec) | ~0.5–3.0 °C/s | Too fast = thermal shock risk, spatter, tombstones |
| Soak temp band (°C) | ~150–200 °C (Pb-free often) | Helps equalize board temps, activates flux |
| Soak time (sec) | ~60–120 s | Too short = uneven heating; too long = dried flux |
| Liquidus temp (°C) | ~217 °C for many Pb-free alloys | The “melt line” for common SAC alloys |
| TAL (sec above liquidus) | ~60–150 s | Controls wetting, voiding trends, joint shape |
| Peak component temp (°C) | Often 235–260 °C max, BOM-dependent | Protects parts, stops scorched boards |
| Time near peak (sec) | ~20–40 s near peak | Too long can overcook flux, grow IMC too much |
| Cooling rate (°C/sec) | ~1–6 °C/s | Too slow can make grainy joints; too fast adds stress |
Keep this table in your profile record. Print it. Tape it near the oven. People forget fast.
Bad TC placement gives you bad decisions. That’s brutal because it “looks” scientific.
For validation, you usually want at least 4 points, and 5–6 is better on mixed boards:
If you only use one TC, you don’t know your delta-T. And delta-T is where defects hide.
This sounds small, but it saves hours. Seriously.
Operators love tweaking zone temperatures. Engineers love tweaking conveyor speed.
Both can fix a profile, but they behave different.
If your peak looks fine but TAL is short, speed changes often help.
If you overshoot peak on a thin board, a setpoint tweak in the last zones can calm it down.
Also, check lane-to-lane differences. Some ovens run hotter on one side. That’s real life.
When defects show up, don’t argue for 30 minutes. Pull the profile and match symptoms.
| Defect (what you see) | Profile smell (common cause) | Fast adjustment (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Tombstoning (01005/0201) | Ramp too aggressive, uneven heating | Slow ramp, improve soak stability |
| Head-in-pillow (BGA) | TAL too short, poor paste activation | Slightly longer TAL, better soak |
| Cold joints / dull fillets | Peak too low or TAL short | Add TAL time, modest peak increase |
| Solder balling | Ramp too fast, flux boil-off | Reduce ramp, smoother soak |
| Voids in BTC/QFN | Too much soak, bad outgassing timing | Tune soak + peak, watch TAL window |
| MLCC cracking (later failures) | Too fast ramp/cool, board stress | Reduce ramp, moderate cooling |
| Warpage-related opens | Too steep heating, uneven delta-T | Improve soak uniformity, reduce slope |
None of these fixes are “always.” But this table gives you a starting playbook.
And it keeps the team from guessing wildly.
A profile isn’t a one-time ceremony. You want traceability.
Save these items every time you validate:
Let’s say you build a small controller PCB for refrigeration units components.
It may sit in a cabinet near a walk-in refrigerated area. It sees condensation, vibration, and temperature cycling.
A “barely acceptable” reflow profile might pass AOI today.
Then it fails after weeks, and it looks random. It isn’t random. The profile likely ran hot on one corner, or TAL was short on a heavy copper zone, so wetting was marginal.
Do this, and your reflow oven stops being a mystery box.
Thermal profiling is your truth meter.
It tells you if your oven recipe matches the real board behavior. It also turns arguments into data.
If you want stable builds—especially assemblies connected to refrigeration or cold storage environments—don’t skip validation. Save the records. Tune with intent. Keep the process boring. Boring is good.
