Climatic Chamber Configurator
Discover the Climatic Chamber Configurator
Our guide to choosing the climate chamber best suited to your needs.
Have you ever stopped to think about how many welds there are in the structure of your car?
For battery and storage testing, discover the FDM Battery Test Chamber, designed for testing under controlled conditions.
What if they weren't durable enough to withstand the knocks and wear and tear of time? Better not think about it.
Luckily, there are those who do it for us.
The weldability test is a laboratory test aimed specifically at ensuring the tightness of these and other welds.
Let's find out together.
What is the Weldability Test Used For?
Weldability testing is necessary to verify the behavior and strength of all types of welds when subjected to mechanical stress and/or extreme environments.
As we mentioned, the automotive sector is among the most affected by welding testing given the high number of welds involved in the chassis, bodywork, and various engine components of a common car.
For the same reasons, in the aeronautical, naval and military , engineers are required to conduct rigorous weldability tests in order to evaluate the strength of the welds of vehicles that must often withstand extreme stresses and unconventional atmospheric environments.
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Discover the new series of Environmental Chambers for controlled climate testing. Find out more.
How the Weldability Test Works
The weldability test is actually a set of individual tests, mostly mechanical, which verify the weld's resistance to different types of stresses.
The tests that we generally find in the weldability test as prescribed by international standards are the following:
- Tensile test
- Bending test
- Bending test
- Hardness test
Each of these tests subjects the weld to a different type of mechanical stress.
The welded sample is placed inside specific laboratory instruments designed for mechanical testing on materials that are capable of carrying out one or more tests of this type.
Which and how many tests need to be performed varies from sector to sector and from product to product.
The major international standards that address weldability testing are: ISO 5817:2014, AWS D1.1:2015, MIL-STD-750 Method 2026, and J-STD-002.
Climatic Chambers and Weldability Tests
The weldability test is mainly composed of mechanical tests, as we have seen, but climatic tests are not out of the picture.
As with many other tests on products and materials that are not directly climate-related, it must be considered that there is no neutral environment and that each sample we test will have its life cycle in a specific atmospheric context.
In this sense, weldability tests that involve the concomitant use of climatic tests are those that concern welds that will be exposed to extreme environments such as those in the naval and submarine industries, exposed to a high risk of corrosion.
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The FDM Climatic Chamber for Weldability Testing
To test the resistance of welds and other materials to corrosion and, in general, to extreme environments, there is no better tool than an environmental chamber.
FDM environmental chambers are designed to perform all extreme climate tests, including those affecting particularly sensitive sectors such as military aeronautics or naval engineering.
We can also design climate modules to integrate with hydraulic presses for tensile testing. We've already done this for a client and described it here.
For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Reference Standards
- IPC/EIA J-STD-002E — Solderability Tests for Component Leads, Terminations, Lugs and Wires
- IPC/EIA J-STD-003D — Solderability Tests for Printed Boards
- IEC 60068-2-20 — Test T: Soldering
- IEC 60068-2-58 — Test Td: Solderability, resistance to dissolution and soldering heat
- ISO 9455 — Soft soldering fluxes — Test methods
- IPC-A-610 — Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies
Authoritative Sources
Frequently Asked Questions about Weldability Testing
What is solderability?
Solderability is the ability of a surface finish (component leads, PCB pads) to be wetted by molten tin , forming reliable solder joints. It depends on: (a) finish composition (Sn, SnAg, SnBi, NiAu ENIG, OSP, Imm Sn, Imm Ag); (b) pre-assembly storage time (oxidation); (c) surface contamination ; (d) absorbed moisture . A poorly solderable component generates cold solder joints , voids , non-wet joints, and reduced MTBF.
How is weldability measured in the laboratory?
Two main methods: Dip & Look (IPC J-STD-002 Test A): the component is immersed in flux + molten tin at 245°C for 5 seconds, then visually inspected under a microscope with an IPC Acceptance reference (requires >95% coverage of the wetted surface). Wetting Balance (IEC 60068-2-58 Test Td): quantitative method — the component is suspended on an ultra-sensitive balance and immersed in molten tin, and the wetting force is recorded as a function of time. Parameters: wetting time ( wetting force (>200 μN target).
What preconditions should be applied before testing?
To simulate finish aging: (1) Steam aging 8h at 93°C + 95%RH (simulates 1-2 years storage); (2) Dry heat 155°C for 4-16h (simulates multiple reflow); (3) Steam + thermal cycle for degraded OSP finishes. MSL sensitive components (MSL 3-5) require moisture soak pre-testing. Pre-condition results are more stringent and representative of real life — a good fresh solderability component but KO post-aging is a field risk.
Why is solderability critical for lead-free?
alloys (Sn-Ag-Cu / SAC305) required by RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU have: (a) melting temperature 217-220°C (vs. 183°C for Sn-Pb) — more severe reflow; (b) higher surface tension — reduced wettability by 15-25%; (c) greater sensitivity to oxidation; (d) requirement for controlled finishes (ENIG, Imm Ag). The J-STD-002 test is mandatory pre-production for tier-1 electronics with annual audits on critical components. Solderability quality directly determines first-pass yield on the SMT line.
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