Patent ID: 7150387

Claim:
An apparatus for soldering an electronic component onto a board through a lead-free solder material by means of a flow soldering process while transferring the board, said apparatus comprising: a solder material supplying chamber including a solder material supplying unit for supplying a melt of the lead-free solder material to the board such that the lead-free solder material adheres to a predetermined portion of the board; a conditioning chamber located downstream of said solder material supplying chamber in a transferring direction of the board, sized to enclose the board therein, and containing an atmosphere for conditioning the board such that the lead-free solder material adhering to the board is in a completely molten condition; and a cooling chamber located downstream of said conditioning chamber in the transferring direction of the board, and including a cooling unit for cooling the board such that the lead-free solder material adhering to the board is cooled to solidify.