Method for clamping a circuit component to a printed circuit board before soldering

The present invention is generally directed to the manufacture of printed circuit boards and, in particular, to a fixture for facilitating the manufacture of printed circuit boards bearing surface-mounted (i.e., SMT) components. A fixture for aligning the leads of SMT components with the corresponding pads of the printed circuit board, which is to receive such components, before soldering the leads to the pads. The fixture includes clamps for applying forces directly to the leads of the SMT components, alone or in conjunction with the clamping forces which are traditionally applied to the body of the component, the applied forces sufficient to seat the leads on the corresponding pads. In a preferred embodiment, the forces are applied by providing the fixture with a series of rocker-type clamps, each having an edge for engaging the several leads associated with a particular SMT component to be joined to the printed circuit board. The clamp is preferably constructed of a non-wettable material so that the edge of the clamp will not be wet by the molten solder during the soldering procedure, and the edge is preferably thin so that the clamping surface in contact with a particular lead is minimized. Openings are provided in the clamp, above each of the leads of the SMT component, to allow radiant and convective heat transfer to and from each of the solder joints. Such clamping allows SMT components to be wave soldered or soldered in a reflow oven.