Surface-mount technology dominates modern PCB assembly, but through-hole technology (THT) is far from obsolete. Leaded components offer superior mechanical retention for connectors subject to repeated mating, high-power devices that dissipate significant heat, and transformers or large capacitors that must withstand vibration and physical stress. In mixed-technology boards, a dependable through-hole assembly service ensures that the plug-in portions of a board are soldered with the same consistency and inspection rigor as the SMT portions.
The challenge for buyers is finding a partner that can handle both technologies under one roof, with controlled processes rather than ad-hoc hand soldering. That is where a structured wave soldering operation makes the difference between a board that passes incoming inspection and one that fails in the field.
Wave soldering is a batch soldering process in which a loaded PCB travels across a conveyor over a molten solder wave. The process is designed to form reliable, gas-tight joints on through-hole leads in a single pass, making it far more efficient than manual soldering for volume production.
Contact time, wave height, conveyor speed, and solder temperature must be tuned to the specific board design. A capable manufacturer documents these parameters for each product and repeats them consistently from the first board to the last.
Not every factory that offers plug-in welding runs a controlled line. A reliable dip plug-in welding service is distinguished by trained and certified operators, dedicated work-in-process areas, and sampling-based quality control throughout the process. At Farway Electronic in LongGang, Shenzhen, the DIP through-hole operation runs on two plug-in lines supported by two wave-soldering machines, 24 rear-welding stations, and a board-washing machine, with plug-in AOI, IPQC sampling, and QA release gating each batch.
The published process flow runs from component forming and insertion, through wave soldering, lead cutting, repair welding, and board washing, to functional testing. This end-to-end integration means through-hole boards leave the line already verified, not simply soldered and shipped.
Equipment selection drives soldering quality. Farway operates Nitto wave-soldering equipment alongside Yamaha medium- and high-speed placement machines and Jintuo ten-zone reflow ovens for the SMT side, allowing true mixed-technology production. The process-capability envelope supports rigid, flexible, and rigid-flex boards from 1 to 32 layers, with maximum PCBA board size of 510 mm × 460 mm, board thickness from 0.2 mm to 8 mm, and placement down to 01005 components with 0.2 mm BGA pitch.
| Parameter | Farway Published Capability |
|---|---|
| Board types | Rigid, flexible, rigid-flex; 1–32 layers |
| Max PCBA size | 510 mm × 460 mm |
| Board thickness | 0.2 mm – 8 mm |
| Placement capability | 01005; BGA pitch 0.2 mm; QFN, CSP |
| Order volume | Prototype from 1 piece to large batches |
For buyers, this means a single partner can take a mixed-technology board from bare laminate to a soldered, tested assembly without the risk and lead-time penalty of splitting SMT and through-hole work across multiple vendors. Combined with smt pcb assembly and downstream finished product assembly service, the supply chain stays short and traceable.
Wave soldering quality cannot be judged by the solder joint alone. The system behind it, the certifications, the inspection regime, and the traceability, is what keeps results repeatable across thousands of boards. Farway operates under ISO 9001, ISO 13485 for medical devices, IATF 16949 for automotive, and ISO 14001 for environmental management, with UL, RoHS, SGS, and REACH within its product-certification scope. PCBA assembly is performed to the IPC-A-610 standard.
The inspection chain includes SPI solder-paste inspection, AOI, FAI first-article inspection, X-ray, ICT, plug-in visual inspection, thermal imaging, high- and low-temperature reliability testing, and FCT functional testing. For buyers in transportation, new energy, security, medical, and communications markets, this breadth of testing means defects are caught at the factory, not after installation. Farway also publishes a one-year free-repair commitment for eligible non-external defects arising during standard customer use.
The real value of a well-run wave soldering line emerges when it is embedded in a complete manufacturing chain. Farway's 2,000-square-metre workshop in Shenzhen links PCB fabrication, component sourcing and management, SMT, DIP through-hole welding, conformal coating, low-pressure injection moulding, PCBA testing, and box-build assembly. This lets a customer move from prototype to medium and large volumes with the same engineering team and the same quality system throughout.
For mixed-technology boards, the one-stop smt + dip assembly service eliminates the hand-offs that typically introduce delays, miscommunication, and uncontrolled rework. Component procurement is managed against customer BOMs for sourcing risk, incoming inspection, and first-in-first-out anti-static storage, so the parts entering the wave soldering line are already verified.
When evaluating a through-hole manufacturing partner, look beyond price per joint. Ask whether the line is documented and repeatable, whether operators are trained and certified, whether inspection covers both process and function, and whether the facility can scale from prototype to production without re-qualification. Confirm the certifications relevant to your industry, whether IATF 16949 for automotive, ISO 13485 for medical, or IPC-A-610 for general electronics, and request traceability records that tie each board back to its materials and parameters.
Farway Electronic has served more than 100 industry customers across more than 20 countries and regions since its establishment in 2018, supporting transportation, new energy, security, medical, communication, and other electronic product fields. For OEMs and EMS buyers who need through-hole boards soldered right the first time, that track record, backed by certified processes and integrated testing, is the practical measure of a dependable wave soldering partner.
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