Despite the industry's shift toward miniaturization, through-hole components are far from obsolete. Their leads pass entirely through the PCB and are soldered on the opposite side, creating a mechanical bond that surface-mount attachments alone cannot match. This makes through-hole assembly the preferred choice for parts subjected to physical stress, thermal cycling, or high-vibration environments — common conditions in automotive electronics, industrial equipment, and power systems.
For products that combine both surface-mount and through-hole components, a one-stop smt + dip assembly service streamlines the entire production cycle. Rather than coordinating multiple vendors for SMT placement and DIP soldering, a single manufacturer with both capabilities can manage the full assembly sequence under one roof — from solder paste printing and reflow through to wave soldering and final testing.
Wave soldering is an automated batch soldering process designed specifically for through-hole components. A conveyor system carries the populated PCB through a series of controlled stages:
This process lies at the heart of any professional dip plug-in assembly operation, where consistency across hundreds or thousands of boards depends on tightly controlled parameters at every stage.
Wave soldering is not a set-and-forget process. Several variables must be dialed in and continuously monitored:
These parameters interact with one another — a change in alloy temperature may require an adjustment to conveyor speed, which in turn affects flux activation. This is why experienced process engineers and well-maintained equipment are essential for achieving repeatable results in high quality through-hole soldering.
Soldering is only one link in the chain. A robust wave soldering pcb assembly service integrates inspection and testing at multiple points to catch defects before they reach the customer. At Farway Electronic, the DIP production line incorporates plug-in AOI for automated solder-joint inspection, IPQC and QA sampling during processing, and functional testing after board washing.
The full through-hole process at Farway runs from component forming and insertion, through wave soldering on Nitto wave-soldering equipment, to lead cutting, repair welding, board washing, and functional testing. Two dedicated DIP plug-in production lines, two wave-soldering machines, and 24 rear-welding stations provide the capacity to handle both prototype builds and medium-to-large volume orders without bottlenecks.
When evaluating a reliable dip welding oem partner, certifications provide third-party validation that a factory's processes meet recognized quality benchmarks. Farway Electronic holds:
The IATF 16949 certification is particularly relevant for automotive electronics, where through-hole components on power and control boards must withstand vibration and thermal cycling over a vehicle's lifetime. ISO 13485 applies to medical device assemblies, where traceability and process consistency are non-negotiable. Farway assembles to IPC-A-610 standards for PCBA acceptance, ensuring that solder joints meet industry-defined criteria for wetting, fillet shape, and defect limits.
Working with an iso certified dip welding factory means that process documentation, material traceability, and corrective-action procedures are built into the manufacturing workflow — not added as an afterthought.
Most real-world PCBA designs mix surface-mount and through-hole components on the same board. When these processes are split across vendors, shipping boards between facilities introduces handling damage risk, extends lead times, and complicates accountability. A manufacturer that operates both SMT lines and DIP lines in the same facility can sequence the entire build — solder paste printing, pick-and-place, reflow, through-hole insertion, wave soldering, coating, and testing — without intermediate transit.
Farway Electronic operates two SMT production lines alongside its two DIP lines, plus a conformal-coating spraying line, four low-pressure injection moulding machines, and two finished-product assembly lines in a 2,000-square-metre workshop in LongGang, Shenzhen. This layout supports the full manufacturing chain from bare PCB production through box-build assembly, with component sourcing, BOM review, and engineering support integrated into the workflow. The company also offers through-hole soldering service as part of its broader DIP plug-in welding capability, covering everything from component forming to post-solder functional testing.
Before committing to a manufacturing partner for through-hole assembly, consider the following:
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