Is a reflow oven worth it?
Yes, they are absolutely worth it. Solder paste, stencils, and a DIY reflow oven is really the only way you will be able to reliably solder packages like QFNs and LGAs. If you are good you can also do BGAs. A $5000 reflow oven may be better, but it is just not worth the price.
What is a solder plate?
Solder Plate is usually 63/37 Tin Lead alloy, for your info the eutectic or melting point is 182c far below the 250c requirement. He needs to specify the alloy required which will change the melting point.
Can a reflow oven be called an oven?
There are several different reflow methods to liquefy solder in a controlled way and not all of them can literally be called “ovens”. For instance, the simplest form of heating is performed by conduction, that is, by contact with a heated surface such as a hot plate.
How much does it cost to reflow a hot plate?
Hot Plate Reflowing (winner!) Hand soldering is cheap (no extra equipment needed). You will need a decent iron, but nothing else. $100 is pretty standard for an iron although $50-$2000 is possible. New users to soldering SMD devices are always intimidated by soldering itty-bitty leads. Believe you me, it can all be hand soldered.
What are the pros and cons of a reflow oven?
Pros: Economical production system for >100 boards/day; will typically accommodate board sizes up to 12”x12”; offers precise control of ramp temperatures to handle most common leaded and lead-free soldering profiles; can be reconfigured easily to run different board profiles, an important feature for contract manufacturers.
Is the temperature sensor on a reflow oven soldered?
The PCB temperature sensor (the “external” sensor) is a K-type thermocouple with semi-rigid wires. The sensor can be taped onto a PCB, but should not be soldered. In some reflow ovens, the PCBs are snapped in a frame that touches the PCB only on the edges.