Solder Pallets with Titanium Inserts
A solder pallet with titanium inserts pays for itself where the ribs of a conventional composite pallet wear out too quickly. The base body is still composite, but around the openings – exactly where the solder bath repeatedly and directly touches the material – a Titanium Grade 2 insert takes the load.
Titanium suits this job because solder does not wet it, it tolerates thermal load well, and it holds its shape even in thin sections. That makes opening geometries feasible which could not be produced durably in plain composite.
When is a titanium insert worth it?
- Thin ribs – only a few millimetres of material left between openings
- High volume – the pallet runs across several shifts a day
- Dense opening patterns – typical of selective soldering
- Repeated replacement – if you have to replace the same pallet several times a year
If you are unsure whether titanium inserts are worth it, send us a photo of your current pallet and show us where it wears. From experience we can tell you where the problem starts and how much longer a service life to expect.
How the pallet is built
The base body is made from composite (Durostone or Ricocel), and we mill the pocket for the insert into it. The Titanium Grade 2 insert is fitted precisely and fixed in place, after which the openings are machined on the fully assembled pallet. This keeps the openings in the insert and in the base body perfectly aligned, with no step in the path of the solder wave.
On larger pallets, anodised aluminium stiffeners complete the structure and prevent warping under thermal load.
Titanium Grade 2
Grade 2 is the most widely used grade of commercially pure titanium: it welds and machines well and has excellent corrosion resistance. In solder pallets we use it primarily because molten solder does not adhere to it, so openings stay clear and the maintenance demand of the pallet drops. The material data sheet is available for download below.
Frequently asked questions
How much more expensive is a titanium insert pallet?
Titanium inserts raise the tooling price, but multiply the service life of the pallet. In continuous, high-volume production this usually pays back quickly. We can quote both versions so you can compare.
Can titanium inserts be retrofitted into an existing composite pallet?
That depends on the condition and geometry of the pallet. If the ribs are already worn, a new pallet is usually the better option – we measure the existing part and rebuild the model from it, so the new titanium insert version can be made even without the original PCB data.
Do titanium inserts affect solder joint quality?
The point of the insert is precisely that the opening geometry stays unchanged over the long run. Since solder does not wet titanium, openings do not narrow through build-up, so the soldering result stays more consistent across the life of the pallet.
Request a quote
Send us the drawing or the PCB data and we will come back to you within one working day with pricing and lead time.
