News | September 15, 2010

Complete Soldering Solutions From Balver Zinn

1

Balver Zinn specialises in the production of solders, high-quality anodes of various alloys and specialty wires for applications in the electronics industry and surface finishing.

Operating from the relative tranquillity of the town of Balve, in Sauerland region of Germany, Balver Zinn Josef Jost GmbH & Co. KG is one of the world's leading manufacturers of solders, high-quality anodes, alloys and specialty wires for the electronics industry and surface finishing applications. In 2007, the company merged with Dutch enterprise Cobar Europe B.V., which paved the way for future expansion by way of providing complete soldering solutions.

Balver Zinn Josef Jost GmbH & Co. KG was originally formed in the late 1900s as a metal processing company. The portfolio shifted toward soldering materials in the second half of the 20th century; in 1976, a new production and office facility was erected in Balve. Ten years later, a zinc foundry was built in addition to a new office complex in Balve's Garbeck quarter.

The company heralded in the new millennium with its certification in compliance with the DIN 14001 environmental standard. Finally, Balver Zinn and Cobar Europe joined forces in 2007. A third-generation family business, Balver Zinn is currently led by Josef and Gregor Jost. With around one hundred members of staff, the company generates an annual turnover of approximately fifty million Euros.

Balver Zinn specialises in the production of solders, high-quality anodes of various alloys and specialty wires for applications in the electronics industry and surface finishing. In fact, lead-free products have become one of the company's core competences. Moreover, Balver Zinn is a market leader in the field of galvanised anodes made of block tin or tin-lead, special tin and tin-lead wires and supplies solders suitable for all standard applications - from wave soldering to manual soldering and with all kinds of lead-free alloys.

Since 2002, Balver Zinn has manufactured and marketed the patented lead-free SN100C solder as well as other solders and paste solders in the SN line exclusively for the European market under licence of its Japanese cooperation partner, Nihon Superior. The stabilised tin-copper eutectic SN100C is ideally suited for lead-free wave soldering of electronics components.

Stabilisation improves the structure of the tin-copper solder and the mechanical and technical soldering properties. A water-based flux product completes Balver Zinn's product portfolio for lead-free soldering, positioning the com-pany as a one-stop-shop for complete soldering solutions and processes.

Balver Zinn also boasts comprehensive expertise in assisting its customers in the changeover to lead-free soldering, having been involved in technical committees and trade panels for many years; its experts are frequently called upon as lecturers at events concerned with lead-free soldering in the electronics industry. Furthermore, expert consulting is offered in the area of storage, transport logistics and recycling of metal waste and scraps. One of Balver Zinn's special services covers supply of recycling containers as required by law in production environments.

Thomas Kolossa, European Sales & Support Manager, is our first interview partner: "We serve a worldwide customer base, mainly throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and the United States. Some of the major names we serve include Thyssen Krupp Stahl, Epcos, Würth Elektronik, Fuba, Miele, Vogt Elektronik, Vishay or Nissei Arcotronics. Our export rate currently stands at 40%, although Germany is our single biggest market."

Melanie Schulte, Marketing Manager continues: "Our customers are active in industries such as electronics, automotive components, photovoltaics, shipbuilding, wind energy, electroplating and metal processing."

Balver Zinn markets its products and services through trade fairs like SMT Hybrid in Nuremberg or Productronica in Munich as well as various solar exhibitions.

SOURCE: Balver Zinn