Raspberry Pi Improves Manufacturing With Intrusive Reflow Soldering, Reduces Returns by Half

Raspberry Pi has significantly improved its manufacturing process by adopting intrusive reflow soldering, a technique that enables both surface-mount and through-hole components to be soldered in a single step. Previously, through-hole components like GPIO headers, USB, and Ethernet ports required a separate wave soldering process after surface-mount parts were completed. This dual-stage process was more time-consuming and contributed to potential defects. By partnering with Sony and modifying component placement and solder stencils, Raspberry Pi now applies solder paste to both surface pads and through-hole connectors before sending the entire board through a reflow oven. This streamlining has led to a 50% reduction in product returns, a 15% boost in production speed, and an annual carbon dioxide reduction of 43 metric tons. Though intrusive reflow soldering is not new, its successful implementation at this scale for Raspberry Pi boards—particularly the Raspberry Pi 5—has had a measurable impact. These changes not only improved reliability but also reduced manufacturing complexity and environmental impact. The report highlights how even experienced manufacturers can benefit from re-evaluating and refining their assembly techniques.