Raspberry Pi says intrusive reflow soldering helped it cut product returns by 50%, manufacturing time by 15%, and annual production CO₂ emissions by 43 tonnes. The company introduced the connector process with manufacturing partner Sony ahead of Raspberry Pi 5; its April 2025 account says it was standard on Raspberry Pi 5 computers, while rollout to earlier models was still in progress.
What is intrusive reflow soldering?
Intrusive reflow is a way to solder through-hole connectors using a reflow process and the pick-and-place equipment already used to position components on a circuit board. A through-hole connector has leads that pass through holes in the printed circuit board (PCB), so it needs solder joints that secure those leads through the board.
Raspberry Pi says its earlier connector workflow required separate placement and a later wave-soldering stage. Working with Sony, it developed a process that let the company remove those connector-specific operations and use its existing pick-and-place line. The company describes the change as removing selective or wave soldering from the production flow. Raspberry Pi’s account of the process explains the production change.
How did Raspberry Pi improve production quality?
Raspberry Pi connected the change to both the mechanical quality of connector joints and a simpler production flow. In its September 2023 Raspberry Pi 5 announcement, the company described intrusive reflow as a manufacturing innovation intended to improve connector mechanical quality, increase throughput, and remove selective or wave soldering from the production process. The announcement places the work among other Raspberry Pi 5 manufacturing changes at Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, South Wales. The Raspberry Pi 5 announcement also mentions fully routed panel singulation for cleaner board edges and a new production-test approach.
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Does Raspberry Pi 5 use a different soldering process?
Yes. Raspberry Pi’s 2025 article says intrusive reflow became the standard connector-soldering method for all Raspberry Pi 5 computers. It also said the company was working to extend the method to earlier models. That statement describes the rollout as of 29 April 2025; it does not establish whether or when earlier models were subsequently converted.
Older connector workflow compared with intrusive reflow
| Production aspect | Earlier workflow, as Raspberry Pi describes it | Intrusive reflow, as Raspberry Pi describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Connector placement and soldering | Separate connector placement followed by wave soldering. | Pick-and-place equipment positions connectors for reflow soldering, avoiding the separate connector-specific placement and soldering operations. |
| Production-line flow | A separate selective or wave-solder stage was part of the flow. | That separate stage was removed, and Raspberry Pi says work-in-process inventory was eliminated. |
| Reported manufacturing time | Not stated as a baseline in Raspberry Pi’s 29 April 2025 article. | Raspberry Pi reports manufacturing time fell by 15%; the article does not provide a detailed measurement method. |
| Reported product returns | Not stated as a baseline in Raspberry Pi’s 29 April 2025 article. | Raspberry Pi reports product returns fell by 50%; the article does not provide a detailed measurement method. |
| Reported production emissions | The article does not quantify emissions for the earlier workflow. | Raspberry Pi reports avoiding 43 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year after removing the selective solder bath. |
What results does Raspberry Pi report?
In its 29 April 2025 account, Raspberry Pi attributes four outcomes to the change: a 50% reduction in product returns, a 15% reduction in manufacturing time, elimination of work-in-process inventory, and 43 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided per year following removal of the selective solder bath.
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These are Raspberry Pi’s own reported results, not figures from an independent audit described in the cited account. The article does not provide a full measurement method or a detailed comparison baseline, so the percentages and emissions figure should be read as company-reported outcomes rather than independently verified measurements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means for Raspberry Pi users
This is a manufacturing change, not a modification owners can make to an existing board. It concerns how Raspberry Pi and its manufacturing partner build computers, particularly the Raspberry Pi 5 production line. It may matter to buyers as an example of a production-quality initiative, but it does not change how users install, configure, or operate a Raspberry Pi.
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