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Types of Soldering Devices
A number of different types of soldering devices:
irons, guns and stations are available today. Irons
are used for light to medium work and guns are for
medium to heavy-duty work. The station type can
range from light to heavy-duty For working on PC
boards, irons ranging from 15 to 40 watts are
suitable, or a station with a range of 15 to 40 watts.
If you use an iron with a higher wattage rating than
40 watt, you may damage the copper tracks on the
PC board. The higher wattage irons are best suited
for heavy-duty electrical jobs.
Solder Tips
The tip is the very important part of the iron. The
material that the tip is made from is an essential
factor. The soldering iron tip contains four different
metals as shown in Figure 3. The core consists of
copper. Since the copper is a soft material, it is
plated with iron. Chrome plating is used on the area
where no soldering takes place to prevent oxidation.
Then the tip is plated with tin, because it can be
easily cleaned.
Today, tips are manufactured in a variety of different
shapes (see figure below). The chisel shape is one
of the most common. Having a choice of tip styles
allows you to choose the one best suited for your
soldering needs. Due to the high heat, removable
tips can bond themselves to the heating element if
left in place for extended periods of time. Periodic
removal of the tip is therefore advisable.
Tip Cleaning
A good clean solder tip makes soldering much
easier. The tip should be tinned by lightly coating it
with solder to prevent it from oxidizing. The tip can
become pitted (black spots) from normal use. It is
important to clean the tip by wiping it with a wet
sponge or rag. For tips that need a good cleaning,
the tip tinner and cleaner (#TTC1) should be used.
Never use a file or abrasive material to clean the
tip.
Using such methods will damage the plating and
ruin the tip. Do not remove the excess solder from
the tip before storing. The excess solder will prevent
oxidation.
Clean Connections
Proper solder adhesion requires that the metal
surface to be free of dirt and grease. The flux only
removes the oxides so a brush or rag can be used to
clean metal. There are contact cleaners in aerosol
cans and other solvents available.
Desoldering
Great care should be taken when repairing or
correcting a mistake on a PC board. The metal foil
can be easily pulled up or broken from excessive
heat. Use the least amount of heat as possible. You
can use a desoldering tool, bulb, wick or a station.
These tools will remove the solder enabling you to
correct the problem.
Soldering Iron
Soldering Gun
Soldering Station
Desoldering Pump
Bulb
Solder Wick
Copper
Chrome Plating
Iron Plating
Tin Plating
Figure 3
Desoldering Station
1/32”
1/64”
1/16”
1/8”
3/64”
