Soldering irons and soldering stations
- an overview about soldering irons and soldering stations, the points to
note when buying and using soldering equipment.
Even when automated methods for PCB assembly are used, there
is still the need for manual soldering and as a result soldering irons and
soldering stations are needed. When used in a electronics production
environment, it is essential that a high quality soldering iron or soldering
stations are used. By using the correct equipment any soldering or re-work can
be made to the highest standards. If inferior soldering irons or soldering
stations are used, then not only can there be an immediately noticed effect in
terms of obvious dry joints result, but there can also be long term effects
resulting from intermittent joints as well as problems resulting from effects
such as electro-static discharge.
Soldering iron
There is a very wide variety of soldering irons that can be
bought. These irons range from the very cheap types suited only for limited home
construction right up to highly sophisticated irons with many facilities. If the
iron is to be used for straightforward construction of electronic boards using
leaded then a straightforward mid range iron may be suitable.
There are a number of requirements that may be placed upon a
soldering iron. The main requirement is that the iron should be temperature
controlled. Simple irons do not have temperature control and their temperature
is maintained by the level of cooling that can vary according to many factors
ranging from the location, the temperature of the day, whether the iron is in a
draught, etc. Thus their temperature will only be approximately in the right
region for soldering.
Fully temperature controlled soldering irons have a
thermostat to control the temperature. This is also adjustable and enables the
soldering iron temperature to be set and maintained at the correct value.
Electro-static discharge, ESD
Electro-static discharge, ESD can cause major problems with
today's electronic equipment. Static that builds up on any item, if discharged
through an electronic circuit can damage the components, and in particular
integrated where the feature sizes may be only a few microns. Even comparatively
low static voltages can give rise to currents that can burn out the small
connections, or the voltages themselves can break down the thin oxide layers.
While ESD can cause an immediate failure, it can also cause latent defects where
the chip is weakened and this can lead to a defect in the field.
As a result of this any soldering equipment used for
electronics equipment these days must be protected against ESD so that it can be
used safely for soldering electronic equipment.
Soldering stations
One of the major elements that is always required in any
electronics production or PCB assembly area is the ability for re-work. There
will always be board failures and as a result, components need to e removed and
replaced. This needs to be done using skill and the right equipment so that no
damage is caused. While de-soldering tools are helpful a full solder station is
an essential item. The solder station comprises equipment for solder and
de-soldering. The de-soldering elements of the solder station normally comprise
a heated element with a central hole that is connected to a vacuum pump. In this
way the solder station can be used to effectively apply heat and remove the
solder from the joint. This means that a solder station will be the most
effective way of ensuring that any rework is undertaken with the minimum of risk
to the board.
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