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Types of Soldering Stations & How to Choose a Soldering Station

September 8, 2022/0 Comments/in News /by Longlive Jewelry

一、What is a soldering station

What is soldering station

The soldering station is a manual soldering tool commonly used in the circuit board soldering process of electronic products. It welds two workpieces through the thermal melting and fusion of filler solder (usually tin wire).

二、What are the common types of soldering stations

Types of Soldering Stations

1.Constant temperature soldering station

The constant temperature electric soldering station has two kinds of circuits: temperature control circuit and temperature digital display circuit. It is a manual soldering tool that works at low voltage. It has the functions of adjustable temperature, constant temperature and anti-static. The soldering tip of the constant temperature soldering station is a relatively delicate, small and thin tip, which is especially suitable for manual soldering of micro and small electronic components. It’s specially designed with fixed temperature screw to prevent the staff from misadjusting the temperature when soldering because of low efficiency. It is easy to cause problems such as over-soldering.

2.Hot air soldering station

The working principle of the hot air soldering station is quite simple. The compressor produces a flow of air, which is heated to a certain temperature as it spirals through the heating element. The airflow from the heat gun is directed to the soldering area. Compared with the constant temperature soldering station, it is equipped with an extra hot air gun to facilitate the desoldering, and the control temperature is also about 200 ℃ ~ 480 ℃. The hot air soldering station is widely used for repairing mobile phones and household appliances. Any such workstation is powerful enough to operate with lead and lead-free solder alloys. However, they also have limitations in application. This soldering station cannot be used for soldering/desoldering of large BGA chips.

3.High frequency lead-free soldering station

The high-frequency lead-free soldering station is an upgraded product of the constant temperature soldering station, which abandons the resistive ceramic heating element used by the traditional temperature-controlled soldering iron and replaced it by the principle of high-frequency eddy current heating (induction heating principle). Like the constant temperature soldering station, the high frequency lead-free soldering station is widely used. From the maintenance of common electronic appliances to electronic integrated circuits and chips, the soldering station is used as a soldering tool. Compared with the constant temperature soldering station, the high frequency lead-free soldering station is generally using high-frequency eddy current heating, the heating and temperature recovery speed is fast, which can help achieve lead-free soldering, and the power is generally as high as 90W-200W.

三、How to choose a soldering station

How to choose a soldering station is not only a topic for novices, but also for experienced engineers and technicians. And now that the Internet is so advanced, it’s inundated with various advertising promotions and reviews, and the question of which soldering station supplier is the best has made it difficult for consumers to choose.

It’s no secret that modern devices, especially digital ones, are becoming more advanced and multifunctional every year, while their weight and size continue to decrease. This leads to difficulties in the assembly of electronic components during the manufacturing process and in repair and maintenance activities.

Soldering of PCB components in industry is done successfully by machines, but repair work is done by humans. Here, a successful outcome depends on the proficiency of the specialist and the equipment used. Since traditional soldering irons have become household tools, the soldering equipment market offers a wide range of professional soldering stations for repairing almost all modern equipment.

An electric soldering iron (soldering station) cannot be purchased with the traditional idea. The ordinary temperature-controlled electric soldering irons on the market, although marked as being able to be set to 400 degrees or higher, in fact, their heat capacity and temperature recovery ability are not enough to handle lead-free high-temperature soldering in the case of colder solder joints. During soldering, lead-free tin wire with a melting point higher than about 34°C has a relatively large heat dissipation capacity. If an ordinary temperature-controlled soldering station is used to solder without increasing the temperature (especially when the solder joint is large), it will cause tin burrs, virtual soldering and slow speed soldering due to insufficient heat energy replenishment. Therefore, in order to achieve a suitable soldering effect, it is necessary to increase the soldering temperature of the soldering iron accordingly, but it will bring many negative effects as well.

1.When soldering, we need to fill the solder to help soldering, but lead-free tin wire is easier to oxidize than leaded soldering wire, (leaded soldering wire will produce harmful elements after heating with high temperature),and the high temperature bringscatalysis, the higher the temperature, the faster the oxidation rate. So soldering at extremely high temperatures is very likely to cause mechanical contact virtual soldering (the solder does not form an intermetallic molten alloy layer between the workpieces to be soldered) and the gray solder joints.

2.Ideally, it doesn’t need to wait too long for the storage of the soldering temperatureandeliminate the storage of energy. Immediately add the energy obtained from the power source to the soldering place, which can not only avoid the loss of energy to the greatest extent but also achieve good soldering. But ordinary soldering irons cannot do that due to the slow heating speed. It can only achieve by increasing the temperature to store enough heat energy to ensure the temperature required by the soldering load, but the higher temperature will cause thermal shock to sensitive components, which will directly or indirectly affect the performance of the circuit and the performance of the entire circuit board. In severe cases, it may be scrapped.

3.Economically developed electronics factories, especially optoelectronic product factories will have strict control over the setting of the soldering temperature. It’s better to set lower temperature on the premise of meetingsoldering conditions. Therefore, the higher temperature cannot meet the soldering requirements set by the factory.

4.Therefore, when purchasing a soldering station (soldering iron), you must ensure three points first:

1）Ensure that the soldering temperature is about 350°C

2）Ensure that the soldering speed is 3-4 seconds for one solder joint

3）For security assurance, be sure to choosea soldering stationwith brand, here are some better brands recommended: JBC, HAKKO, AIXUN…..

How to Use a Soldering Station？

September 8, 2022/0 Comments/in News /by Longlive Jewelry

一.What is a soldering station

Soldering station is a multi-purpose power supply soldering equipment specially designed for electronic component soldering. Soldering stations are widely used in electronic repair shops, electronic laboratories and industrial fields. Sometimes it is also used for simple home soldering for hobbyists.

How a soldering station works: Two workpieces are soldered together by applying heat to the solder (usually tin wire) for melting. The temperature control of the soldering station is very important when it is working. However, there are many ways to control the temperature of the soldering station, but the simplest one is the adjustable power control. The soldering station quickly transfers heat to the workpiece through the soldering iron to control the temperature. Another method is to use a thermostat to control the temperature by turning the power on or off. There is also a more advanced solution, which uses an integrated chip to detect the temperature of the soldering iron tip, and then adjusts the power of the thermostat to control the temperature. When the temperature of the soldering iron tip is lower than the set temperature, the host is turned on, and the power is supplied to the thermostat to generate heat. When the temperature of the soldering iron tip is higher than the set temperature, the host is turned off and stops heating. This method has relatively high requirements for soldering personnel, and must be operated by people who know some techniques.

二.Composition of the soldering station

How to Use a Soldering Station

1.Soldering iron handle

The soldering iron consists of insulating material, heating core and soldering iron tip. A soldering iron is a pen that a welder uses to solder on a circuit board. It reconciles solder and flux, and integrates the relationship between various electronic components and circuit boards under precise operation, which can be soldered or desoldered. It is precisely because of its magical effect that a circuit gradually becomes a reality from an idea.

2.Soldering iron tip

The soldering iron tip is the heat-conducting component of the soldering station. The main component of the tip is copper, which accounts for about 85% of the overall material. The good thermal conductivity of copper is conducive to the rapid heating of the soldering iron tip.

3.Soldering iron stand

The soldering iron stand is used to temporarily hold the handle away from flammable materials. The soldering iron stand usually has a wet sponge or a yellow steel ball to clean the impurities from the soldering iron tip.

4.Soldering station

In addition to the stand, it usually comes with a number of other tools that connect to the main unit via transformers, lights, power supplies, and other controls. One or more tools such as soldering iron, heat gun, desoldering gun, infrared heating element, patch thermal tweezers may be provided.That is to say, it is versatile and recommended for complex soldering tasks in electronics labs and electronics repair shops.

三.How to use a soldering station

1) Insert the power cord of the soldering station into the socket and turn on the power switch. At this time, you will see that the temperature number on the display of the soldering station will increase with time, just wait for the temperature to reach between 300°C and 400°C.

2) Adjust the temperature according to the soldering needs. If it is the soldering of plug-in capacitors, the recommended temperature range: 330-370°C, 350°C is the most suitable. If it is the soldering of chip capacitors, 300-320 ℃ is enough. It will also affects the soldering if the temperature is too high. If large components are to be soldered, the soldering temperature should not exceed 380°C.

3) During the soldering process, first tin the upper layer of the soldering tip, then use the soldering tip to heat the solder joints, and then feed the solder.

4) For lines that are difficult to solder, a small amount of flux can be used. Proper use can improve the quality and efficiency of soldering. Rosin can be used appropriately when there are lines that are difficult to solder.

5)Align the components with the parts to be soldered, and pay attention that whether the PCB pads are aligned and whether the functional areas are placed correctly to avoid reverse connection of components. After soldering is complete, wait for a while to see if the components are fully soldered.

(6) In order to ensure that the solder joints are in good contact with the motherboard, use an electric soldering iron to repair the virtual solder joints after soldering, and separate the short circuits.

(7) After the soldering is completed, turn off the power supply, place the tip on the soldering handle, and unplug the power plug when the temperature is zero.

四.Soldering Station Precautions

Pay attention to the following points when using the hot air soldering station:

The ground wire must be connected to avoid static electricity.
Do not touch the tip of the soldering iron and its surrounding metal parts.
Do not use a soldering iron tip near flammable objects.
Make a “safety sign”. Soldering iron tip is very easy to burn, which may cause dangerous accidents.
Turn off the power during breaks or after work. (Soldering iron idle for more than 30 minutes)
Turning off the power and wait for the soldering iron tip to cool before replacing parts or installing a soldering iron tip.
Please put the handle on the stand when not in use to prevent other problems after touching it.
Remember to tin on the surface of the tip for the convenient for next use.

Soldering station Vs soldering iron, which one is better?

March 13, 2020/0 Comments/in News /by Longlive Jewelry

Soldering station and soldering iron are tools that are often used in electronic repair and assembly, but many people often confuse soldering station and electric soldering iron, and do not understand the difference between them? Today, AWEShine will explain to you the relevant knowledge of soldering station and electric soldering iron!

What is soldering station?

A soldering station is a hand tool commonly used in electronic soldering processes to weld two workpieces together by applying heat to the solder paste (usually referred to as tin wire), causing it to melt.

The structure of the soldering station: The soldering station is generally composed of a console, a handle (composed of insulating material, a heating core and a soldering iron head), and a soldering iron frame.

What is soldering iron?

The electric soldering iron in the general sense is what we call a single-handle electric soldering iron. In terms of materials, there are electric soldering irons with wooden handles, electric soldering irons with plastic handles, etc.

The structure of electric soldering iron: electric soldering iron consists of handle, connecting rod, spring clip, soldering iron core, soldering iron tip and other parts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Soldering Stations & Soldering Irons

Advantages of Soldering Stations

In essence, the soldering station is also a kind of electric soldering iron. It is only a new welding tool that appeared in the development of electronic welding due to the development requirements of welding technology. Therefore, many people still call the soldering station an electric soldering iron. The soldering station has been greatly developed in function and has become a common tool in electronic assembly and maintenance. If you often solder on a fixed tabletop, the advantages of the soldering station are obvious.

The soldering station has a power switch, which is turned on when it is used and turned off when not in use. It’s as simple as turning on and off the lights.
There are indicator lights. If you forget to turn off the soldering station, from a few meters away, you can see at a glance whether the soldering station is still working.
With constant temperature and temperature adjustment functions, the soldering iron head is not easy to burn and has a long life.
The temperature return is relatively fast. Desoldering the electrolytic capacitors on the computer motherboard with soldering station is fine. A soldering station can be used as a 30W soldering iron or a 60W soldering iron.

Disadvantages of Soldering Stations

The price is relatively expensive, and the brands on the market are mixed. It is important to purchase a soldering station from a reliable manufacturer.
The soldering station is relatively heavy. Compared with the electric soldering iron, it is not particularly convenient to carry. However, considering its reliability, the weight of about 600g is not a particularly big problem.

Advantages and disadvantages of soldering iron

Ordinary electric soldering iron has the advantage of being portable and relatively cheap. The disadvantage is that the operator’s welding technology requirements are relatively high.

Soldering station or soldering iron, which is better?

Efficiency: The efficiency of the constant temperature soldering station is relatively high, the thermal efficiency can reach about 80%, and the soldering iron is generally around 50%.
Energy consumption: The energy consumption of the constant temperature soldering station is relatively low, because when the adjusted temperature is reached, the heating is not performed, and the corresponding energy consumption is low, that is to say, the same welding effect, the soldering station consumes less electricity;
Temperature recovery: the temperature recovery speed of the soldering station is faster, and the corresponding workers have higher work efficiency;

Generally speaking, workers or engineers who can use ordinary soldering irons can easily use the soldering station. Workers or engineers who are used to soldering stations may can not use ordinary soldering irons. Whether you buy a soldering station or a soldering iron, you still have to choose according to your own situation.

Shenzhen AWEShine Intelligent Hardware Co.,Ltd is a professional manufacturer of soldering stations, soldering equipment and one-stop electric soldering consumables. If you need to purchase soldering stations, please feel free to contact [email protected] .