Your Guide to Soldering Stations, and Soldering Equipment

What Is a Soldering Station?

A soldering station

Figure 1: A soldering station

Soldering is at the heart of electrical engineering, and a soldering station makes the soldering process seamless. When an engineer joins electronic components, he has to make good solder connections through proper soldering techniques.

A soldering station offers more control and flexibility when soldering as it comes with multiple soldering tools and adjustable temperature settings for different soldering tasks. Simply put, a soldering station is an all-in-one device with everything anyone would need to complete a soldering project.

Table of contents

A brief introduction to soldering

Soldering is melting the solder on two metals to join them. A great example is the copper wires joined together on a circuit board of an electronic device.

There are three types of solder; lead-based, lead-free, and flux. It is typically an alloy of tin and other metals, such as copper-tin or lead-tin. Soldering tools like the soldering iron have their copper cores tipped with iron. Today, lead-free solders have become more common and are replacing lead-based solders. In fact, in 2006, consumer products containing lead were banned in China, the EU, and California.

The iron is heated to high temperatures above 600⁰F or 316⁰C, causing the solder to melt. It then cools on the metals to create a permanent electrical joint, which can only be removed using a desoldering tool.

What is a soldering station?

A soldering station is an electrical device used for soldering tasks. It comprises soldering tools connected to the control unit, desoldering tools, soldering tip cleaners, holders, stands, and other accessories.

The control unit consists of temperature adjustment knobs, display areas, and an electrical transformer.

  1. Soldering iron tip – The tip is made of copper for efficient heat transfer and coated with iron for durability. The tip is heated to high temperatures, and then it is used to melt the solder.
  2. Foam grip – The thermal insulation foam grip reduces the heat sensation on the handle as one is soldering. It's an essential part of the soldering iron as soldering involves heating metal to a high temperature of around 316⁰C (600⁰F).
  3. Holder or stand - It holds the soldering iron when it's no longer in use. It ensures safety for the people around and reduces any chance of an accident, especially when the soldering iron is still hot.
  4. Temperature adjustment knob – Excess temperature can damage the components of the soldering station and weaken the soldering tip. The temperature adjustment knobs control the temperature such that it's at the recommended temperature of 316⁰C (600⁰F).
  5. Display area– It displays the temperature of the soldering iron so that the technician is aware of the temperature at all times.
  6. Desoldering tool – Removes solder from the joined metals so it can be reworked. It's an essential tool during soldering if one needs to correct an already soldered area.
  7. Power switch– Use it to switch on power to heat the soldering iron, and switch it off when you are done soldering.

Types of soldering stations

Soldering stations are either analog or digital, depending on their mode of operation. An analog soldering station has a heating element that heats the soldering iron tip to the recommended temperature and then goes off. With time, the iron cools off to a specific limit where the heating element is triggered to heat the iron tip again.

A digital soldering station has a Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) controller within its microprocessor to regulate the temperatures. A digital soldering station is more precise and controls the temperature automatically, unlike the analog soldering station, where you must adjust the temperature using an adjustment knob. A digital soldering station will be the best option if you work on a soldering project that requires high accuracy.

Other types of soldering stations include:

  • Tin/Lead soldering stations – contact soldering stations that use lead-based or tin-based solder alloys for soldering.
  • Lead-free soldering stations – contact soldering stations that use lead-free alloys, which may contain metals like silver, bismuth, antimony, copper, tin, zinc, and indium for soldering.
  • Induction soldering stations – They use the concept of Curie temperature to induce soldering at high temperatures.
  • Infrared soldering stations – non-contact soldering stations that focus heat on one area and complete the soldering process within seconds.
  • Hot air soldering stations – They have hot air guns with special nozzles that streamline the hot air on the parts on which you are working. They are mainly used for disassembling purposes.

How to solder using a soldering station

A soldering station is easy to use. Here are some steps to go about it.

Step 1 – Prepare the workspace.

Before any soldering begins, the workspace must be clear and fire-proof. Assemble all the accessories needed during the soldering process and employ personal protective safety measures like wearing eyeglasses, long-sleeved shirts and pants, closed-toed shoes, and face shields.

Step 2 – Choose a preferred soldering iron tip and ensure its cleaned

Soldering stations have interchangeable and replaceable tips to allow for different soldering projects. Choose a soldering tip that goes well with the application you are soldering, such that it's not too big or too small.

If the soldering tip is too big, it can spread too much heat to other areas of the project that you didn't intend to heat and end up causing problems. On the other hand, a small tip will be less effective and create weak solder joints.

Step 3 – Adjust the temperature.

Rotate the temperature adjustment knob to the preferred temperature. 600⁰F or 316⁰C is best for small surface mounts standard in general applications when using lead-based solder and 700⁰F or 371⁰C when using lead-free solder.

Step 4 – Add solder to the tip.

Apply some solder at the tip of the soldering iron, being careful not to apply too much of it. If any excess solder hangs on the tip, you can wipe it off on the wet sponge.

Step 5 – Start soldering.

Solder the parts at a slight contact angle, creating a fillet shape at the soldered point. Check to ensure no cracks or pinholes on the soldered area. A good solder will appear natural with a glossy shine and visible lines.

Soldering a circuitboard

Figure 2: Soldering a circuitboard

Applications of soldering

Soldering is mainly used in electrical engineering to join electrical components in electronics. Other soldering applications include:

  • Plumbing – to join pipes and fittings
  • Automobiles – to join radiator cores in automobiles
  • Electrical industries – to join cables and wires to lugs

Soldering stations are preferred for most soldering tasks because of the different tools that come with them and the flexibility in temperature regulation.

Soldering station selection criteria

The soldering station you use affects the overall outcome of the soldered pieces. You have to consider a few factors so that you can select a soldering station that works well to meet your soldering needs.

Here are some of the considerations to make:

  1. Type of the soldering station – Choose whether to use the digital or analog soldering station keeping in mind their differences in temperature control and accuracy.
  2. The power needed– The wattage for soldering stations ranges from 40-80 watts, and higher wattage allows you to work faster.
  3. Heating element– You can choose whether to use ceramic or nichrome heating elements as they both behave differently when heating. For example, Nichrome is resistant to heat and may heat up slower than ceramic, which heats us fast.
  4. Standards for lead-free soldering – Consider using lead-free components according to the standards for soldering materials.
  5. Temperature adjustment range – It should be wide enough to allow you to solder on larger components that may require more heat.

FAQs

What is the use of a soldering station?

A soldering station is used as a control for the soldering iron. It has temperature control, holders for the soldering iron, and other accessories that make the soldering process more manageable.

Is soldering the same as welding?

Both soldering and welding join pieces of metal, but they are different. Soldering happens at lower temperatures to join smaller metal pieces compared to welding that works at higher temperatures to join larger metal pieces.

Does solder carry current?

Solder creates a conducive environment for current, which is why it's used to connect electrical appliances. The solder is an excellent electrical conductor and allows current flow through the joined metals.