Mastering the Art of Soldering - EN r03

_ _ _ Mastering the Art of Soldering User Guide for the Plusivo Soldering Kit Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ _ _ Table of Contents Introduction Safety Precautions 2.1 Safety Summary Tools for Soldering and Desoldering 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Soldering Iron 3.3 The Solder Wire 3.4 The Desoldering Pump 3.5 The Soldering Wick 3.6 The Soldering Iron Stand 3.7 Tweezers 3.8 Soldering Iron Tip Set 3.9 Mini Wire Stripper Tool 3.10 Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 3.11 Digital Multimeter 4 7 8 9 10 10 Creating Awesome Soldering Joints 4.1 General Guidelines for Soldering 4.2 Soldering Through-Hole Technology (THT) Components 4.3 Preparations before Soldering 4.4 What To Do and Not To Do When Soldering 4.5 How To Solder THT Components 4.6 Common Solder Joint Issues 4.7 Soldering Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Components 4.8 Advanced Tricks for Soldering Surface Mount Devices 14 14 14 16 18 21 23 27 30 Mistake? Just desolder it! 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Preparations before Desoldering 5.3 How To Desolder 32 32 32 33 How to Solder Wires Together 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Preparing the Wires to be Soldered 6.3 Soldering the Wires Together 37 37 37 39 Soldering Tip Cleaning and Maintenance 7.1 Soldering Tip Cleaning 7.2 Soldering Tip Maintenance 41 41 42 Important Note: If something unusual happens or if you suspect that something is wrong or has malfunctioned, not anything with the product and immediately contact the seller For inquiries and assistance, please reach us via email address: office@plusivo.com To know more about our other products, please visit us in our official pages: www.plusivo.com https://www.facebook.com/plusivo/ Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ _ _ Plusivo Soldering Iron Kits Plusivo offers the following types of Soldering Iron Kits with the following differences in terms of content Basic Soldering Iron Kit Soldering Iron Kit 1pc Adjustable Temperature Soldering Iron 1pc Mini Soldering Iron Stand 1pc Mini Foam/Sponge 1pc Mini Wire Stripper Tool 1pc Tin Wire Solder Tube 1pc Desoldering Pump 2pcs Mini Screwdrivers 1pc Black 22 AWG Wire 1pc Red 22 AWG Wire set Heat Shrink tubes (total of 60 pcs) 2pcs Soldering Iron Tips (900MT model B, I) 1pc Curved Tweezers ESD-15 1pc Black Insulating Tape 1pc Adjustable Temperature Soldering Iron 1pc Soldering Iron Stand 1pc Mini Foam/Sponge 1pc Mini Wire Stripper 1pc Tin Wire Solder Tube 1pc Desoldering Pump 2pcs Mini Screwdrivers 1pc Black 22 AWG Wire 1pc Red 22 AWG Wire set Heat Shrink tubes (total of 60 pcs) 5pcs Soldering Iron Tips (900M-T model K, B, 3C, 2.4D, I) 1pc Curved Tweezers ESD-15 1pc Straight Tweezers ESD-11 1pc Mini PCB 1pc Wrench 1pc Solder Wick Soldering Iron Kit with Multimeter Soldering Iron Kit with Diagonal Cutter 1pc Adjustable Temperature Soldering Iron 1pc Soldering Iron Stand 1pc Mini Foam/Sponge 1pc Mini Wire Stripper Tool 1pc Tin Wire Soldering Tube 1pc Desoldering Pump 2pcs Mini Screwdrivers 1pc Black 22 AWG Wire 1pc Red 22 AWG Wire set Heat Shrink tubes (total of 60 pcs) 5pcs Soldering Iron Tips (900M-T model K, B, 3C, 2.4D, I) 1pc Curved Tweezers ESD-15 1pc Straight Tweezers ESD-11 1pc Mini PCB 1pc Wrench 1pc Soldering paste (50g) 1pc Pen Shaped Screwdriver 1pc Diagonal Wire Cutter 1pc Insulating Tape (Black） 1pc Insulating Tape (Red） 1pc Insulating Tape (Yellow） 1pc Multimeter(A830L) 1pc Cutter 1pc Solder Wick 1pc Adjustable Temperature Soldering Iron 1pc Soldering Iron Stand 1pc Mini Foam/Sponge 1pc Mini Wire Stripper Too 1pc Tin Wire Solder Tube 1pc Desoldering Pump 2pcs Mini Screwdrivers 1pc Black 22 AWG Wire 1pc Red 22 AWG Wire set Heat Shrink tubes (total of 60 pcs) 5pcs Soldering Iron Tips (900M-T model K, B, 3C, 2.4D, I) 1pc Curved Tweezers ESD-15 1pc Straight Tweezers ESD-11 1pc Mini PCB 1pc Wrench 1pc Soldering paste (50 g) 1pc Pen Shaped Screwdriver 1pc Diagonal Wire Cutter 1pc Insulating Tape (black) 1pc Insulating Tape (red) 230 V Soldering Kits Basic Soldering Kit Soldering Kit V1 Soldering Kit with Multimeter Soldering Kit with Diagonal Wire Cutter Please be guided that this book was made in general for all the types of Soldering Iron Kits offered by Plusivo The items presented on this book may not be present on the type of kit purchased Please ALWAYS refer to the product page of the kit to check other information about the kit and its inclusions You can also check the at the end of the lessons the other Plusivo kits Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ _ _ Introduction Soldering is the method of melting solder around the connection to join two or more electronic parts together With the help of this book, you can learn the basics of soldering, including how to avoid common soldering mistakes, how to choose the right instruments and how to produce the best possible result with the least amount of effort We also included safety tips that one must consider in order to avoid untoward accidents when doing the soldering job Safety Precautions Protecting oneself always is always of utmost priority and electronics is no fun anymore if there will be untoward accidents when doing the soldering job With soldering, the main safety hazard is related to the high temperature of the soldering iron tip Other safety precautions that you should take into consideration are related to the fumes generated that are harmful to your eyes and lungs, the hot solder splashes that might cause injury to yourself as well as to other people around you and the toxic soldering materials being handled that you might ingest if not careful The product we sell is safe when used properly but you as the end-user has also a big part and responsibility to ensure that no harm or damage (both ways) will result in using the product Make sure you follow these rules when using the soldering iron and during the soldering process Always protect yourself by wearing safety eyeglasses Always solder in a well-ventilated area or work with a fume extractor so that you not inhale the fumes released during the soldering process Never leave the soldering iron un-attended while it is powered on Unplug the soldering iron when you are not going to use it for the next 10 minutes or so Use the holder as stand for your soldering iron and not place it elsewhere, it might cause accidental fire Do not solder live circuits Do not touch flammable items (e.g., alcohol, solvents, paper, wood, etc) with the hot soldering iron tip and keep them away from your workspace Make sure that the hot soldering iron tip does not touch the power supply cord Keep your fingers and skin away from the hot soldering iron tip 10 Do not touch the parts immediately after soldering, they might still be hot 11 Do not eat while soldering nor lick your fingers or put any soldering materials or tools in the mouth 12 Always wash your hands after soldering 13 If something unusual happens or if you suspect that something is wrong or has malfunctioned, not anything with the product and immediately contact the seller for assistance (email address: office@plusivo.com) Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ 2.1 Safety Summary Wear protective eyeglasses Hot: Do not leave unattended No food and drink Use in a well ventilated area Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ Do not work near flammable items Place the iron in holder when not in use Keep your fingers away from the metal part Wash your hands after soldering Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ Tools for Soldering and Desoldering 3.1 Introduction In this chapter we are going to cover the safety precautions first, followed with the usage of each tool We will explain how to choose the best tool for the job, how to use the tools safely and how to obtain the best results in practice We will describe here some of the tools that are usually used in soldering and desoldering But please take note however that some of the tools below may or may not be present in the soldering kit that you ordered Please check the product page in www.plusivo.com or in the shop where you ordered to know more about the kit and its inclusions Soldering Iron Soldering Iron Stand Desoldering Pump Solder Wire Solder Wick Anti ESD Tweezers Soldering Iron Tip Set Mini Wire Stripper Tool Printed Circuit Board Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ 3.2 The Soldering Iron There are several soldering irons that you can use and choosing appropriate iron depends primarily on the way that you will utilize it and the kind of activities or projects you plan to When selecting iron to use, the three most essential considerations are temperature, wattage, and the soldering iron tip For best results, we recommend that you use an adjustable temperature soldering iron which has many advantages Using a fixed temperature soldering iron might leave you with a temperature that is either too high for lead solder or too low for lead free solder Whereas, with the adjustable soldering iron, you can always set the optimal temperature based on the solder alloy composition that you use Moreover, having an adjustable temperature soldering iron comes in handy when desoldering because you usually need a higher temperature to be able to remove the parts easily from the board Please note that the power plug in this example may differ from the actual product that you received It will depend on the country where the kit is being distributed Please take note however that the temperature control is a diac/triac control with no feedback Lower down the temp or turn off the soldering iron when not to be used for longer periods of time (do not let it be idle) to avoid damage to the iron and tips Note: If something unusual happens or if you suspect that something is wrong or missing or has malfunctioned, we will appreciate that instead of returning the item or leaving negative comments about the product and services, immediately contact us for assistance (official email address: office@plusivo.com) Soldering Iron Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ It is also important that you select the right soldering iron tip for the job Use a fine and sharp tip for surface mount devices and a wide tip for desoldering If you want your soldering iron tips to last for a long time, you need to take care of them After you finish using the soldering iron, you should add some solder to the soldering iron tip so that it remains covered in solder when not in use This will protect the soldering iron tip and will prevent it from oxidizing, so it will be working properly every time you want to use it While working with the soldering iron, you should always take the necessary safety precautions presented in the former chapter 3.3 The Solder Wire The solder wire is the metal alloy that is used for soldering the parts and wires together It is usually made from a material that has a low melting point and flows nicely on other metals Plusivo soldering kits have two kinds of solder wire One is without the toxic lead for distribution in the EU while those sold in the US is the tin wire solder tube with lead EU commercially requires that on hand electronics use lead-free solder (RoHS) due to the health risks involved It is extra popular these days for environmental and health reasons However, in terms of performance, lead-based soldering wire is the better one The solder wire may come in a spool or sometimes enclosed in a tube, called a solder wire tube The solder wires that are distributed in the US mostly have blue caps and those that are distributed in EU countries have green caps The solder wire in the product solder wire and paste kit is in a solder spool Solder wire in green and blue-capped tube and solder wire in spool Note: Soldering kits has either the green-capped solder wire or the blue capped one The solder wire in spool can be found in the Plusivo Solder Wire and Paste Kit Most of the times, the solder wire also has a rosin core The rosin core’s role is to help eliminate oxides and dirt and to make the solder flow nicely on the component’s terminals and pads Rosin Core Solder Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com _ There are four common types of rosin cores: ● ● ● ● R - Rosin: pure rosin with no activators, mildest RMA - Rosin Mildly Activated: contains mild activators RA - Rosin Activated: rosin with strong activators AC - Non Rosin Activated The molted rosin is acidic, and it is able to dissolve thin layers of oxides even without other additives We suggest that you usually use RMA, as it features a good balance of cost, availability and cleaning performance There are two main types of soldering wires: tin-lead based soldering wire (SnPb) and lead-free soldering wire From a technical point of view, the lead-based soldering wire is the best in terms of performance, as it has a low melting point, and it flows nicely on other metals However, the lead-free soldering wires have gained traction mostly due to environmental concerns, since they are environmentally clean The lead-based solders usually melt at about 183 °C (361 °F) The lead-free alloys have a higher melting point As a reminder, you should always take the necessary safety precautions presented in the beginning! 3.4 The Desoldering Pump or Solder Sucker As its name indicates, the desoldering pump is used for sucking the solder so that you can desolder the electronic parts easier The tip is usually made from a thermoresistant material In order to use the desoldering pump, press the piston, then place the desoldering pump tip near the soldering joint and push the trigger button in order to suck the solder 3.5 The Soldering Wick or Braid The soldering wick is usually made from braided copper wire and it absorbs the solder It is mainly used for wicking the solder from the circuit board It is useful when too much solder has been applied or when you want to desolder A less known use of the soldering wick is for soldering the surface mounted parts This soldering technique consists of applying a generous amount of solder over the surface mounted chip’s pins and then soldering them, irrespective of the possible formation of solder bridges Then, the soldering wick is used to absorb the extra solder, leaving the surface mounted chip’s pins cleanly soldered to the pads Mastering the Art of Soldering.r03 www.plusivo.com ... a generous amount of solder over the surface mounted chip’s pins and then soldering them, irrespective of the possible formation of solder bridges Then, the soldering wick is used to absorb the. .. pair of tweezers in this step to secure the components in place Heat the solder joint evenly by touching the tip (use the side of the tip) of the soldering iron to the copper pad and the component... check other information about the kit and its inclusions You can also check the at the end of the lessons the other Plusivo kits Mastering the Art of Soldering. r03 www.plusivo.com