What is Soldering?
Soldering is a technique used to join two or more pieces of metal together. It is widely used in electronic circuits, electrical connections and various metal works. Soldering is carried out using a filling material (solder) with a low melting point.
Soldering Stages
Preparation: The dirt, oxides and other contaminants should be removed, as they can adversely affect the soldering process.
Heating: Soldering is usually performed by heating with a soldering iron or a soldering gun. This heating allows the metal parts and the soldering wire to melt.
Soldering Application: The molten solder is applied to the joint of metal parts. The solder is drawn between two metal parts by capillary action, and hardened when cooled.
Cooling: The solder is hardened when cooled, and the joint between the metal parts becomes rigid.
Materials Used in Soldering
Solder Wire
Solder wire is a type of filling material used in soldering processes. It usually contains an alloy with a low melting point. When heated during soldering, it melts and fills the gaps between the metal parts, and it forms a strong joint when it gets cooled and hardened.
It is usually made of Lead (Pb) and Tin (Sn) alloys. However, there are lead-free alternatives as well, which usually include mixtures of Copper (Cu), Silver (Fr), Zinc (Zn) and other metals.
Soldering Iron
A soldering iron is a tool that heats the soldering wire to the required temperature, in order to assemble the metal parts or the components on circuit boards. The heating tip of the soldering iron is a metal tip that conducts heat during soldering and reaches to a temperature that is enough to melt the soldering wire. The inserts can be of different shapes and sizes, which provides flexibility for different soldering applications. Most modern soldering irons have a specific system that offers heat control.
Solder Paste
The main function of the solder paste is to clean the soldering surfaces and ensure a good bond between the solder and the metal surfaces. It removes oxides and impurities formed on metal surfaces, ensuring proper adhesion of the solder to metal surfaces.
Solder Pump
A solder pump is a tool used to remove excessive or unwanted solder during soldering operations. It is usually used to remove excess solder or faulty solder joints on circuit boards or electronic components. A solder pump creates a vacuum effect to remove the excess solder.
Solder Pot
It is a tool used to keep the solder in molten state during soldering and combine various metal parts with this molten solder. The solder pots are usually preferred in industrial and professional soldering processes, particularly in large-scale or mass production. They are made of heat-resistant metal or ceramic.
Hot Air Guns
Hot air guns are versatile tools that produce air at high temperature and are used to perform various operations. They are used for soldering BGA chips in circuit boards. This method is used to melt the solder balls and place the chip in its place correctly. They are also used for melting and removing the solder for the removal of electronic components from circuit boards or other mounting seats.
Fluxes
Solder flux is a material used during soldering, and helps to clean metal surfaces, improve solder flux and improve soldering quality. It removes the oxides, reduces surface tension, facilitates solder flux, prevents corrosion and promotes heat dissipation.
Cream Solder
Cream solder is widely used, especially in surface mount technology (SMT) processes. It usually consists of a mixture of small particles of solder wire and flux. Since it is in a creamy, it offers smooth consistency during application. It provides good fluidity during the process, which helps to place the components correctly and make a homogeneous coating during soldering. Solder cream helps the components to stay in place during soldering and not to slip or slide during assembly.
Smoke-Absorbing Products
A smoke-absorbing system is a device used especially in manufacture and repair processes of the electronics. This system removes hazardous fumes and particles generated during soldering, welding or other high-temperature processes, and makes the ambient air healthier.
