Soldering and Desoldering Tips Important notice: special care for soldering tips Hand soldering operators are happy when their soldering tips last a long time and continue to solder well. Soldering tips that do not allow the solder to melt rapidly due to excess oxidation clearly disrupt productivity Special care of the soldering tip should be taken in order to solder efciently. Important Facts: 1. When a soldering tip remains hot for a long period of time, the tip will oxidize or blacken. An oxidized tip will no longer wet or melt solder properly. 2. The higher the working temperature of the soldering tip, the faster this oxidation will take place and tip lifetime will be shorter. 3. Soldering irons that automatically go into a lower stand-by temperature increase tip life. 4. The oxidation of the tip will be very rapid if the tip is left cook- ing without molten solder covering the tip end. It happens, for The ERSA Tip-Reactivator al- example, if the tip is not wettned with solder right after cleaning lows the regeneration of oxidized it. soldering tips. It is environmen- tally safe, free of lead and halo- 5. Excessive mechanical force during soldering will shorten the tip gens and func-tions even at low life. soldering tip temperatures. For 6. Proper care of the tip will greatly increase tip life. this purpose the heated soldering tip is wiped on the surface of the 7. Lead-free soldering requires higher temperatures, is more ag- regeneration compound. gressive to the tip and will always lead to shorter tip life. Nickel-plating Special Care: The base material made of highly conductive electrolytic copper ensures unhindered heat 1. Always clean the tip by wiping on a slightly wet sponge after transfer from the heating element to the each use. Alternatively, tips can be dry cleaned using wire ERSADUR LF coating mesh. 2. Always put fresh solder onto the end of the tip BEFORE putting ERSADUR LF coating (up to 600 micron) of iron-plating (subject to the tip back into the iron holder. type of tip) is factory pre-tinned with lead-free solder at working 3. Always use lowest working temperature possible. end 4. Never leave an iron cooking unattended for some time. Always set iron into automatic stand-by if possible or turn-off Nickel-plating when not in use. 5. Never use excessive mechanical force when soldering. Iron-plating 6. Soldering tip oxidation can be easily removed if detected early. Early detection and removal will greatly increase tip life. Chrome-plating prevents corrosion and solder collection on undesirable spots 7. Tip oxidation removal or tip refurbishing is accomplished in 4 consecutive steps: a. clean on damp sponge, b. clean with wire Cross-section of an ERSADUR soldering tip, non-scale representation brush, c. using a Tip re-activator chemical, and d. re-tinning using proper ux cored solder wire. ERSADUR LF soldering tips to process lead-free solders Conventional soldering tips can also be used for lead-free solders. Since lead-free soldering requires higher process temperatures, and due to the fact that lead-free solder is more aggressive to the soldering tip, the tips service life is shorter. ERSADUR LF solder- ing tips have an increased layer of iron, which increases tip life. Consequently they are especially suitable for lead-free soldering. 36 37For: 612 ERSADUR Long-Life Soldering Tip Series CPS 60.10 0612SDLF 0612UDLF 0612BDLF DIGITAL 60 A DIGITAL 2000 A with Tech tool soldering iron MICRO-CON 60 iA with Tech tool soldering iron pencil point, 0.4 mm pencil point, 0.8 mm pencil point, 1.0 mm 0612CDLF 0612ADLF 0612KDLF chisel-shaped, 1.0 mm chisel-shaped, 1.6 mm chisel-shaped, 2.4 mm 0612EDLF 0612GDLF 0612ID chisel-shaped, 3.2 mm chisel-shaped, 5.0 mm pencil point, 4.0 mm , bent 30 0612JD 0612MD 0612TW chisel-shaped, 1.6 mm, bent 30 PLCC blade, 1.5 mm ERSA TechWell with concave portion, 3.0 mm 0612HD 0612ZD ERSA SolderWell with concave portion, 2.5 mm, bent 30 WickTip 10.5 x 3.6 mm For: 042 and 012 ERSADUR Long-Life Soldering Tip Series Minor S 0042BD 0042LD 0012BD (042 series) Minityp S (tip 0012BD) pencil point, 0.1 mm angled face, 1 mm pencil point 40 41