by David K. on September 8, 2011
The Hakko FM-2030 is a new high power soldering iron that uses the T22 series soldering tips.
The advantage of the T22 series tips is they provide double the power of the standard T15 series tips. This is done by increasing the mass of the tips so they store more heat and thus transfer it more efficiently on larger and more difficult soldering jobs. In particular these high mass tips are ideal for soldering on heavy ground planes and on areas that have large heat sinks.
All-Spec Industries sells both the full FM2030-02 kit as well as the standalone FM-2030 soldering iron hand piece.
The Hakko FM-2030-02 kit contains:
- FM-2030 Solder iron hand piece
- FH200-01 Iron holder with sleep function
- B3253 Connecting cable
- B2300 Heat resistant pad
The FM-2030 handpiece is also compatible with the FM-203 dual port soldering station and the FM-206 high performance 3-port rework system. However, some older FM-203 stations will need to be upgraded first. If the serial number on your station is lower than 0220311002129 you will need to purchase an upgrade and the station must be returned to American Hakko, as field upgrades are not available.
Some additional features of the Hakko FM-2030:
- ESD-safe design
- Uses ceramic heater
- Less than 2 ohms tip to ground resistance
- Under 2mV tip to ground potential
Please visit All-Spec Industries for more information on these and other Hakko products. All-Spec Industries is an authorized distributor of American Hakko products. For over 50 years Hakko has been producing superior quality soldering and desoldering tools, hot air rework stations, smoke and fume extraction systems, and a wide assortment of accessories and related equipment for the electronics, industrial and hobby industries.
by admin on September 15, 2010
Because the soldering iron tip is the key piece that transfers heat from the iron to the actual piece being soldered, it is imperative to choose the right tip for your activity. Selecting the correct tip will also improve the quality of your solder joints. So before choosing your soldering tip, consider the following:
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Tip Type – The type is chosen based on what type of soldering iron you use. You may need a
screw type tip that screws onto or into the soldering iron, a
slip on type that slips over the iron, or a
plug type that slide inside the iron.
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Tip Configuration – Configuration is dependent upon your application. Examples of basic tip configurations include
chisel (top right),
conical,
pyramid (bottom right), and
spade. Though less efficient, a more narrow configuration is often needed to attain desired results.
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Tip Size – As with tip configuration, tip size is also depends on your application. The tip body should also always correspond with the soldering iron you want to use. Modified working diameters within standard tip size families are referred to as turned down tips. These are less efficient but may be necessary to access difficult areas.
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Choosing the Tip – Because thick, short tips store more heat and transfer it more efficiently than long, narrow ones, the standard chisel and diamond configurations are usually the most popular choices. The chisel tip is typically used for joining components to through-hole PCBs or connecting flat seams. The diamond shape, on the other hand, is most often used for connecting corner seams to heat both at the same time.
Also learn how to care for your soldering tips to increase production quality and decrease solder joint failure.
by admin on April 26, 2010
We know you guys like videos and most of the time, it’s easier to learn from a video as opposed to a blog article or white paper.
While trolling YouTube for interesting videos, I found the YouTube channel for BEST Inc. It turn out they frequently upload how-to soldering videos to their YouTube channel. The topic of the videos range from repairing a damaged PCB corner to PCB pad repair using epoxy.
Not only does BEST Inc supply PCB repair products, training kits and repair kits but they also offer solder and rework/repair training courses through their IPC Master Certification Solder Training Center. BEST Inc offers both instructor and operator classes as well as customized classes, plus their training courses are trusted by corporations such as IBM, Rockwell, Northrop and more.
Here’s an example of one of their informative videos…the video demonstrates how to repair PCB laminate.
If you’re looking to repair a PCB, we do carry some BEST Inc PCB repair parts including circuit frames and eyelets…we also carry a few repair kits.
by admin on July 17, 2009
From time to time we find handy lists of tips and tricks about soldering, and these lists seem to be fairly popular. Since Weller knows soldering, I thought I’d pass on a list we recently found. You may have seen several of these tips in our other posts (here’s a list of articles regarding soldering tips and tips for soldering) but it’s always a good reminder; plus there are a few new ones. This helpful list not only explains what not to do but also why and what could happen.
1. Do not remove the soldering tip from the iron while the power is on…this causes the temperature of the element to rise which results in thermal shock and shortens the life of the heater
2. Keep a damp but not soaking wet iron sponge…using a sponge that is too wet will reduce the temperature of the tip too quickly and cause damage to the tip
3. Avoid disconnecting the iron from the base unit while the power is still turned on…this could cause a short that will damage either the iron or the base unit
4. Keep a nice coat of solder on the working part of the soldering tip…this prevents oxidation which can shorten the life of the tip
5. This is pretty obvious and not always avoidable but do not drop the iron while it’s heated…dropping the iron can cause a bunch of problems from mechanical damage to thermal damage
6. Also common sense and related to number five…do not throw the soldering iron into the stand
7. A soldering iron does not make a good pry tool…using the iron as a crowbar can damage the tip to the point it is useless
8. Using a serrated or sharp object to remove a tip could chip the soldering tip
9. Do not plug a soldering iron that is broken into a base that is working…doing so can cause damage to the base
10. If a station is used on a daily basis, keep the temperature at the lowest setting while it is sitting at idle for extended periods of time…this prevent thermal cycling
