Factors That Can Be Harming Your Soldering Tip Life
The age-old question of "how long is the soldering tip life of my JBC cartridges", has no clear answer.
Simply put, the lifespan of your tips comes down to the care that you take with the cartridges. On average you can expect 5 times longer lifespan with JBC cartridges over other brands. But that being said, if the correct care measures are not taken, you can severely dwindle away at the amount of use you will get out of each individual cartridge.
So we thought it would be handy to piece together a handy guide to prolong soldering tip life with your JBC cartridges. Read below for our collection of handy housekeeping tips for your soldering cartridges.
1 - Flux & Solder Alloy Used
The type of flux used when soldering can influence the length of time your cartridge can be used.
Flux helps remove the oxidisation layer that would prevent solder from properly wetting the solder joint. It will dissolve the metal oxide layer, and once the flux has hit boiling point, it will evaporate away. A drawback of this process, however, is that too much active flux leads to corrosion of your soldering cartridge.
Another consideration that needs to be made is the diameter of the solder that you are using. The internal flux from the smaller reels may not be enough. To circumvent this problem, external flux may need to be used to aid in the wetting process.
2 - Oxidisation
The process of oxidisation is caused when the iron plating of the soldering cartridge becomes iron oxide. The risk of this occurring increases at higher temperatures.
Now this has a dramatic effect on the wetting capabilities of the tip. Effectively a thermal dewetting barrier is created, leading to the solder not flowing smoothly (and occasionally balling up on the end of your soldering cartridge). This can lead to the user thinking that the tip is not getting enough heat, where the real problem is the oxidisation.
One of the solutions for this is to always keep your soldering tips tinned. Once the cartridge has been tinned, it stops the oxidisation process by creating a protective layer between the air and the iron. The Sleep and Hibernation function of JBC Soldering stations also helps.
Another is to ensure that the tip is always kept clean, something that we will touch upon in greater detail below.
3 - Iron Plating Thickness
Where the iron plating of your soldering tip has begun to wear (or hollow out), there will be a cross over impact onto soldering performance. In instances where this has occurred, you will certainly need to replace the soldering cartridge.
There are 2 main ways that this can occur. First is by using the incorrect cleaning procedures for your soldering cartridges. You should only ever use the recommended cleaning methods that JBC state for their products. This will be touched upon towards the end of this article.
The last way this occurs is by applying to much force when soldering. Too much pressure on the tip can begin to wear the iron plating. We will expand on this below.
4 - Correct Soldering Techniques
Just like with any application process, soldering is a skill that takes time to master. Practice makes perfect! But on occasions even the most seasoned of professionals can make application errors.
One of the main mistakes is applying excessive force when soldering onto the PCB for example. You only need contact between the cartridge, solder wire and PCB.
The force applied through the iron should not exceed that of its own weight. This is because too much additional pressure on the surface to solder can led to the tip, or plate, to break.
Another pro tip is to always choose the biggest tip possible for each of your applications, whilst working at the lowest temperatures from the maximum. This will give you the maximum and fastest heat transfer, along with the least strain on the PCB, therefore less time exposing any wiring or components to heat.
This goes without saying, but never use your soldering cartridge as a pointed object or screwdriver. Its sole purpose needs to be for soldering, using for any non soldering application would be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!
5 - Working Temperatures
As a rule of thumb, the higher your working temperature – the greater the risk of oxidisation or corrosion occurring on your soldering cartridge. By ensuring that you keep a consistent temperature for your tips, you help to extend their lifespan.
When soldering, the temperature of the tip will naturally decrease when being used. Some users compensate for this by whacking up the temperature, many degrees above the heat that is needed.
But 90% of solder joints can be soldered successfully at 350ºC, and it is not recommended to exceed temperatures over 370ºC. Therefore, we recommend that you work with the lowest temperature possible, with thermal efficient tools.
6 - Some Further Soldering Cartridge Housekeeping Tips
Use Solder Tip Cleaners
As with all equipment, cleaning and care will help to increase the lifespan of your tips. Always clean your soldering tips before, during and after use, and with the correct cleaning equipment.
Keeping your soldering tips clean at all times is also a solid strategy at helping to prevent oxidisation of your JBC cartridge. And there are a few different ways and products that can help with this.
From wool to sponges and tip cleaning systems, cleaning your tips will help you maintain their integrity, and keep you from having to buy replacement tips frequently. This is one of the easiest ways to increase the soldering tip life of your cartridges.
Proper Storage Of Your Cartridges
Believe it or not there are also procedures that should be followed for the correct storage of your soldering cartridges. Failing to adhere to these tips can shorten their lifespan.
For storage in between use, JBC have you covered with their sleep and hibernation mode function, ensuring the tips do not remain at operating temperature.
When storing your cartridges for extended periods of inactivity, they should always be cleaned and tinned before they are packed away. This helps with the prevention of oxidisation (a problem highlighted above).
You can further enhance this protection by storing them in a sealed container or bag. Consequently, this will give added protection from risks such as humidity and contamination.
To Conclude…
We hope this has opened your eyes to bad habits that shorten the lifespan of your soldering cartridges. There are ways to correct all of these errors that can hamper the soldering tip life as you have read above. With proper practice and care your JBC cartridges will expect to last up to 5 times that of other leading soldering brands.
Stay tuned for our future post about how to properly care for your JBC soldering tips. For any advice in the meantime, feel free to give us a call on 023 8065 0065.
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