A soldering iron is a Outil which makes it possible to carry out welding S; it is called iron since its principal element is the metal part which confers a sufficient Température on parts intended to be assembled by a Brasure. The portable equivalent is the gas soldering iron or to braze , it has a burner supplied with a gas tank, to heat the breakdown.

Note: the term “soldering iron” is unsuitable, since it is useful in fact to carry out an operation of Brasage. It should more precisely be invited “iron to braze”.

A soldering iron simple (intended to make brazings with tin between the zinc plates of the roofs), only made up of a red copper mass connected to the wood handle by a metal stem, was marketed at the 20th century that one made heat in a brazier.

Composition

• the breakdown , manufactured in Metal leading the Heat well. The breakdowns in Cuivre corrode rather quickly, one prefers the breakdowns to them known as long life “made of alloy in layers” . There exist breakdowns various forms according to work to be realized. In electronic, one will use a fine breakdown for the smallest components (CMS: components assembled on the surface). At the 20th century, the trade proposed a ammoniacal stone intended to pickle the soldering iron.
• the system of heating , burner with Gas (Butane or Propane) or a Electrical resistance.
• the handle , insulating electrically and thermically.

Implementation

• the parts must be removed from all impurities (Oxyde, varnished at the place of the welding, which is done automatically with the self-fluxing welding; or manually by coating the parts of “paste to be welded”.
• the paste to be welded quickly pickles the parts under the action of heat and creates a flow facilitating the penetration by capillarity of the filler in fusion between the parts to be joined together.
• the filler is then applied, it becomes fluid and coats the parts, creating a permanent connection once the cooled parts.
• This type of welding or brazing is not mechanical solidity with any test, the filler being relatively fragile, but is technically easy to realize, returns seals the connections, and ensures a good electrical contact between the parts.

Iron models

• the power of a soldering iron is selected according to the work to realize:

• of a few tens of Watt S for delicate work in electronic, Jewelry, Micromechanical…
• with more than 150 Watts for thin sheet, the Zinc (zinc roof), the plumbing (small work).
• In electronics, one preferably uses a station of welding Thermostat ée.
• a gas soldering iron is used for work of sheet-iron works and zinc works claiming a larger power taking into account the mass of the parts to be welded, inducing a larger thermal inertia.
• propane provides a Température and a power of heating higher than those of butane.
• In general the filler used to carry out this kind of welding (one should say Brasage) is an alloy of tin and Plomb whose point of fusion is about 200 °C.
• In plumbing, the quantitative report/ratio of lead/tin (60%)/(40%) is raised generally more, than for electronics or tin is present at 60%, which gives a welding of better electric quality, more fluid and brilliant.
• This filler is in the form of wire for the use in electronics or small work; this soldering wire contains a scouring paste (acid mixture cleaning the parts hot to be welded). One then speaks about self-fluxing welding .

See too

• List of tools