Soldering iron

It supplies heat to melt solder so that it can flow into the joint between two workpieces.

For electrical and electronics work, solder wire is available in a range of thicknesses for hand-soldering (manual soldering is performed using a soldering iron or soldering gun), and with cores containing flux.

A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering.

Hand soldering is typically performed with a soldering iron, soldering gun, or a torch, or occasionally a hot-air pencil.

Gas-powered irons may have interchangeable tips including different size soldering tips, hot knife for cutting plastics, miniature blow-torch with a hot flame, and small hot air blower for such applications as shrinking heat shrink tubing.

Convenient but less consistent methods for shrinking the tube include a soldering iron held close to but not touching the tube, or the heat from a lighter.

Cordless irons can be heated by combustion of gas stored in a small tank, often using a catalytic heater rather than a flame.

Some other examples would include soldering irons, hand warmers, and space-heating appliances.

Less common uses include pyrography (burning designs into wood) and plastic welding.

Solid-point burners are similar in design to a soldering iron.

Gas-powered irons may have interchangeable tips including different size soldering tips, hot knife for cutting plastics, miniature blow-torch with a hot flame, and small hot air blower for such applications as shrinking heat shrink tubing. Other functions may be combined; for example a rework station, mainly for surface-mount components may have a hot air gun, vacuum pickup tool, and a soldering head; a desoldering station will have a desoldering head with vacuum pump for desoldering through-hole components, and a soldering iron head.

Gas-powered soldering irons sometimes have interchangeable hot air blower tips to produce a very narrow stream of hot air suitable for working with surface-mount devices and shrinking heat shrink tubing.

Other functions may be combined; for example a rework station, mainly for surface-mount components may have a hot air gun, vacuum pickup tool, and a soldering head; a desoldering station will have a desoldering head with vacuum pump for desoldering through-hole components, and a soldering iron head.

Defective surface-mount components can be repaired by using soldering irons (for some connections), or using a non-contact rework system.

The first two products were soldering irons powered by alkaline batteries.

Another approach is to use magnetized soldering tips which lose their magnetic properties at a specific temperature, the Curie point.

Other uses include temperature control in soldering irons, and stabilizing the magnetic field of tachometer generators against temperature variation.

A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering.

Heating is often achieved electrically, by passing an electric current (supplied through an electrical cord or battery cables) through a resistive heating element.

Less common uses include pyrography (burning designs into wood) and plastic welding.

For electrical and electronics work, a low-power iron, a power rating between 15 and 35 watts, is used.

Higher ratings are available, but do not run at higher temperature; instead there is more heat available for making soldered connections to things with large thermal capacity, for example, a metal chassis.

Simple irons run at an uncontrolled temperature determined by thermal equilibrium; when heating something large their temperature drops.

Small irons heated by a battery, or by combustion of a gas such as butane in a small self-contained tank, can be used when electricity is unavailable or cordless operation is required.

The operating temperature of these irons is not regulated directly; gas irons may change power by adjusting gas flow.

Gas-powered irons may have interchangeable tips including different size soldering tips, hot knife for cutting plastics, miniature blow-torch with a hot flame, and small hot air blower for such applications as shrinking heat shrink tubing.

The simplest of these is a variable power control, much like a light dimmer, which changes the equilibrium temperature of the iron without automatically measuring or regulating the temperature.

Another type of system uses a thermostat, often inside the iron's tip, which automatically switches power on and off to the element.

A thermal sensor such as a thermocouple may be used in conjunction with circuitry to monitor the temperature of the tip and adjust power delivered to the heating element to maintain a desired temperature.

A thermal sensor such as a thermocouple may be used in conjunction with circuitry to monitor the temperature of the tip and adjust power delivered to the heating element to maintain a desired temperature.

In some models, the firmware for the control circuitry is free software that can be modified by the end-user.