Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Soldering

Soldering is defined as "the joining of metals by a fusion of alloys which have relatively low melting points". In other words, you use a metal that has a low melting point to adhere the surfaces to be soldered together.

Part 1: Prepare the materials


Use a soldering iron with the appropriate heat control.


Use solder wire of an appropriate alloy.


Try to get flux-cored wire if possible.


Get the necessary board and components.


Get a clamp to hold the components.

Part 2: Soldering Process



  1. Prepare the components for soldering. Select the correct component by checking it's type and value carefully.
  2. Be extremely careful and solder in an appropriate location. Always solder in a well-ventilated area, using breathing and eye protection
  3. "Tin" the solder. Melt a small blob of solder on end of the soldering iron. This process is called tinning and it helps to improve heat flow from the iron to the lead and pad, keeping the board safe from the heat.
  4. Feed the solder onto the interface between the pad and lead. Flux from the solder wire is only active for about one second maximum after melting onto the joint as it is slowly burned off by heat.
  5. Stop feeding the solder interface is filled. No more than a drop or two of solder should be necessary for each joint, though it will vary slightly for different components. 

 




80 comments:

  1. The report is very educative and helps alot to me because of my course, but i want to ask something about soldering , sometimes it doesnt stick together even though i follow the procedure , is there any tips to do it more effectively ? thanks


    - Marielle A. Guese

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I guess it's because of the tip of your soldering iron. Before using a new or old soldering iron it must be "tinned". When we say tinning, it is a process of coating a soldering tip with a coat of solder in order to transfer the heat between the soldering iron and the component properly. I hope you learn. Thank you and God bless.

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  2. At what temperature is the advisable heat that will be enough to melt the soldering lead? Thank you. :)

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    Replies
    1. A soldering lead melts in 361 degree fahrenheit or 182.778 degree celsius.

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  3. Naaalala ko di ako natulog tapos 3lang ako huhuhuhu

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    1. Always bear in mind to see the goodness in everything. Hindi ka man nakakuha ng mataas na marka ang mahalaga natuto ka naman :) Always remember this quotation "Experience is the best teacher, and the worst experiences teach the best lessons."

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  4. What does L stand for in electronics?
    hello Mam :)

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    1. Hi Daryl! The word electronics does not have an abbreviation, when we say abbreviation it is a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole. But if your just confused about the word electronics it came from the root word "Elektron" in Greek, and apply latin-style adjustments to the end of the word. The "onics" is a suffix of the noun that denote a body of facts, knowledge, or principles. So all in all, electronics is define as the science dealing with the development and application of devices and systems involving the flow of electrons in a vacuum, in gaseous media, and in semiconductors.

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  5. Aahh! I get it, so we don't need any wires in a pcb board? the side with a metal will be considered as an electricity?

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    1. Yes! With the help of the Copper trace (or the part that you mentioned as the side with a metal) can connect your components with the use of soldering without using any wires. Because the current or the voltage will flow through the Copper trace.

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    2. Hi Mam, How to reduce the flow of electricity in my circuit?

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    3. Hi Luis! In order to reduce the flow of current or electricity in a circuit you can put a resistor for the reason that it restricts the flow of current in a circuit. And for further information regarding resistor, you can visit the blog www.rrarrogante.blogspot.com.

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  6. pede bang i lagay na agad ung mga components bago i ferric chloride?

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    1. You must avoid doing that because ferric chloride is highly corrosive to most metals, when we say corrosive it may cause damage to metals or other materials through a chemical process. And we all know that some of the components are made of metals so if you're going to do that, it may cause damage to your components.

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  7. How can we know if it is already a good solder?

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    1. Hi Jhen! In order to find out if your soldering is good or not, you must look at this characteristics if your solder joint shows smooth, bright, shiny, clean and the end of the wire or lead covered with solder your connection is consider as a Good solder.

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    2. If my solder doesn't look like any of this characteristics, does my solder will be considered as a bad one?

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    3. Hi Mam, How can we know if it is a Bad solder?

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    4. Hi Luis! In order to assert if it will be consider as a bad solder, first locate if there's a defects such as Pinholes or voids, Lumps and large holes, Overheated, Cold, Excessive solder, and Insufficient solder and if you encounter those soldering defects thus your soldering joint will be consider as a bad one.

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    5. do you have any tips in soldering Mam? -Christian de Guzman

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    6. Hi Christian! These are some tips you should bear in mind while soldering, first, Use heat sinks, Keep the iron tip clean, Double check joints, Solder small parts first, Install sensitive components last as well as Use adequate ventilation.

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  8. Ma'am! Other than soldering iron, what other device that I can use in soldering?

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  9. Hi Christian! There are a lot of options you can use in soldering without using soldering iron, you can use steel wire or screw divers or nails with the use of fire as an alternative. The reason behind is if you apply flame directly to a solder connection, the wires oxidize and the solder joint is typically poor. The trick is to carry one piece of wire beyond the joint and apply the flame to that piece. It will act as the soldering iron. And for more details you can watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udZja8xRElc.

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  10. IT is always positive and negative?

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    1. Hi Hannah! Are you referring on the good and bad solder?

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  11. What can I use to reduce the oxidation?

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    1. We all know that Oxidation is greatly accelerated with higher temperatures, especially soldering temperatures. So in order for us to avoid too much oxidation I have two tips, first, keep your heat low; turn off your soldering iron when not being actively used and keep oxygen away from the tip. You can do this by keeping fresh solder on the tip when not in use.

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  12. How will I know if the soldering iron that I bought is good quality or not?

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    1. There are four factors to consider, first the wattage of your soldering iron it should be from 20 – 60 watts, inspect the type of the soldering iron same as the tip size and shape and the proper temperature control if all of this factors are achieve then it will be concede as a good one.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. Rolando B. Cumilang Jr.July 30, 2016 at 5:06 AM

    ,nahihirapan akong makipagsabayan ma'am kasi mahina ang internet d2 sa bahay pero i try my best ma'am para mka habol., thanks po ma'am..,

    ReplyDelete
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    1. If you want it badly, you'll find away.. else, you'll find an excuse.

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    2. Rolando B. Cumilang Jr.August 4, 2016 at 4:55 AM

      thanks maaam

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    3. Rolando B. Cumilang Jr.August 4, 2016 at 5:07 AM

      Maam ito na po yong tanong ko., pano pag dumikit yong mainit na soldering iron sa circuit board habang nag hihinang, masisira ba lahat ng pyesa na naka kabit dito.?

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    4. Definitely yes, always bear in mind that some of the electronic components are sensitive especially in the amount of voltage that passess through them and the worst thing .. it may cause damage to your components. You just need to focus, keep a steady hand, and be safe.

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  14. may kinalaman po ba yung ginagamit na soldering lead, para mag produce ng good solder '?

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    1. The choice of soldering lead is also important, one of the factor to consider if solder joint shows smooth, bright, shiny, and clean is based on the choice of soldering lead.

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  15. Bakit po ganun minsan ayaw matunaw nung lead?

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    1. In order to melt your soldering lead your soldering iron must provide atleast 361 degree fahrenheit or 182.778 degree celsius. So if your soldering lead doesn't melt, there is a high possibility that it is because of your soldering iron.

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    2. Always consider the wattage of your soldering iron. I suggest soldering iron with wattage 50W it will provide sufficient heat. Soldering irons with higher wattage (40W -60W) are better.

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  16. No questions mam. Gets ko po.

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  17. matatackle po ba naten ung ibang topics like ohms law at kirchhoffs and more fundamentals like sa electrical?

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    1. Of course it will be discussed as long as it is part of your course syllabus.

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    2. Aside from it's the endeavor of this blog to provide each of you an abstract of topics that are part of your course syllabus.

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  18. Bakit po hindi nagiinit yung tip ng soldering iron ko ? Minsan po nahihirapan ako maghinang kasi po hindi po nagiinit yung tip ng soldering iron ko .

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Do you experience tinning your soldering tip? when we say tinning it is a process of coating soldering tip with a thin coat of solder. This aids in heat transfer between the tip and the component you are soldering, and also gives the solder a base from which to flow from.

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  19. Ma'am Vera ano po bang mas magandang tip ng soldering iron ang dapat gamitin? Chisel po ba o pointed?

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    1. I prefer chisel tips becuase it is ideal for different applications such as through hole, surface mount, wire, and desoldering with solder braid. Aside from that, Chisel tips are thicker at the tip which will store more heat.

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  20. Is it true that when I use sandpaper on my Soldering iron it becomes better?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, beacuse it maintains the cleanliness of the soldering iron.

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    2. But instead of using sandpaper, use "Yellow sponge" the purpose of the sponge is as follows; the sponge is porous, so it holds water. Rubbing a hot soldering iron tip on a wet sponge causes the solder to contract at a different rate than the soldering iron, helping to knock off any globs of solder that may be clinging to the tip.

      NOTE: Make sure the sponge is damp (not soaked) with water.

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  21. Hi ma'am :) Aside from soldering lead what should I use to solder my PCB?

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    1. Hi Joyce! You can make your own eco-friendly soldering lead with these two ingredients; 10 to 15 pine cones with pine tar (sap) on the ends of the cone leaves (found around pine trees) and 1 Quart Denatured Ethyl Alcohol (found in the wild at a hardware store or you could distill your own). And regarding on the process you can visit this website ---> http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-Eco-friendly-soldering-flux/

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  22. MAM,PANO PO PAG NAPASO NG SOLDERING IRON, ANO PO ANG FIRST AID? :)

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    1. Hi Eduard! In treating soldering iron burns first get under some cool water for fifteen minutes (15 minutes). Then cover it with a clean, lint free cloth or bandage then as soon as possible go the clinic for an expert advise.

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  23. hi maam, I used an 80watts Soldering Iron and now my teacher required us to use only 50watts what will i do to lower my 80watts soldering iron?

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    1. In that case, you can put either resistor or diode in the circuit inside your soldering iron but it's too backbreaking. So I suggest, just purchase a new one or else borrow an old one.

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    2. On the other hand, you can still use your 80 watts soldering iron just always monitor the hotness and if you think it's too hot you can unplug and wait a couple of minutes then plug it again so that you can control it's heat. But bear in mind that it takes a lot of courage to execute this process.

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  24. can we make an improvised soldering iron out of a transdformer ?

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    1. Hi Joedel! Yes, it is possible. You can make an improvise soldering iron using a transformer or a 6 volts battery and if you're interested to produce that one, you better watch this tutorial in youtube ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIW6P7Du-CY.

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  25. can we make an improvised soldering iron out of a transdformer ?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Joedel! Yes, it is possible. You can make an improvise soldering iron using a transformer or 6 volts battery and if you're interested to produce that one, you better watch this tutorial in youtube ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIW6P7Du-CY.

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  26. Thanks for posting this. its really informative. It would be nicer if I found this blog earlier, when we used to study soldering before. ;)

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    1. Thank you for the compliment :) and I believed that you can still employ your learning experienced in this blog in your future career.

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  27. Do you have any precautionary measure for soldering process? :) i think it would be help :)

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    1. Hi Seh! There are a few things to keep in mind while doing Soldering. First and most obvious is that it involves high temperatures. Soldering irons are going to be 350F or higher, and will cause burns very quickly. Make sure to use a stand to support the iron and keep the cord away high traffic areas. Solder itself can drip, so it makes sense to avoid soldering over exposed body parts. Always work in a well lit area where you have space to lay parts out and move around. Avoid soldering with your face directly above the joint because fumes from the flux and other coatings will irritate your respiratory tract and eyes. Most solders contain lead, so you should avoid touching your face while working with solder and always wash your hands before eating.

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  28. hi ma'am christine , how to be YOU po??? XD

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    1. hindi ma'am eto talaga tanong ko.. possible pa po ba maayos yung heating element kapag hindi na sya umiinit... ???

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    2. Hi Genet! It is possible to replace the heating element in your soldering iron but before that you must check or assure if that's the reason behind your problem and in order to test and replace the heating element of your soldering iron, you must visit this website --> https://www.circuitspecialists.com/blog/testing-and-replacing-the-heating-element-in-soldering-stations/

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  29. Ma'am how do we know if it is a good solder?

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    1. Hi Cheska! In order to find out if your soldering is good or not, you must look at this characteristics if your solder joint shows smooth, bright, shiny, clean and the end of the wire or lead covered with solder your connection is consider as a Good solder.

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  30. I felt very happy while reading this site. This was really very informative site for me. I really liked it. This was really a cordial post. Thanks a lot!. solderingiron.org

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