Is a high-powered or low-powered soldering iron better?
There are various types of power for electric iron, with smaller ones ranging from 15 watts to 20 watts, larger ones ranging from 200 watts to 300 watts, and pistol style ones ranging from 500 watts. When carrying out welding work, the power of the soldering iron must be determined based on the welding object, and sometimes the power of the electric iron must be selected according to the climate season (winter, summer). Welding electronic components, using 15 to 20 watts is good, using 500 watts, one soldering iron will create a black hole, of course not good.
Whether the power selection is appropriate or not depends mainly on the melting and flow of the solder, and this process should not exceed three seconds. Too long will damage electronic components, too short will result in unreliable soldering, and the solder joints will not be smooth.
For general welding of small foot components such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, and integrated blocks, it is recommended to use a 20 watt soldering iron. In winter, it should be increased by one level and a 25 watt soldering iron should be used. When welding large foot components such as heat sinks, transformers, and shielding shields, or grounding large areas with copper plates, it is recommended to use 35 watts to 40 watts. So, it is important to choose the appropriate power of the soldering iron based on the welding object, and there is no distinction between high power and low power.
Introduction to the structure of electric soldering iron
Electric soldering irons are divided into two types: externally heated and internally heated:
The externally heated electric soldering iron consists of a soldering iron head, a soldering iron core, an outer shell, a wooden handle, a power lead, a plug, and other parts. Due to the installation of the soldering iron head inside the soldering iron core, it is called an externally heated electric soldering iron. The soldering iron core is a key component of an electric soldering iron. It is composed of parallel winding of electric heating wires on a hollow ceramic tube, with a mica sheet insulation in the middle, and two wires connected to a 220V AC power supply. There are many specifications for externally heated electric soldering irons, including 25W, 45W, 75W, 100W, etc. The higher the power, the higher the temperature of the soldering iron head.
An internally heated electric soldering iron is composed of a handle, a connecting rod, a spring clip, a soldering iron core, and a soldering iron head. Due to the installation of the soldering iron core inside the soldering iron head, it generates heat quickly and has a high heat utilization rate, hence it is called an internally heated electric soldering iron. The commonly used specifications for internal heating electric soldering irons are 20W and 50W. Due to its high thermal efficiency, a 20W internal heating electric soldering iron is equivalent to around 40W external heating electric soldering iron. The rear end of the internally heated electric soldering iron is hollow, used to fit onto the connecting rod and fixed with a spring clip. When replacing the soldering iron head, the spring clip must be removed first, and at the same time, the front end of the soldering iron head must be clamped with pliers and slowly pulled out. Remember not to use too much force to avoid damaging the connecting rod.
