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Redesign of a solder iron feedback required.

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mcgee

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Hello guys.:smile:

I'm currently doing an Open University design course, and have been tasked with coming up with a new design for a solder iron. I'm thinking along the lines of a gun type iron that uses a pressure sensitive trigger to release precise amounts of solder via a syringe type needle, and to have another application built into the design to allow easy removal of excess runs of solder.

I'd just like some feedback on whether you feel such a design would be more useful to you, and perhaps if you would like to see something else implemented into a design that would address any personal issues you've experienced first hand with using solder irons.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. :cool:

Cheers.
 

In what settings do you see a gun type soldering iron useful?

My gun-type soldering iron is used exclusively to cut plastic. Holding something in your whole hand just doesn't give the degree of fine motor control needed to assemble modern electronic circuits. Just think, do you hold a writing implement grasped in the palm of your hand or between just a couple of fingers?

As for dispensing solder, solder should be applied to and allowed to be melted by the heated joint, not the soldering iron tip. I suspect feeding the solder through the tip would lead to cold solder joints or too much solder.

Now, a good way of removing solder from joints might be useful, but hot air desoldering and solder wick have made that previously challenging job a lot easier. The gun approach would still suffer from the control issue mentioned.

Sorry, I do not have any positive suggestions. My intent is not simply to criticize your idea, but to suggest that a different approach or project might be more useful.

John
 

First of all, thankyou very much John for all the feedback and time taken to reply.:cool:

I had posted this topic on a number of forums, and the problems encountered by experienced and regular iron users are numerous and cover a pretty large area. What is pretty evident is that most of these problems could be rectified by tweaking in the design.

From all the input, I have decided that simple tweaking of my original idea for re-design won't cover all bases as it were, and have decided to build a design from scratch, implementing design features that should hopefully include

1.The tool needing to be based on a pen shape design, easy and accurate (nimble) to operate with just your fingers. Also for the heated tip to have some form of gaurd to prevent you from burning yourself while in operation.

2. To have alternating temperature settings for working with differing material surfaces that need solder applied too.

3. Interchangable tips, and the smaller, the better.

4. A way to cover the heated tip once soldering has been completed so you can pack your iron away safely.

5. Safe removal of fumes generated during the soldering process.

6. A way to desolder to rectify mistakes (probably the most difficult problem to resolve in an all-in-one design I believe .. but I'll give it a go)

Thanks for all the feedback, you've made the re-design process that much more difficult .. he he .. only joking, much more easy now I have a clear indicator as to what problems need addressing.

Once again, thanks for your time John.:cool:
 

The design is almost finished, so thanks again to everyone who replied. The info and ideas have been fantastic.

Cheers.
 

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