Hello,
I consider building an amp with SSOP package. I will train soldering SMT with a cheap SMT soldering kit. At the makers space, there is a soldering station similar to (8586 2 Dans 1 ESD Pistolet A Air Chaud A Souder Station De Soudage Fer A Souder Pour IC SMD Dessouder + noyau de Chauffage + fil d'etain + 6 pcs buses dans Fers a souder electriques de Outils sur AliExpress.com | Alibaba Group).
I have seen two types of how to to solder smt:
- flux + iron like in YouTube
- solder paste + hot air like in YouTube
What would you advice ? advantages and inconvenience of both methods ?
I would be happy to start from good ground
Best regards,
JM
I consider building an amp with SSOP package. I will train soldering SMT with a cheap SMT soldering kit. At the makers space, there is a soldering station similar to (8586 2 Dans 1 ESD Pistolet A Air Chaud A Souder Station De Soudage Fer A Souder Pour IC SMD Dessouder + noyau de Chauffage + fil d'etain + 6 pcs buses dans Fers a souder electriques de Outils sur AliExpress.com | Alibaba Group).
I have seen two types of how to to solder smt:
- flux + iron like in YouTube
- solder paste + hot air like in YouTube
What would you advice ? advantages and inconvenience of both methods ?
I would be happy to start from good ground
Best regards,
JM
I use hot air to remove the surface mounted parts. I use a temperature controlled iron to install them.
I apply liquid flux first, then draw the iron and solder across the leads. Inspect your work with a magnifying lens. If any leads stick up you can touch them up individually. If there are any solder bridges use solder wick to remove them.
Important to not overheat things as on some PC Cards the pads may lift.
I apply liquid flux first, then draw the iron and solder across the leads. Inspect your work with a magnifying lens. If any leads stick up you can touch them up individually. If there are any solder bridges use solder wick to remove them.
Important to not overheat things as on some PC Cards the pads may lift.
Hello.
Somes components need hot air, somes need iron, depend on size and pins, but to prevent burning others plastic components (capacitors or connectors) you must use iron.
In addition, the tracks of the PCB can take off with hot air if used for too long time.
AOYUE-968A is usefull with high temperature iron.
For two pins SMD, AOYUE 950 is usefull, both solder and desolder.
For desoldering there's AOYUE 8800.
Somes components need hot air, somes need iron, depend on size and pins, but to prevent burning others plastic components (capacitors or connectors) you must use iron.
In addition, the tracks of the PCB can take off with hot air if used for too long time.
AOYUE-968A is usefull with high temperature iron.
For two pins SMD, AOYUE 950 is usefull, both solder and desolder.
For desoldering there's AOYUE 8800.
Hi,
I have also just started working with SMD.
I have an inexpensive hot air / iron setup that is very similar to what you are considering, and it works well for hobby use. Be advised that the soldering iron tips burn up fast - you will want better tips, or many spares ...... the iron heats very fast, so if I have a few minutes between soldering something, I just turn it off.
To answer your question, I would say "it depends". Some things are easier done with hot air, especially removing components, and some things are easier done with the iron with a fine point tip. Even with an iron, I usually use solder paste. I use an ordinary toothpick to clear solder bridges.
Once you have played with it a bit, you will get a feel for what does what, best.
Win W5JAG
I have also just started working with SMD.
I have an inexpensive hot air / iron setup that is very similar to what you are considering, and it works well for hobby use. Be advised that the soldering iron tips burn up fast - you will want better tips, or many spares ...... the iron heats very fast, so if I have a few minutes between soldering something, I just turn it off.
To answer your question, I would say "it depends". Some things are easier done with hot air, especially removing components, and some things are easier done with the iron with a fine point tip. Even with an iron, I usually use solder paste. I use an ordinary toothpick to clear solder bridges.
Once you have played with it a bit, you will get a feel for what does what, best.
Win W5JAG
On a SMD resistor or cap I dab a small piece of solder on one pcb pad.
I then lay the component on top holding it down with tweezers and solder the one end.
I then solder the other end.
I use a hot air machine for removal as it heats up both ends at once.
I have heard some people use two irons to desolder SMD parts.
For IC's flux the pcb pads.
Then solder one corner of the IC to the pcb.
Then opposite corner making sure all pins line up exactly.
Then put plenty of solder on iron and run iron along one side of IC.
Any shorts can be mopped up with wick.
I then lay the component on top holding it down with tweezers and solder the one end.
I then solder the other end.
I use a hot air machine for removal as it heats up both ends at once.
I have heard some people use two irons to desolder SMD parts.
For IC's flux the pcb pads.
Then solder one corner of the IC to the pcb.
Then opposite corner making sure all pins line up exactly.
Then put plenty of solder on iron and run iron along one side of IC.
Any shorts can be mopped up with wick.
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Unless you have a stencil that you can use with your PCB in order to deposit solder paste, it makes no sense to consider hot air or any sort of oven system for assembly. Just use a fine tip temperature controlled iron or tweezer as nigelwright7557 discussed above, and you can do a good job assembling the board. I just finished a board last night with a pencil, tweezer, flux and fine gauge solder wire and it went well. Slow, but successful.
I will say however that if your board is populated heavily and you have either an oven or an IR pre-heater and hot air, a stencil, solder paste, and reflow is a lot nicer than doing it by hand. The results are much more precise, since the stencil and paste gives you a lot of control over the solder volume. This leads to really consistent solder joints with a minimum of device heating stress, even if your PCB has 4 layers or more, and large copper planes or pours.
Further, you can easily accommodate DFN and QFN packages, some of which are almost impossible to solder with an iron alone. These days, there are some nice parts that are available only in DFNs, QFNs, or gull-wing packages with die attach pads, and these can easily be handled with paste and reflow using a competent stencil. So, consider it, but if you're soldering only gull-wing packages and resistor / capacitor chips, a fine tip temperature controlled iron or two, or an SMD tweezer will work well enough.
I will say however that if your board is populated heavily and you have either an oven or an IR pre-heater and hot air, a stencil, solder paste, and reflow is a lot nicer than doing it by hand. The results are much more precise, since the stencil and paste gives you a lot of control over the solder volume. This leads to really consistent solder joints with a minimum of device heating stress, even if your PCB has 4 layers or more, and large copper planes or pours.
Further, you can easily accommodate DFN and QFN packages, some of which are almost impossible to solder with an iron alone. These days, there are some nice parts that are available only in DFNs, QFNs, or gull-wing packages with die attach pads, and these can easily be handled with paste and reflow using a competent stencil. So, consider it, but if you're soldering only gull-wing packages and resistor / capacitor chips, a fine tip temperature controlled iron or two, or an SMD tweezer will work well enough.
Elektor January 2006 and a follow-on article December 2007.
One of the engineering-physics guys at my college uses a hot-plate -- and I think that one of our esteemed DIY contributors also used a hot plate when he was gainfully employed.
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I use the same techninique for soldering normal SMD-parts. I got the thinnest possible tip for my iron (Weller) and the thinnest solder I could find (0.3mm). This works well for parts down to 0603 (probably for 0402 as well, but I can't see those f****s
)Same here, but would add that initially I fix the IC in place by clamping it to the PCB under an (antistatic) elastic from a tube of ICs. Can't remember where I saw that trick, but it's very helpful. Once two corners are fixed so the IC doesn't move, remove the elastic and solder the remaining pins. For SO-packages a thin tip can solder each pin individually, for SSOP and similar I use Nigels technique.
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