How to save money by Caring for Tips
Kimco carries solder tips that are among the highest quality soldering tips available. Many of these tips have been specifically designed for use in the electronics industry and will perform well for months or years, when cared for properly. Below are three ways companies can extend the lifespan of their soldering tips:
1) Tip Tinning:
Tinning is perhaps the most important aspect of soldering tip maintenance.
Kimco’s soldering tips are built to resist oxidation, but it is impossible to keep metal from corroding over time; especially when the station is left on and the tip is hot - heat speeds up the oxidation buildup.
Because of the precision electronic repair requires, soldering tips cannot have any oxidation on them. By constantly keeping a soldering tip coated in a thin layer of solder, workers can prevent the tip from corroding from oxidation.
Tip tinning is simple and inexpensive way to save money and solder more cost effectively.
2) Tip Cleaning:
Even though corrosion renders a tip useless, these tips should be wiped off periodically with a
solder tip cleaning sponge or the preferred method of using a brass sponge like the
Hakko 599B-02 Replacement Solder Tip Cleaning Wire or
Weller WDC2 Dry Tip Cleaning System. The wet sponge seems to be the most popular way, but one downside is the fact that the wet sponge cools off the tip causing the tip to go through a cooling and heating cycle that decrease the life of the tip. Furthermore, the wet sponges seem to redeposit contaiminents back onto the tips at a higher frequency than the soft metal wool ball sponges. Having said that, the sponges seem to be more effective approach to removing flux residues, rosin, solder and dust accumulate on the tip. A periodic wipe keeps a solder tip clean and free of debris.
3) Solder Hand Piece Storage
Kimco strongly recommends using a holder, which protects both the soldering equipment and employees. Holders reduce the risk of dropping a hot iron, which would likely damage the tip, the heating elements and could burn a person. The
Weller WDH10 Soldering Iron Holder is an example of a holder, but this holder is only compatible with Weller soldering equipment. Most holders come with a sponge and can be positioned between 30° and 80°. For a specific
solder iron holder that works with your soldering station, you can search for holders that Kimco Distributing carries or
contact us and we'll send you the information you need.
Dutifully paying attention to these three items will extend the life of the Weller tips sold by Kimco Distributing Corporation’s, thereby reducing company’s costs. No matter how dutifully workers look after their equipment, though, solder station tips will eventually need to be replaced. Companies should never try to sand or file down tips, as this will reduce the heat transfer abilities of the tip and make it uneven. When a tip cannot be cleaned with the metods stated above, it is time to order a replacement tip. Before you order a new tip, we recommend trying to recondition the tip using a
Hakko FT700-05 Tip Polisher .
Kimco Distributors carries a full line of replacement tips for when old ones need replacement.
Brand of replacement soldering tips we carry:
Edsyn
Hakko
Metcal
OK International
PACE
Plato
Weller
We also strives to make our customers more productive and cost effective in their use of the tools we sell. If you have a topic or question concerning any of our tools, ask us. We have over 30 years experience working with these tools, so we might know a trick or two. Furthermore, if we don't know, we'll figure it out and let you know.
