Pre-Heater

Pre-Heater

Pre-Heaters provide fast, efficient underside heating and reduce the possibility of thermal damage to sensitive components. They make soldering and desoldering easier by reducing the heat requirement of the soldering tool. This reduces the risk of thermal damage. They are used in a variety of applications such as circuit board repair and rework of digital cameras, cell phones, and other electronic devices. Pre-heaters are available in a variety of sizes and styles to meet a range of needs.
 
Pre-Heater Applications

• Preheat the circuit board under repair
• Reduce the possibility of thermal damage
• Reduce the heat requirement from the soldering tool
• Make soldering and desoldering easier
• Soldering Pb-free assemblies
• Rework of digital cameras, cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players
• Reduce thermal shock to the board and components
• Reduce the chance of board warping

Types of Pre-Heaters 

• Heating Plate
• Bench top Board Heater

This video demonstrates the Hakko FR-1012 Pre-heater. It is a bench-top board heater designed to elevate the temperature of printed circuit board assemblies so that the components on them can be soldered and de-soldered more easily, and with improved results. This is particularly useful on medium to high-mass board assemblies, which can "heat-sink" a significant amount of energy being supplied by a soldering iron tip or handheld hot-air tool. This tool is particularly useful when soldering Pb-free assemblies.

 
Key Features of Pre-Heaters to Consider

• Comes complete with a PCB holder - no extra accessories needed
• Equipped with infrared heater for fast and accurate heat up
• Auto-Off and Standby features
• Read and set temperatures are indicated digitally
• Temperature can be regulated with the use of an optional external sensor
• Integrated self-resetting overheat protection
• High pressure fan
• Convex outlet reduces heat buildup and prevents blockage of the outlet
• Angled heater tube protects the heating element from damage caused by debris
• Optional Extension Pipe
• ESD-safe by design
• Compatible with lead free solders

Background on Soldering Equipment

Soldering is the process of bonding two or more metal items by filling the joint with a material called solder. It differs from welding because the pieces being joined are not melted. Instead, the filler metal is melted and flowed into the joint.
 
The basic solder equipment needed is a solder iron and a soldering station. However, there are many options and accessories available to meet a variety of soldering needs. When purchasing soldering equipment, it is important to remember two things:

• Temperature and variable control are key. These features will help improve soldering, so be sure to consider the temperature ranges and variable control when choosing a soldering station
• Keep extra nozzles and tips on hand. These are inexpensive and consumable. It is easier and more cost effective to purchase extras in advance rather than place another order and pay for shipping in the future

Soldering equipment is used by professionals as well as hobbyists. One of the benefits of soldering is that the process is reasonably permanent but reversible. Desoldering tools are available to remove unwanted solder.
 
Soldering Equipment Applications

• Plumbing
• Electronics
• Metalwork
• Food and beverage
• Roof flashing
• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Household appliances
• Troubleshooting, replacement, and salvage

Types of Soldering Equipment

• BGA Rework Station. BGA rework stations are used for the manual alignment, replacement, or removal of BGA, μBGA, CSP, and other surface mount components with repeatable solder reflow profiles
• Desoldering Equipment/Rework Stations. Desoldering is the process of removing solder. It is used to repair, replace, and salvage in a variety of applications
• Dispensing Equipment. Dispensing equipment is used to dispense solder paste
• Fume Extraction. Fume extraction devices are used to absorb widespread smoke and/or smoke around equipment users
• Hot Air Guns. Hot air guns are used for efficient drying as well as heat-shrinking, thawing frozen pipes, heating liquids, bending materials, and more
• Lead Forming Equipment. This equipment is used during the process of lead forming, which involves bending component leads so that they can be inserted into holes or surface-mounted on a circuit board
• Nozzles. Soldering nozzles are used on hot air pencils and with rework stations. They transfer the heat to the connection point
• Pre-Heater. Pre-heaters provide fast, efficient underside heating and reduce the possibility of thermal damage to sensitive components
• Soldering Equipment. Soldering is the process of bonding two or more metal items by filling the joint with a material called solder. Available equipment includes soldering stations and soldering guns, irons, and pencils
• Soldering Pots. Soldering pots are portable devices used to melt solder and for dip soldering small items as well as tinning the ends of wire leads
• Soldering Stands. Soldering stands hold many different types of soldering irons. They make soldering and desoldering easier
• Static Control. Static control equipment protects users and equipment from static charge
• Tips. Soldering tips transfer the heat to the connection point. They are essential to the soldering process and come in a variety of sizes and styles to meet a range of needs

Key Features of Soldering Equipment to Consider

• ESD-safe by design
• Compatible with LEAD-FREE solder
• Lockout keycard
• UL, cUL, CSA, and/or CE electrical safety approvals
• Durable and easy to use