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. They are used in production plants, laboratories and service shops as well as other industries. Hot air guns are available in various sizes and styles. Different nozzles can be used for different applications. Hot air guns can be used with stands for stationary operation.
Hot Air Gun Applications
- Bend plastic
- Applying heat shrinking products (ex. heat shrink tubing)
- Dry wall emulsion
- Dry plaster
- Composite work
- Curing epoxy and softening adhesives
- Thawing frozen pipes
- Softening and molding plastics
- Heating liquids
- Assembly and repair applications
- Softening and forming plastic laminates
- Removing paints and finishes
Key Features of Hot Air Guns to Consider
Low cost Hot Air Guns are available for users that do not need precision temperature control and are infrequent users. These designs do not have replaceable heaters and so are throw-away. Better models will feature repleaceable heaters and adjustable temperature control. Top models will actually digitally display temperature.
Why is temperature control important in Hot Air Guns?
Believe it or not but something taken for granted such as heat shrink tubing does have an optimum temperature specification and so do other applications. It may not be important for a home or occasional hot air gun application, but military, aerospace, industrial, and manufacturing often will have specifications that must be met. With better control and display of temperature uniformity can be insured in production runs. It would avoid damage to critical components by overheating and performance issues later due to insufficient heat.
Besides temperature control and display here are other considerations in selecting a Hot Air Gun:
- Two stage switch
- Reinforced ceramic mica heating element
- Replaceable heating element
- Compact, lightweight construction
- Quick-lock stand is fully adjustable and stores keys
- Color coded keys for the right temperature every time
- Maintenance free factory sealed motor
- Soft grip handle
- Convenient switch (Off / Cool / Hot / Various Temperature Settings)
- Ultra quiet operation
- UL, cUL, CSA, and/or CE electrical safety approvals
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