Description
A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering. It supplies heat to melt solder so that it can flow into the joint between two workpieces. A soldering iron is composed of a heated metal tip and an insulated handle. Heating is often achieved electrically, bypassing an electric current (supplied through an electrical cord or battery cables) through a resistive heating element.
Cordless irons can be heated by combustion of gas stored in a small tank, often using a catalytic heater rather than a flame. Simple irons less commonly used today than in the past were simply a large copper bit on a handle, heated in a flame.
Soldering irons are most often used for installation, repairs, and limited production work in electronics assembly. High-volume production lines use other soldering methods.
Types:
- Simple iron
- Cordless iron
- Temperature-controlled soldering iron
- Soldering station
- Soldering tweezers
- Hot knife
