5
5.
CARTRIDGE OVERVIEW
a. About Metcal Cartridges
The soldering and rework cartridges are constructed with a tip, heater, coil,
connector and shaft. This assembly is designed for precision and long life provided
that the proper tip care procedures are followed. (See Section 8)
Selecting a cartridge depends on the following variables
Need for access
Type of solder
Size and mass of load
Componenet type
The correct choice of cartridge will result in an optimized soldering process. Here
are some of the considerations for selecting the soldering or rework cartridge.
b. Choosing the Correct Tip Geometry
Metcal cartridges come in a wide variety of tip geometries and temperature ranges
.
These tip geometries cover a broad range of tasks from delicate
precision work to
heavy ground plane soldering.
1. Pick a tip that
maximizes contact area
between the solder joint and tip.
Maximizing contact area gives the most efficient heat transfer, producing
high quality solder joints quickly.
2. Pick a tip that allows good access to the solder joint. Shorter tip lengths
allowquicker response. Longer or angled tips may be needed for soldering
densely populated boards.
3. Pick the lowest temperature tip cartridge that will accomplish the task. This
minimizes the potential for thermal damage. The temperature series is
marked on the shaft of the Heater Tip. (See page 8 for more Information)
Too Large
Solder/Rework Thru-hole
Desolder Thru-hole
Correct
Correct
Too Small
Too Large
Too Small
Test Equipment Depot - 800.517.8431 - 99 Washington Street Melrose, MA 02176
