In today’s fast paced manufacturing environments, the main challenges for hand soldering and rework are driven by three factors. First, more heat is needed for lead-free solder and other thermally challenging conditions. Second, higher levels of precision are needed for increasingly smaller components. And finally, greater control is needed for components and substrates that require limited exposure to high temperatures.

The EMPF is currently using the new MX-5000 Soldering/Desoldering and Rework System by Metcal. This new offering is a system that enables increased productivity and process control for a wide range of applications. Similar to the older MX-500, the new MX-5000 increases output power, adds process feedback, and improves application flexibility with new hand-piece ergonomics.


Increased Power

With nearly double the power of the older MX-500, the MX-5000 time-to-recovery increases production rates and throughput. The challenges of high mass components, multilayered boards, and lead-free solders are seamlessly matched.

Improved Ergonomics

The MX-5000 Series offers new soldering hand-pieces which are designed for ease of use, performance, and operator comfort. The hand pieces designed to work with the MX-5000 are: the Advanced Soldering Hand-piece model #MX-H1-AV, the Ultrafine Hand-piece, the Precision Tweezers hand-piece and the Desoldering Hand-piece model #MX-DS1.


Greater Process Control

SmartHeat Technology in every MX-5000 senses the specific thermal demand directly at the solder pad and delivers the precise quantity and flow of thermal energy to ensure that soldering and rework are always performed at safe, controlled temperatures.

The new MX-5000 Series provides users with a wide range of choices to address conduction soldering and rework processes. At the core of each system is a microprocessor controlled power supply that provides more power, the highest level of precision, and advanced user features for greater process control. It has a built-in power indication meter with digital display and bar graph which provides the operator with feedback on the status of the soldering operation. Whether using a large mass rework tip for quad flat packs (QFPs) or a fine-point soldering tip, the power indication meter is a valuable resource for making consistent, acceptable solder joints.

The system has four mode indications. “Ready Mode” indicates the hand-piece is removed from the work stand and is ready for soldering or rework. “Power Mode” is when the hand-piece’s tip is in contact with the load and the power indication meter provides graphical and numeric feedback on the system power output. “Sleep Mode” indicates that the hand-piece is at rest in the work stand with reduced power to the hand-piece. “Power Save” mode is a programmable feature that allows a supervisor to set the desired time to cut off power to the hand-piece.


More About Comfort and Control

The advanced soldering hand-piece is a general purpose tool for single task soldering, touch-up soldering, surface mount device (SMD) rework, and pad clean-up. This hand-piece offers a choice of three interchangeable grips to meet operator preferences for comfort and feel, resulting in higher levels of productivity.

The ultrafine hand-piece is designed for very fine soldering on mini and micro components as small as 0.2 mm.

For efficient and ergonomic removal of discreet and small outline integrated circuit (SOIC) components, the tweezer hand-piece increases productivity with greater removal speed and increased precision. The tweezers are able to rework devices as small as 0201 by combining fine-tip soldering cartridges and a multiple axis hand-piece adjustability to achieve proper tip alignment.

The high power desoldering hand-piece is designed for plated-through-hole component desoldering. The easy-to-grip handle allows the task to be completed quickly and comfortably. This “shop-air” hand tool, in combination with the new MX-5000 Series power supply, provides exceptional thermal performance on difficult ground planes and other high-mass applications.

As a supplement to all the refinements of the MX-5000, the new Metcal TipSaver Work stand improves tip life as well as operator ergonomics. When placed in the work stand, the “Auto-Sleep” feature reduces the power to the hand-piece which substantially decreases tip oxidation, a major cause of reduced tip life. The TipSaver Work stand is available with a soft, coiled brass tip cleaner or with both the brass cleaner and the traditional sponge holder. Many users prefer the brass-only option, as this reduces the potential to introduce contaminants to the tip, which can occur with poorly maintained sponges. The work stand also has an adjustable angle cradle that allows operators to select and lock the angle for tool placement in the holder to meet their preference to increase ergonomics and productivity.

For more information related to this article, or to schedule a demonstration of Metcal’s MX-5000 soldering/desoldering system located at the EMPF, contact Ken Friedman at 610.362.1200, extension 279 or via email at kfriedman@aciusa.org.