Several technologies are used to create permanent connections. One of them is soldering. It is distinguished from traditional welding by low temperatures; the connections are made using a special material - solder. During the soldering process, molten solder is applied to the parts to be joined; as it cools, it hardens and the workpieces are connected to each other.
Soldering is performed using various devices– electric soldering iron, soldering station, etc.
Operating principle and general characteristics
A soldering station, and sometimes it is called a machine or installation, is a device that is widely used in everyday life, and in electronics and electrical engineering. The main purpose of this equipment is group or single soldering of parts.
The design of this equipment includes the following components:
- A control unit that controls the operating parameters of the device.
- A soldering iron designed for soldering.
- Tweezers involved in the assembly/disassembly of elements installed on printed circuit board.
- A hair dryer, which is designed to heat the assembly area. It can be used to perform both single and group operations.
- A heat source used to heat a printed circuit board to a process-specific temperature.
- A device for removing excess tin.
- Auxiliary equipment - stands, etc.
- Bracelets that relieve static tension.
The simplest stations include soldering irons, a control device and soldering iron stands. The key difference between a station with a hair dryer and a traditional soldering iron is that the use of this machine allows you not only to connect parts together, but at the same time optimize the temperature regime. The station includes various devices that not only increase productivity, but also ensure worker safety.
And of course, we must not forget that soldering stations with a hair dryer are equipped with a device for removing static voltage.
The characteristics, as well as the operating principles of the station with a hair dryer, are not very complicated, and this allows you to build a soldering station with a hair dryer with your own hands.
Recommendations for assembling a homemade soldering station with a hair dryer
The key requirement that can be presented to a homemade soldering station with a hair dryer can be formulated as follows - it must provide an air flow heated to a temperature of at least 850 ⁰C. In this case, the power of the heating element in the soldering station should not exceed 2.6 kW.
In addition, all the components of this soldering machine with a hair dryer should not be expensive and should be affordable. By the way, household hair dryers do not meet any of these requirements. Most often, home craftsmen strive to make either a manual or stationary hot air gun.
Oddly enough, a stationary product is easier to assemble. This is due to the following reasons - no one limits the master in terms of size and weight characteristics. There is no need to manufacture a pistol grip, which is necessary to control the device.
A hot air gun, in a stationary version, works as follows - the heat emitter stands motionless on the work table, and the part needs to be moved. This solution leads to complications during soldering. To increase soldering efficiency, it is advisable to use a hand-held soldering iron (hot air gun). Such a device should be small in size and can be operated with unprotected hands.
One of the main questions that will confront a craftsman who decides to assemble a soldering station with his own hands is something like which heating tool is appropriate to use. As already noted, the components that make up a household hair dryer do not meet the requirements for devices of this type. Therefore, it is unacceptable to use them when creating a homemade soldering station.
The practice of creating homemade stations suggests that the best option is to make your own heater from nichrome wire. Its cross section should be in the range from 0.4 to 0.8 mm. It should be understood that using wire of a larger cross-section will provide a greater power reserve, but it will be quite difficult to obtain the temperature necessary for operation.
By definition, the heater should not be large. To do this, the heating coil should not exceed 4 – 8 mm in outer diameter. As a base on which the heating element will be fixed, it is necessary to use a material with high resistance to high temperatures. It could be ceramics. By the way, a part of this type, installed in a household hair dryer, may well be suitable.
A small fan can be installed as a supercharger. By the way, it can also be removed from an old hair dryer.
The fan should provide an air flow of 20-30 liters per minute. Another option is an air compressor for aquariums. To improve its performance, it is necessary to supplement it with a receiver. You can use an ordinary plastic bottle for it.
Making a body for a hair dryer can be done based on several options. You can use materials that show high resistance to temperature, for example, ceramics, but such a solution will make the structure more expensive. You can reduce the cost by using partial thermal insulation of the channel through which hot air moves.
For the body of a self-made hot air gun, you can use a body from household appliance. There are some conditions - for example, the body must be sufficiently voluminous, and the nozzle must be made of heat-resistant materials or metals.
Another concern that the master will face is ensuring the operability of the device. In particular, in the design homemade device must include a trigger mechanism (switch) and an element responsible for adjusting the air flow parameters, namely the speed of its movement and its temperature. To solve these problems, rheostats must be installed in the electrical circuit, which allow smooth adjustment power.
The assembly of the product begins with the manufacture of a spiral. When winding it, it must be taken into account that its resistance should be in the region from 75 to 95 Ohms. The spiral must be wound on a reliable insulator, and the top must be covered with an insulator, for example, asbestos or fiberglass. After assembling this assembly, the ends of the spiral should come out.
The finished element must be installed in a previously prepared channel of the housing, that is, it must be lined with a layer of thermal insulation. After installing the spiral in place, it can be connected to the power wiring, which includes the switch.
IMPORTANT! When performing work, you must constantly remember thermal insulation.
An air heater must be mounted in the rear of the housing. If the dimensions of the supercharger do not allow it to be installed in the housing, then it is quite possible to secure it from the outside. An air duct must be connected to supply air.
Rules of use and safety precautions
When working, you must strictly observe safety precautions and rules for using such devices. Firstly, fire safety must be observed.
During operation, it is unacceptable to suddenly change the temperature in the heating element.
During work, you must be careful and avoid touching heated elements. Moisture must not get into the body or inside the hot air gun.
Attachments can only be replaced after the hair dryer has cooled down.
The workplace must be well ventilated.
DIY soldering station diagram, element base
The key tool of a soldering station is the soldering iron. If at self-assembly stations, you can use some elements removed, for example, from household appliances that have expired. Then the soldering iron should be new without any dispute. Many craftsmen prefer Solomon products and some others.
After selecting a soldering iron, you can begin to select a diode bridge for electrical diagram and a transformer. In order to obtain a voltage of 5 V, a linear stabilizer with good cooling is needed. As an alternative, you can consider using a transformer that has a winding available that is necessary to service the digital unit.
A schematic diagram of a homemade device can be found on specialized forums.
Purpose of buttons and firmware options
The front panel of the station must be equipped with control buttons responsible for performing the following functions:
- Lowering/increasing the temperature in a certain step, for example 5 or 10 degrees.
- Installation of pre-selected modes.
Instead of control buttons, you can use external device(programmer) or perform firmware inside the circuit. Setting the temperature is quite simple.
Temperature regulator for low-voltage soldering irons
Beginners can try their hand at assembling a simplified circuit. In essence, this is the same station, only with disabilities. Since it will have a slightly different filling. It can work with 12-volt soldering irons or devices assembled on the basis of a micro-soldering iron.
This circuit is based on the regulator device of the network soldering device. It has 16 levels of temperature settings.
In Soviet times, radio components of microcircuits were quite large. Therefore, equipment repair technicians used a regular soldering iron for installation. Today, with the advent of SMD elements, printed circuit boards have become compact, which has reduced the size of equipment. However, this coin also has a downside - overheating of SMD elements leads to their failure, and special equipment has a high cost. A good solution might be soldering station with your own hands, the production of which will not require large expenses. Today we’ll talk about such a device, let’s figure out how difficult it is to make it yourself and what it will take.
Read in the article:
Why do you need a soldering station: areas of application
A regular soldering iron can heat up to 400°C. This temperature is quite suitable for soldering wires or repairing microcircuits from the USSR era. But if you need to work with new SMD printed circuit boards, you need a completely different temperature regime - 260−280°C. Otherwise, when replacing one radio component, the technician will damage several elements around it. This is where a soldering station comes to the rescue, allowing you to configure optimal temperature.
Useful information! Working with a soldering station (SS) requires some skills. Therefore, before choosing a soldering station and using it to repair expensive and complex equipment, it is worth practicing on unnecessary printed circuit boards. Otherwise, there is a risk of permanently damaging the equipment.
Operating principle of the PS, general characteristics of the equipment
If we exaggerate, the principle of operation of the PS can be compared with a conventional soldering iron connected through a rheostat. However, a modern soldering station is a more complex electronic device that has many additional functions. In addition, the PS can also be contactless (airborne).
The main functions of modern soldering stations are:
- possibility of adjusting the heating of the tip. The more accurately and smoothly the adjustment is made, the easier it is for the master to work;
- mandatory presence of overheating protection;
- The temperature of the tip is controlled automatically; as it cools, the power increases.
Each model has its own additional features. At self-production You can stick to the simplest option. Especially if there is no experience in creating such devices. But the listed parameters are required. If even one of the points in the characteristics is missing, it will be impossible to call the assembled equipment a station.
Division of PS into types according to design features
The soldering station can be air (thermal air), contact, combined or infrared. Each of these types has its own area of application. First, let's look at general information for each type, and then we’ll figure out how to independently make the most popular of them – thermal air and infrared.
Contact soldering station: device features
The contact PS is a regular soldering iron equipped with a thermostat. The temperature controller can be mechanical or electronic. The price of such a soldering station is significantly lower than the cost of other types. Such equipment can be purchased for 900−1000 rubles. The cost of contact PS with the function of stabilizing heating when touching surfaces is slightly higher. When the tip touches an unheated printed circuit board, the automation increases power.
Contactless infrared PS: what is it?
The most modern of all types. Thanks to infrared radiation, the device heats the surface of the printed circuit board. At the same time, the heating of radio components located on its surface is minimal. The cost of such equipment is higher than that of other types. For example, the infrared PS “TornadoInfra Pro” can be purchased at a price of 22,000 rubles.
Hot air soldering equipment
The design of the device includes a compressor. The air supplied by it passes through the soldering iron, heating up from the tip. It is this heated air flow that heats up the printed circuit board and solder.
Interesting to know! There are specialized dismantling hot air soldering stations. Their compressor works in the opposite direction - suction, which allows you to immediately remove solder particles from the surface.
The cost of a dismantling station is significantly higher. If a regular hot-air PS “Lukey 852D+ with soldering iron” can be purchased for 5,300 rubles, then a dismantling “AOYUE 701A++” will cost 13,000 rubles.
Combined substations and their features
These stations have two types - contact and thermal air. Using a hot air gun, the printed circuit board is heated, after which the elements are soldered off quite easily with a tip.
Expert opinion
Tool selection consultant at VseInstrumenty.ru LLC
Ask a specialist“The most common operating temperature range is from +120 to +420°C. This is enough to work with all types of radio equipment that exist today.”
Examples of soldering stations of various types:
Hot air soldering station: do-it-yourself nuances
The work of making a homemade soldering station with a hairdryer with your own hands is carried out in several stages. First, a hot air gun is designed, then a control unit, and then the station is assembled and configured. At the same time, the hot air gun itself can be purchased in a store or online. Its cost is low, and such an acquisition will greatly simplify the work of producing PS. However, it is best to make your own soldering hair dryer, which does not require an electronic control unit. It is quite convenient to use, and the cost of parts for its assembly tends to zero. We will need:
- glass tube from an electric fireplace;
- nichrome spiral from the same place;
- silicone hose;
- thin glass tube;
- an old, possibly non-working soldering iron.
Let's figure out step by step using examples how this work is done.
DIY soldering station: step-by-step instructions
| Illustration | Action to be performed |
 | Inside the glass tube from the electric fireplace we insert a nichrome spiral from the same. One side will have to be stretched so that the contacts extend to one edge of the tube. |
 | We secure the nichrome thread stretched from the outside along the glass tube with simple electrical tape. Now we need to put the body of the soldering iron on the side of the ends of the spiral so that there are contacts on the edge to which we will connect the power. It is better to protect the contacts themselves with insulators from the same old soldering iron, remaining after disassembling it. |
 | We connect the silicone and thin glass tube. We place the glass one inside the body of the soldering iron. It is through these tubes that air will flow. |
 | We wrap the assembled structure with a layer of varnished fabric. This is done so that you can freely hold the Nashtermofen in your hands. Similar material is sold in any hardware store. |
 | That's almost all, the air soldering station is ready. All that remains is to supply air (yellow arrow) and 220V power (red arrow). Air can be supplied using a regular aquarium compressor. |
As you can see, the manufacturing process of such a hot air gun is quite simple when minimum costs. If we talk about factory-made equipment, you can buy a soldering station with a hair dryer for about 5,000 rubles. Agree, good savings. If you still decide to purchase such a device, before doing so, you should figure out how to solder with a hairdryer from a soldering station. Our video instructions will help with this.
How to use a soldering station with a hot air gun: video instructions
We hope that after watching the video tutorial, our readers have no questions about using the hot-air PS. To summarize this section, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several diagrams of soldering guns that you can assemble yourself.
Simple do-it-yourself soldering gun circuits
Here the editors of the site present to your attention diagrams of the simplest hot air guns, as well as an example of how to make a housing for it.
Do-it-yourself budget infrared soldering station - is it possible?
Not everyone can easily pay 20,000 rubles. and more for similar equipment. And if, moreover, soldering is required infrequently, then there is no point in purchasing a factory-made PS. Let's try to consider the option in which you have in your hands a budget infrared soldering iron made by yourself.
| Illustration | Description of action |
 | We will need a regular car cigarette lighter. We disassemble it, leaving only the spiral on the hairpin. It will become the basis of our IR soldering iron. |
 | We disassemble a soldering iron bought in a store for 100 rubles. This product cannot be used for its intended purpose, but for our purpose it is ideal. We leave the insulators and, having attached the cigarette lighter spiral, install the resulting structure inside the soldering iron body. |
 | You need to weld the cigarette lighter spiral to the body of the soldering iron. If it is not possible to use such a device, you can use “cold welding”. |
| This is how our infrared soldering station works. Many may say that a voltage regulator is needed, however, this is a misconception. The editors of the site came to the conclusion that it is easier and more convenient to adjust the heating intensity by moving the spiral closer or further away. But… |
 | ...if you think that adjustment is necessary, you can include a dimmer like this in the circuit. It is also possible to install a power button on the handle of the soldering iron, but in this case you will have to include a relay in the circuit. Otherwise, the button will instantly burn out. |
A homemade IR soldering station with your own hands is very simple, as you can see.
DIY soldering station on Arduino: manufacturing features
To make such a PS we will need a soldering iron for a soldering station. Such a pen can be purchased online, just like an Arduino chip. We will not go into details because for a person far from radio engineering and digital technologies, the production of such a PS is almost impossible, and it makes no sense to explain programming and assembly technology to those who are knowledgeable in this topic. Let’s just say that on the basis of such a microcontroller you can assemble a full-fledged soldering station, which is not inferior in characteristics to a factory-made device.
Features of do-it-yourself soldering stations on Atmega8
A do-it-yourself soldering station based on the Atmega 8 microcontroller is in no way inferior to the previous version, however, there is one difference that may be decisive for some. The Arduino microcontroller costs about $3, while the Atmega 8 costs only $1. Otherwise, such PSs will be almost identical. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the diagrams of similar equipment based on Atmega 8 and Arduino microcontrollers.
Let's sum it up
Of course, if such equipment is used at a professional level (and constantly), then it is better to purchase a factory-assembled PS. But for one-time electronics repairs, making a soldering station yourself can be an ideal solution. We hope that the information presented in today's article was useful to our readers. If you still have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them in the discussions below. Perhaps you have experience in assembling soldering stations yourself? Then we kindly ask you to share your thoughts on this topic with less experienced home craftsmen. This will help them learn something new. Write, ask, communicate. And finally, we suggest watching another short video on today’s topic.
Many radio amateurs cannot find the right tool for various microcircuits and components. A do-it-yourself soldering station for such craftsmen is one of best options solutions to all problems.
You no longer need to choose from a variety of imperfect factory devices; you just need to find the appropriate components, spend a little time and make the perfect device that meets all the requirements with your own hands.
The modern market offers radio amateurs a huge number of different types with different configurations.
In most cases, soldering stations are divided into:
- Contact stations.
- Digital and analog devices.
- Induction devices.
- Contactless devices.
- Dismantling stations.
The first station option is a soldering iron connected to a temperature control unit.
Electrical diagram of a soldering station.
Contact soldering devices are divided into:
- devices for working with lead-containing solders;
- devices for working with lead-free solders.
Allowing the melting of lead-free solder, they have powerful heating elements. This choice of soldering irons is due to the high melting point of lead-free solder. Of course, due to the presence of a temperature controller, such devices are suitable for working with lead-containing solder.
Analog soldering machines regulate the temperature of the tip using a temperature sensor. Once the tip overheats, the power is cut off. When the core cools, power is supplied to the soldering iron again and heating begins.
Digital devices control the temperature of the soldering iron using a specialized PID controller, which in turn obeys a unique program embedded in the microcontroller.
Distinctive feature Induction devices involve heating the soldering iron core using a pulse coil. Oscillations occur during operation high frequencies, forming eddy currents in the ferromagnetic coating of the equipment.
The heating stops due to the ferromagnet reaching the Curie point, after which the properties of the metal change and the effect of exposure to high frequencies stops.
Non-contact soldering machines are divided into:
- infrared;
- hot air;
- combined.
The soldering station consists of a heating element in the form of a quartz or ceramic emitter.
Infrared soldering stations, compared to hot air soldering stations, have the following tangible advantages:
- no need to search for nozzles for a soldering iron;
- well suited for working with all types of microcircuits;
- absence of thermal deformation of printed circuit boards due to uniform heating;
- radio components are not blown away from the board by air;
- uniform heating of the soldering area.
It is important to note that infrared soldering devices are professional equipment and are rarely used by ordinary radio amateurs.
Dependence of temperature on soldering time.
In most cases, infrared devices consist of:
- top ceramic or quartz heater;
- bottom heater;
- tables for supporting printed circuit boards;
- microcontroller that controls the station;
- thermocouples to monitor current temperatures.
Hot air soldering stations are used for mounting radio components. In most cases, hot air stations are convenient for soldering components located in SMD cases. Such parts are miniature in size and are easily soldered by supplying hot air from a hot air gun to them.
Combination devices, as a rule, combine several types of soldering equipment, for example, a hot air gun and a soldering iron.
Dismantling stations are equipped with a compressor that draws in air. Such equipment is ideal for removing excess solder or dismantling unnecessary components on a printed circuit board.
All more or less decent component stations in different buildings have the following additional equipment:
- backlight lamps;
- smoke extractors or hoods;
- guns for dismantling and suctioning excess solder;
- vacuum tweezers;
- infrared emitters for heating the entire printed circuit board;
- hot air gun for heating a specific area;
- thermal tweezers.
DIY soldering station
The most functional and convenient station is the infrared one.
Before you make an infrared soldering station with your own hands, you should purchase the following items:
- halogen heater for four infrared lamps power 2KW;
- upper infrared heater for the soldering station in the form of a 450 W ceramic infrared head;
- aluminum corners to create a structure frame;
- shower hose;
- steel wire;
- leg from any table lamp;
- programmable microcomputer, for example, Arduino;
- several solid state relays;
- two thermocouples to control the current temperature;
- 5 volt power supply;
- small screen;
- 5 volt buzzer;
- fasteners;
- if necessary, a soldering hair dryer.
Quartz or ceramic heaters can be used as the top heater.
Making a soldering station with your own hands.
The advantages of ceramic emitters are presented:
- invisible radiation spectrum that does not damage the eyes of the radio amateur;
- more for a long time trouble-free operation;
- very common.
In turn, quartz IR heaters have the following advantages:
- greater temperature uniformity in the heating zone;
- lower cost.
The steps for assembling an IR soldering station are presented below:
- Installation of lower heater elements for working with bga elements.
Most simple method To obtain four halogen lamps, you need to remove them from an old heater. After the issue with the lamps is resolved, you should come up with the type of housing. - Assembling the structure of the soldering table and thinking through the system for holding the boards on the lower heater.
Installing the PCB mounting system involves cutting six pieces of aluminum extrusion and attaching them to the chassis using perforated tape nuts. The resulting mounting system allows you to move the printed circuit board and adapt it to the needs of the radio amateur. - Installation of elements of the upper heater and soldering gun.
A 450 - 500 W ceramic heater can be purchased in a Chinese online store. To install the top heating, you need to take a sheet of metal and bend it to the size of the heater. After this, the top heater of the homemade IR along with the hairdryer should be placed on the leg of an old lamp and connected to the power supply. - Programming and connecting a microcomputer.
The most important stage of creating your own infrared soldering device, including: creating a housing for the microcontroller with thinking over the space for other components and buttons. The case along with the controller must contain the following elements: two solid-state relays, a display, a power supply, buttons and connecting terminals.
Most radio amateurs prefer to use old system units as the base of the body and aluminum corners for fastening all the main elements of the lower heater. When connecting lamps, it is recommended to use the standard wiring of a disassembled halogen heater.
Upon completion of the station assembly process, you should proceed to directly setting up the microcontroller. Radio amateurs who made their own infrared soldering station often had to use an Arduino ATmega2560 microcomputer.
Software written specifically for devices based on this type of controller can be found on the Internet.
Scheme
Schematic diagram of an infrared soldering iron.
A typical soldering station circuit includes:
- thermocouple amplifier block;
- microcontroller with screen;
- keyboard;
- an audible alarm, such as a computer speaker;
- batteries and support elements for the soldering gun;
- drawings of zero detector elements;
- power section elements;
- power supply for all equipment.
In most cases, the station diagram is represented by the following microcomponents:
- optocoupler;
- mosfet;
- triac;
- several stabilizers;
- potentiometer;
- trim resistor;
- resistor;
- LEDs;
- resonator;
- several resonators in SMD housings;
- capacitors;
- switches.
The exact markings of the parts vary depending on the needs and intended operating conditions.
Process
The process of assembling an infrared soldering station largely depends on the preferences of the master.
A typical version of the device on the Arduino microcontroller, which suits most radio amateurs, is assembled in the following sequence:
- selection of necessary elements;
- preparing radio components and heaters for installation work;
- assembly of the soldering station body;
- installation of lower preheaters for uniform heating of massive printed circuit boards;
- installation of the control board of the soldering combine and its fixation using pre-prepared fasteners;
- installation of an upper heater and a soldering hot air gun;
- installation of thermocouple mounts;
- programming the microcontroller for certain soldering conditions;
- checking all elements, including halogen lamps of the lower heater, infrared emitter and soldering gun.
Soldering station design.
After complete assembly of the infrared station, you should check all elements for functionality.
Special attention should be paid to checking the correct operation of thermocouples, since this system does not have their compensation.
This means that when the air temperature in the room changes, the thermocouple will begin to measure the temperature with a significant error.
Checking the ceramic heater head is also important. If the infrared emitter overheats, it is necessary to provide airflow or cooling using an additional radiator.
Settings
Setting the operating modes of an IR soldering station mainly consists of:
- setting acceptable operating modes for soldering guns;
- checking the operating modes of the lower heating element;
- setting the operating temperatures of the upper quartz emitter;
- installing special buttons to quickly change heating parameters;
- microcontroller programming.
Features of the soldering station device.
As soldering work progresses, it may be necessary to change temperatures and conditions.
Such actions can be performed using buttons associated with the microcomputer:
- the + button should be configured to increase the temperature of a purchased or homemade quartz emitter in steps of 5 - 10 degrees;
- buttons – should also lower the temperature in small increments.
The basic settings of the microcomputer are presented:
- adjusting the P, I and D values;
- adjusting profiles that specify the step of changing certain parameters;
- setting critical temperatures at which the station turns off.
Some designers make the upper heater from a hair dryer. This approach is only suitable for soldering small elements in SMD packages.
Homemade IR soldering stations are perfect for small repairs at home or in private workshops. Thanks to relative simplicity design and wide functionality infrared stations are in incredible demand.
Electrical circuit of a soldering iron.
- Correct configuration of microcontroller parameters.
If incorrect parameters are entered into the computer, the soldering machine may not properly solder components and damage the printed circuit board mask. - Wearing protective equipment when performing soldering work.
A quartz emitter, unlike a ceramic emitter, during operation produces radiation at a wavelength visible to the eye. Therefore, if the device uses a quartz infrared emitter, it is recommended to wear special safety glasses to protect the operator from vision damage. - Electric circuit diagram stations should contain only reliable elements.
In addition, all capacitors and resistors used during assembly must be selected with a small margin. - The controller for the IR soldering station can be selected from popular Arduino models.
If desired, the controller can be made from an unknown microcomputer, however, in this case the master will have to independently develop software for operation of the soldering station. - When assembling the station, you should provide a connector for connecting a soldering iron.
Sometimes, it is more convenient to spot solder the board components using a regular soldering iron or a device with a hot air gun instead of a tip. A similar solution can be implemented by designing an additional thermocouple to control the temperature of the soldering iron. - For soldering using active fluxes and solders with high lead content, air circulation must be ensured.
A good hood or fan will greatly facilitate the operator’s breathing and prevent him from breathing in the fumes of harmful metals.
Conclusion
IR soldering stations are some of the best installations in a wide variety of housing designs. You can make a soldering station using infrared heating elements even at home.
As a rule, home craftsmen prefer to use powerful halogen lamps for bottom heaters. Basic pinouts of connectors, microcircuit parameters, microcontroller models, instructions on how to make a soldering gun from a household hair dryer and other information are available on the Internet.
A DIY soldering station with a hair dryer is a fairly simple but very useful device. With its help, you can repair radio components and other products at home. This device will be a worthy replacement for expensive equipment, the purchase of which is not always advisable.
Operating principle and general description
A soldering station is a special device that has a wide range of applications in electrical engineering. Using this unit, you can carry out individual or group soldering of parts.
A homemade soldering station is capable of heating metal leads and plastic to high temperatures. It has a very simple design and operating principle, so you don’t need to be a professional to make it.
Softening of materials occurs by blowing them with hot air. To do this, a special heating coil is included in the process. Such devices are characterized by high precision in the direction of air masses. Therefore, a DIY soldering station with a hair dryer can be classified as semi-professional equipment.
Design features
If you decide to create a soldering station with a hair dryer yourself, you need to understand its design. Its main components are called:
- control unit. Controls all the main operating parameters of the unit;
- soldering iron Directly takes part in the soldering process;
- tweezers. Necessary for assembling and disassembling parts that are installed on a printed circuit board;
- hairdryer An important device that heats the assemblies that are assembled;
- heat source. Produces thermal energy necessary for the efficient flow of all technological processes;
- device for removing unnecessary tin;
- various auxiliary items;
- bracelets to relieve static tension.
The most structurally simple soldering units are a set of a soldering iron, a control device and a stand. With the help of such specialized stations, it is possible not only to perform soldering, but also to optimize this work process as much as possible. They include parts that improve productivity and ensure high safety during operation.
Technology for making a soldering station from improvised means
A person who has basic knowledge of electrical engineering will be able to assemble a soldering station with his own hands. To do this you need to follow simple instructions below.
General requirements for homemade equipment
There are specific requirements for a homemade unit with a hairdryer. It must ensure the creation of an air flow heated to 850°C. The power of the heating element should not exceed 2.6 kW.
When choosing components for the station, you must give preference to those that are available or are of low cost. Therefore, it is advisable to make a manual or stationary unit with a hairdryer. The latter works in such a way that the thermal energy emitter is stationary, while the part itself moves. This operating principle creates certain difficulties when performing soldering.
To increase the efficiency of the work performed, it is advisable to use a manual unit. It is small in size and weight, which makes it easy to use.
Features of creating a heater
Experts recommend making your own heater using nichrome wire. It should have a diameter in the range of 0.4-0.8 mm. It is necessary to understand that the large size of the wire will give it a huge margin of strength, but will make it difficult to achieve the optimal temperature. Therefore, it is not advisable to use too large a thread for this.
The outer diameter of the formed heating coil should be 4-8 mm. To fix the created part, a special base is used that is resistant to high temperatures. Experts recommend giving preference to ceramics. This base can be removed from a regular household hair dryer.
Hot air blower formation technology
In order for the created homemade station to work effectively, it is necessary to equip it with a small fan. It can be removed from an old hair dryer or other unnecessary household appliance. The fan should provide an air flow of 20 l/min.
It is possible to use an air compressor, which is usually installed on aquariums. To make the unit work more efficiently, it is supplemented with a receiver. For this purpose, you can take a regular plastic bottle.
Forming the body of the station with a hair dryer
To create the body of the soldering station, it is necessary to use heat-resistant materials. This can be done in several ways using the following options:
- ceramics. An excellent, but very expensive solution for ensuring security;
- partial thermal insulation of the channel, through which air heated to high temperatures moves;
- old housing from any household appliance. Must be voluminous and not subject to destruction from high temperature.
Assembly and maintenance of equipment
In order for the created soldering station to work efficiently, a switch and a device for adjusting the main operating parameters are added to its design. The last unit must set the optimal air temperature and speed of its movement. To achieve this goal, rheostats are included in the equipment. With their help you can implement smooth adjustment power.
The creation of a station must begin with the formation of a spiral. It is wound on a high-quality insulator and covered with fiberglass on top. As a result, the ends of the spiral should come out. The resulting part is placed in a housing with ready-made thermal insulation. The spiral is subsequently connected to the power wire to which the switch is connected. An air blower is mounted on the rear side of the housing.
What mistakes can be avoided during the assembly process?
A DIY soldering station cannot consist only of a heating coil and a fan. This device cannot be made from a simple hair dryer. In this case, he will not be able to melt even tin. Therefore, you should not forget about additional equipment.
In order to increase the heating temperature, there is no need to reduce the fan speed and the diameter of the outlet. This will only lead to melting of the housing and failure of other components of the equipment.
Video: Simple DIY soldering station with a hair dryer
A couple of months ago I didn’t even think about a homemade soldering station. I was going to buy Lukey 702, but looking at the prices, I still didn’t understand why I would pay 6...8 thousand for it.
Lukey's disadvantages:
- The transformer power is too low, the transformer is operating at its maximum capacity.
- The quality of the transformer iron is low, it heats up even at idle, and at some stations it also hums.
- Inconvenient temperature setting (impossible to quickly set 20-40-60 degrees).
- The discreteness of setting the temperature is 1 degree, which in reality is not needed.
- A signal connector (PS/2) is installed in the power circuit.
- Constant power supply from the network, even when the soldering station is not in use.
- No auto shut off feature.
- High price.
The list is not small, so I decided not to buy Lukey. I started looking towards homemade soldering irons. The finished structures were somehow not satisfactory. Somewhere the author spared transistors for indicators. Somewhere through the diode bridge 2 amperes are pumped, and the diodes become hot like irons. Somewhere the author pumps 35 volts through the cranks. In general, it was definitely decided to invent my own bicycle.
So, I present to your attention the soldering station ZSS-01.
Main functions:
- Convenient temperature setting.
- Simultaneous indication of current and set temperatures.
- Customizable auto-shutdown timer. After the timer is triggered, the station de-energizes itself.
- Error processing and indication. After an error occurs, the station de-energizes itself.
- Zero consumption after self-de-energization.
- Saving settings using cyclic write/read.
Soldering station diagram:
Now I’ll tell you in detail about each node of the circuit.
Display unit.
Contains two seven-segment indicators. The first indicator displays the current temperature of the soldering iron, the second - the set one. Indicators can be use with both a common anode and a common cathode, installing the appropriate firmware. The indicators are connected via a buffer chipto reduce the load on the microcontroller ports. Instead of a buffer, you can put 12 transistors, but it seems to me that the microcircuit is easier to solder,and the board layout is simplified, and it costs less than a handful of transistors. The display unit also contains a buzzer that beeps whenerrors occur, and also makes clicking noises when pressing buttons. The tweeter used is a regular one, without a built-in generator. I set the squeakerfrom ancient motherboard. The microcontroller generates a square wave, then the square wave passes through a buffer transistor and goes to the tweeter.
Power supply unit.
A special feature of this soldering station is the ability to self-de-energize. The primary winding of the transformer is connected to the network through normally open relay contacts. When the station is switched off, the relay contacts are open and the transformer is de-energized. To start the solderingstation, you need to press the “ON” button, which briefly bypasses the relay contacts. Voltage is applied to the primary windingThe microcontroller starts up. After startup, the MK turns on the relay, bypassing the button. The transformer remains energized untilThe microcontroller will not turn off the relay. Thus, after turning off the power, the device consumption becomes zero and disappearsthe need to use a standby power source (transformers with additional windings mi, etc.).
Self-de-energizing occurs when:
- Pressing the "OFF" button on the front panel.
- The auto shutdown timer is triggered.
- No heating of the soldering iron.
- Soldering iron overheating.
The secondary winding of the transformer produces 24 volts. After rectification and filtering, the voltage rises to 34 volts. For food The microcontroller uses a pulse converter LM2596S-ADJ, which reduces the voltage to 5 volts. In case of breakdown of the built-in converter key, a suppressor removed from the hard drive board is installed at the output.
Temperature measurement unit.
To assemble the station, I bought a soldering iron from Lukey 702. The original K-type thermocouple located in the tip is used as a temperature sensor heater. To amplify the voltage from the thermocouple, a consumer-grade operational amplifier LM358 is used. The op-amp gain is selectedso that the output voltage of 5 volts corresponds to 1023 degrees, while 1 quantum of the ADC will be equal to 1 degree. UsedThe op-amp does not have a Rail-to-Rail output, so the maximum measured temperature will be approximately 800 degrees. Operating temperature rangestations from 100 to 450 degrees, so measuring up to 800 degrees suits me. After assembling the station, it is necessary to calibratetemperature using a trim resistor.
Heater control unit.
Everything is simple here. The microcontroller includes an optocoupler. The optocoupler opens the triac. A triac switches the heater to the secondary winding transformer. PWM adjustment is not used, only the heater is turned on/off, the so-called “key mode”.
Push-button control unit.
For control, 1 power and 5 signal buttons are used. In order not to spoil appearance soldering station, all the buttons were The same ones are used - power ones. All control comes down to turning the power on/off, setting the temperature, and setting the timerauto shutdown. By holding down the buttons, values are scrolled through quickly.
Now I’ll tell you about additional functionality.
Auto shutdown timer.
Allows you to set a time interval from 1 to 255 hours, after which the soldering station will de-energize itself. It is also possible turning off the timer. To do this, you must set the time interval to 0. To enter the timer setting mode, you mustsimultaneously hold down the “-20” and “+20” buttons, and without releasing them, turn on the station with the “ON” button. The first indicator will display the letter "A",confirming entry into the auto-shutdown setting mode, and a sound signal will sound. The "-20" and "+20" buttons must be released. On the secondThe indicator will display the number of hours that can be changed using the "-5" and "+5" buttons, and the change will occur in 1 hour increments.every press. To save the changes, you must press the "OFF" button, and the soldering station will de-energize itself.
Protection against soldering iron not heating / thermal sensor short circuit.
When turned on, the soldering station counts down 1 minute, after which constant control of the soldering iron temperature is activated. If the temperature is lower 80 degrees (for example, if the heater breaks), the error “Err 1” is displayed on the indicator, a long beep sounds, and the stationde-energizes itself. This error will also occur when short circuit temperature sensor.
Protection against soldering iron overheating / temperature sensor breakage.
Overheating protection can be useful, for example, in case of breakdown of the control triac. The soldering iron heats up to 470 degrees, it works protection. The indicator displays the error "Err 2", a long beep sounds, and the soldering station de-energizes itself. AlsoThis error will occur when the temperature sensor breaks, thanks to the pull-up resistor at the input of the measuring unit.
Saving settings.
The structure with settings takes 3 bytes. The ATmega8 microcontroller contains 512 bytes of EEPROM memory. Since the memory size allows you to save 170 structures, a cyclic writing/reading algorithm for settings was implemented. The algorithm works as follows. After turning on the power,In memory, the last non-empty structure is searched and the settings are read from it. Before turning off the power, the first empty structure is looked for, and into itsettings are recorded. Thus, with each save, the settings are written to the next structure, and so on 170 times. When everythingthe structures will fill up and the free space will run out, the memory will be completely erased, and the settings will be written to the first structure. And so on in a circle. The use of this algorithm allows you to extend the memory resource by 170 times, and also promotes uniform wear of the cells.
Now I’ll tell you a little about the insides of the station. The transformer used is like this:
Photo of the main board during assembly.
Structurally, the soldering station consists of two boards.
The display board contains only seven-segment indicators.
One wire is not connected because... dot is not used.
All other components are on the main board.
The dimensions of the boards are adjusted to use the factory B12 plastic case, which has dimensions of 200x165x70 mm.
Entrails.
This is what happened in the end. Front view.
Rear view. To connect the soldering iron, I installed some kind of Soviet connector.
Setting the auto shutdown timer.
Error indication.
Let's summarize.
Overall, I'm happy with the homemade product. You can add 20...40 degrees without straining, and not worry about leaving your soldering iron on unattended. Some components were in stock I had to buy something. List of costs:
- Soldering iron from Lukey 702 === 1013 RUR
- Toroidal transformer TTP-60 (2x12V, 2.2A) === 800 RUR
- Triac BTA25-800 === 105 RUR
- Optocoupler triac MOC3063 === 26 RUR
- Seven-segment indicator FYT-3631 === 46+46 rub.
- Tip Hakko 900M-T-3C === 500 RUR
- Double-sided tape === 75 RUR
- Delivery === 189+175 rub.
As a result, the station cost me 2975 rubles.
Future plans:
- Instead of a relay, install a triac.
- Make an automatic selection of the type of temperature sensor used (thermocouple or thermistor).
- Replace the heater with a ceramic one.
- Make the front panel matte to prevent glare.
List of radioelements
| Designation | Type | Denomination | Quantity | Note | Shop | My notepad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display board | |||||||
| HG1, HG2 | Seven segment indicator | FYT-3631BD | 2 | To notepad | |||
| Basic fee | |||||||
| DA1 | DC/DC pulse converter | LM2596 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| DA2 | Operational amplifier | LM358 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| DD1 | MK AVR 8-bit | ATmega8 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| DD2 | Bus Receiver, Transmitter IC | SN74HC245 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| U1 | Optocoupler | MOC3063M | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VS1 | Triac | BTA25 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VDS1 | Diode bridge | W04M | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VD1 | Rectifier diode | FR103 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VD2 | Rectifier diode | 1N4007 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VD3 | Rectifier diode | BAV99 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| ZD1 | Protection diode | SMBJ5V0CA | 1 | To notepad | |||
| VT1, VT2 | Bipolar transistor | C945 | 2 | To notepad | |||
| HA1 | Sound emitter | DBX05A | 1 | To notepad | |||
| FU1 | Fuse | 5A | 1 | To notepad | |||
| FU2 | Fuse | 1A | 1 | To notepad | |||
| K1 | Relay | JW1FH-DC12V | 1 | To notepad | |||
| L1 | Inductor | 120 µH | 1 | To notepad | |||
| L2 | Inductor | Ferrite bead 0805 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| R1 | Resistor | 680 Ohm | 1 | 2 Watt | To notepad | ||
| R2 | Resistor | 3.01 kOhm | 1 | 1% | To notepad | ||
| R3 | Resistor | 1 kOhm | 1 | 1% | To notepad | ||
| R4 | Resistor | Jumper 1206 | 1 | To notepad | |||
| R5, R6 | Resistor | 360 Ohm | 2 | To notepad | |||
| R7, R18, R19, R21, R22, R24, R25, R26, R27, R28 | Resistor | 330 Ohm | 10 | To notepad | |||
| R8, R20 | Resistor | 100 kOhm | 2 | To notepad | |||
| R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 | Resistor | 10 kOhm | 6 | ||||