At electronica 2022, Ersa will be presenting at booth B1.234 the world’s first manual soldering station, with which soldering processes in electronics manufacturing can be improved and seamlessly documented.
With the Ersa i-CON TRACE, traceability can also be ensured for manual soldering processes for the first time. The smart IoT soldering station records process information seamlessly and offers visual reports. It is possible to identify the causes of quality deviations at an early stage, isolate them and trace problems. The data collected can help to identify quality defects on manually created solder joints in returned assemblies.
The i-CON TRACE soldering station, equipped with WiFi, Bluetooth and optionally also with a network card, has an outstanding soldering performance with a heating power of 150 W. It has a characteristic operating concept and can be controlled using mobile end devices such as a notebook, tablet, or smartphone. In addition, the supervisor can centrally specify the parameters relevant for a soldering task. The Ersa TRACE Cockpit operating software also makes it possible to assign a soldering task to a specific specialist. Actual temperature and other parameters are displayed and can be adjusted job-related.Â
To enable the operator entrusted with a manual soldering task to carry out the work assigned to him, the component, soldering tip, solder wire and flux are detected with a hand-held scanner. “The soldering station is only ready to use when all factors correspond to the task. This eliminates potential errors, increases process reliability, and ensures complete traceability of the process data. The operator can thus concentrate fully on the soldering task,” emphasises Jörg Nolte, product manager for soldering tools, rework, and inspection systems at Ersa GmbH.
The i-CON TRACE soldering station can be used both as a stand-alone soldering station with pre-set parameters and integrated into MES (Manufacturing Execution System)-controlled production processes. If the TRACE App, which is available free of charge and ensures intuitive and safe operation, is used in conjunction with the TRACE Cockpit, the soldering station can also be controlled using mobile devices such as a notebook, tablet, or smartphone in the company network.
In addition, the newly designed and thermally optimised soldering tip range increases the efficiency of energy transfer by up to 30 %. Finally, the Tip’n’Turn quick-change system, specially developed and patented by Ersa, allows the uncomplicated, quick, and safe change of the soldering tips offered in different shapes and sizes. The easy-to-use bayonet lock also provides a pre-tension, which permanently presses the soldering tip against the heating element. This ensures a stable temperature accuracy of +/- 2° C. In addition, the long-life heating element and the soldering tip can be replaced independently of each other, thus reducing operating costs and protecting the environment.
