What Is Desoldering?


Soldering is a process in which two or more objects are joined together by melting and placing a filler metal in a joint. It is the preferred method for securing copper pipes in plumbing or assembling electrical components in printed circuit boards (PCBs). While soldering is a strong and reliable way of joining materials together, it is not a permanent fix. In the case that you want to remove or disconnect a joint, you can simply desolder the soldered joint.

When desoldering, you must use the proper tools to avoid damage to the assembly at hand, allowing you to repurpose your components. Desoldering consists of melting the solder and removing the joints between two affixed objects. In the electronics realm, desoldering is typically used to remove electrical components from PCBs for troubleshooting, repair, replacement, and more. Similar to soldering, desoldering requires a certain level of precision. With this in mind, this blog will cover what the desoldering process necessitates and how it works.

There are various methods of desoldering, each requiring different tools. Using a soldering iron is one of the easier ways of desoldering components and consists of heating the solder with a soldering iron until it starts melting. Then, the pins will be nudged using the iron before removing the solder from the joints. Furthermore, you must utilize pliers to remove the components in the assembly from the pinholes and apply pressure at the tips rather than the bodies to avoid damage. Keep in mind that you should not use the soldering iron for too long as you may damage the board.

Alternatively, you may use a soldering wick method to remove unwanted solder. Composed of braided and intertwined copper coils, soldering wicks are excellent heat conductors. As solder is drawn to heat, the copper coils bring up the solder from the metal surface. To enhance the speed of desoldering, you may dip the end of the wick into flux. To remove the solder, you intertwine a few inches of the copper wire to form a braid and place a portion of the wick on the joint you want to desolder. Keep a hot soldering iron at the tip of the wick and desired pin, and after a few seconds, the solder should melt. Unfortunately, with this method, the soldering wick may not be reused and removing solder from the tiny pinholes is nearly impossible.

Another desoldering method includes the use of a desoldering pump to suck the solder out of an assembly. Compact in design and available in varying styles, this high-pressure vacuum pump needs to be heated to melt the solder. Begin by utilizing a soldering iron to heat the solder until it melts, press down on the plunger of the desoldering pump, place the pump on the molten solder, and release pressure so that the pump can suck up the solder.

Using a heat gun is another feasible method of removing solder from components. First, you must turn on the heat gun, hold the PCB firmly with pliers or a stand, and hold the heat gun against the solder until it melts. As the heat gun rapidly heats up, components are often damaged in the process and operators may face injury.

The last method includes using compressed air. By utilizing a compressed air gun to discharge compressed air, operators can blast molten solder. This method requires the use of safety glasses and other protective gear to prevent potential injuries caused by the blast. You may use a soldering iron to melt the solder, or you may utilize a compressed air can to spray a freezing liquid solvent which cools the solder into a brittle consistency that is easy to break down.

Regardless of the method used to desolder components, one must be careful to adhere to safety precautions. Desoldering should only take place in ventilated areas and with individuals who are properly fitted in safety gear. As soldering and desoldering necessitates the use of a myriad of components and tools, finding a trusted distributor of top-quality equipment is paramount.

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August 23, 2022

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