Hand Solder tips deterioration - No-Lead Pb

The fluxes involved with lead-free soldering tend to be more aggressive and the tip deterioration is a side effect of making the world a greener place. I am not certain if any of the tip manufacturers claim to have lead-free resistant tips. I would make certain that all of your solderers are tinning their tips appropriately with a no-clean flux wire or tip tinning disc. Tinning with water soluble wire can deposit corrosive residues. -OtheRuss

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We too are having issues with our soldering iron tips. We purchased the new Weller WD series irons which we were told would work just fine with lead-free solder. The Weller unit has changed 3 times in the last year(latest unit is the WD2M series). The Weller rep told me that we were running our irons too hot....we run at 750 to 800 because we are soldering on huge ground planes - RF boards. His suggestions were....purchase hot plate so we can reduce our tip temps, do not wipe the irons on a wet sponge - instead use a copper or brass sponge, use a polishing stone once the tip becomes black for oxidation. Keep the tip tinned, do not use the tip tinner, it has very agressive chemicals which will eat the tip material. We have removed the wet sponge, started tinning our tips more and are now using the brass sponges....still too early to tell. The one good thing with the Weller WD series - the tip price is low so changing them every day is not to expensive. Someone needs to design the perfect soldering tip for lead-free soldering!!!

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After searching the fine SMTnet Archives, two threads on disappearing LF solder tips are: * http://www.smtnet.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=35436

* http://www.smtnet.com/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=41300

There probably are more there.

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