How do you choose the right soldering tip for micro soldering?
The shape and size of a soldering tip play a key role in the quality of soldering, as they have a significant influence on heat transfer and therefore soldering behavior.
Using practical examples from the field of electronics manufacturing, we will show you how to select the right soldering tip for different applications.
Soldering tip shape B
Details
Soldering tip shape B is characterized by its tapered end, which resembles a pencil tip. This shape allows flexible working, as different areas of the tip surface can be used as required. Thanks to its shape, it can be used regardless of hand position or angle. This makes it ideal for both fine and larger solder joints.
As shape B can be used universally, it is suitable for almost all soldering work. It is also suitable for beginners as it is intuitive to use.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
- Pulling solder rows
- Setting individual solder points
- Soldering in chips
Soldering tip shape BC/C
Angled flat tip for efficient heat transfer
Details
The BC/C soldering tip shapes have a conical or cylindrical shaft with a beveled surface. This special geometry enables effective heat transfer to the solder joint. A key feature of the BC shape is the greater material thickness. As this achieves a higher thermal mass, it is ideal for demanding soldering work.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
- Line soldering, e.g. on IC connections
- Pre-tinning of wires and strands
- Soldering components such as SMD capacitors
Differences between type BC and C:
- Type BC (conically flattened):
Higher heat capacity, therefore better suited for larger or more heat-intensive solder joints - Type C (cylindrical, obliquely flattened):
Slightly lower thermal mass, ideal for precise work in confined spaces
Soldering tip shape BCF/CF
Details
The basic shape of the BCF/CF soldering tip is similar to the BC/B version, but has a special feature: Only the cut surface is tinned here.
As the solder does not penetrate to the tip, this version is particularly suitable for soldering work in confined areas with closely spaced components.
Difference between BC/C and BCF/CF:
In contrast to the BC/C shape, where the entire ground surface is tinned, the BCF/CF offers more control for precise solder joints and reduces the risk of solder bridges - ideal for working close to sensitive or closely positioned components.
Soldering tip shape BCM/CM
Angled flat tip with integrated groove for clean drag soldering
Details
HAKKO BCM/CM soldering tips are based on the proven BC/C shape. However, they also have a recess in the ground surface, the so-called groove. Thanks to this special groove, the surface tension of the solder can be used to prevent the formation of solder bridges during drag soldering.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
- Ideal for soldering several pins evenly in one pass
- Particularly suitable for removing small solder bridges
- Supports clean and safe processing, especially with sensitive IC connections
The groove acts like a solder trap: the surface tension creates a controlled solder flow with a suction effect, which absorbs excess solder. This reduces the risk of unwanted connections between neighboring pins and creates reliable solder joints.
Soldering tip shape D
Flat, wide and versatile
Details
Soldering tip shape D is similar in shape to a slotted screwdriver or a small chisel. Its wide and at the same time flat tip offers a significantly larger contact surface than the conical shape B. This enables a wide and even heat transfer. The soldering tip shape is particularly suitable for soldering SMD components and drag soldering several pins in one work step.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
- Drag soldering of IC pins
- Soldering larger solder joints
- Processing of SMD components
The D-shape is available in various widths, from 0.5 mm to 5.2 mm, and is suitable as a universal soldering tip for many tasks. Due to its special geometry, it can be used either with the entire flat side or specifically with the edge (cutting edge). However, this requires some practice. Suitable handling is also important to achieve optimum results.
Soldering tip shape I
Slim and precise for fine soldering work
Details
HAKKO form I soldering tips are similar to variant B in their conical shape, but are significantly slimmer. This particularly fine geometry makes these soldering tips ideal for precise soldering work on very small components or in the narrow, hard-to-reach areas of a circuit board.
This soldering tip is typically used to process micro-components such as 0603 components. The soldering tips are also used for very tight assembly and, for example, for repairing smartphones.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
Due to their low mass, type I soldering tips only have a limited heat capacity. The amount of energy required for larger solder joints may therefore not be sufficiently transferred. As this can lead to unreliable connections, this type of tip should only be used for delicate soldering tasks.
Soldering tip shape J
Conical, curved tip for versatile applications
Details
HAKKO shape J soldering tips are an angled version of shapes I or B. The curved geometry makes this type of tip particularly suitable for drag soldering work and for precise soldering in hard-to-reach or confined areas.
Compared to the straight versions of types B or I, shape J offers double the functionality thanks to the angled tip head:
- Precise soldering with the tip
- Working over a large area with the beveled side
This allows both longer solder connections to be „pulled“ and solder bridges to be removed in a targeted manner. The combination of precision and flexibility makes this soldering tip a practical tool for complex soldering tasks on densely populated PCBs.
Soldering tip shape K
Conical with beveled, blade-like tip
Details
The shape of the HAKKO soldering tip shape K is reminiscent of a knife blade. Thanks to this special geometry, this soldering tip can be used extremely flexibly. The blade is held at an angle during drag soldering. This creates a wide contact surface with which, for example, several pins can be soldered evenly. If, on the other hand, the blade is held straight, the soldering tip is ideal for precise spot soldering in narrow areas, such as SMD components.
Typical applications for this soldering tip are:
- For linear soldering of longer distances
- For precise solder joints
- With the wide flat side for flat work
Thanks to the blade-like shape, safe working is also possible in confined spaces of an assembly. This is particularly advantageous when removing solder bridges or „pulling“ longer solder joints. The ability of the tip to store solder on its surface is crucial for consistent and reliable results. As the blades are flatter on one side and therefore mirror-symmetrical, it is possible to offer the „K“ shape in different versions for both right-handed and left-handed users.
Soldering tip with notch
Concave / V-groove
Details
Soldering tip shape Spatula
Details
With the HAKKO spatula soldering tips, several pins of an IC or wide plug connections can be heated simultaneously. The soldering tips are particularly suitable for applications that require even heat distribution over a larger area. For example, when thermally compressing FPCs (flexible printed circuit boards) or when soldering on shielded housings.
1. Basic principles for selecting the soldering tip
When selecting the soldering tip, pay attention to the thermal load capacity of the circuit board as well as the design and size of the components to be soldered.
Select a soldering tip with sufficient thermal mass that offers the largest possible contact surface to the solder joint in order to transfer the heat optimally. The soldering tip should match the geometry of the solder joint. It should not be too large so as not to damage neighboring structures. Nor should the soldering tip be too small to ensure reliable heating of the solder joint.
The larger the contact surface, the more effectively the heat is transferred.
The smaller the contact surface, the lower the heat transfer.
If the soldering tip is larger than the soldering joint, there is a risk of damage due to overheating.
2. Selecting the shape and size of the soldering tip
First check whether the shape and size of the soldering tip are suitable for the intended application. When selecting the right soldering tip, it is important to consider the existing soldering conditions, such as „the soldering space is very narrow“, „there is a tall component next to the soldering area“ or „the component has a high tendency to form solder bridges“.
Such conditions require particularly careful selection of the soldering tip to ensure that work can be carried out without errors.
Limited soldering space between adjacent components
Tall components next to the solder joint
High risk of solder bridges
3. Safe soldering with the right soldering tip
Once you have selected the shape and size of the soldering tip, taking into account the heat capacity of the soldering iron and the dimensions and properties of the components, it is equally important to choose a tip that you are comfortable with.
If soldering errors occur frequently with the selected soldering tip, you should reconsider the choice of tip. A different shape may be more suitable. In some cases, it may also make sense to replace the soldering iron.