We save our old Metcal tips (cartridges), and give them to our rep when he
comes here. As long as the heating element is OK, he has a way of just
replacing the metal tip, he may be sending them back to Metcal for this. We
dissected one of the cartridges here once, it's not too difficult. You just
have to be careful to pull the old tip straight out, or it will bring the
coiled heating element with it. We would do our own tip replacements, but
Metcal and our rep aren't willing to sell just the Metal Tip to us, they
start talking about how "we really want to do that ourselves, so we can
evaluate the failure...blah, blah, blah......
As far as I am concerned, the "cartridge" price is the only down side to the
Metcals, and if you talk to the right people, I guess you can get a
pitted/oxidized tip refurbed. I'm not sure what the price savings is, but
with the amount of stations we have here, it's certainly worth it.
Thomas DeSmit
IFR Systems, INC
-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet E-Mail Forum. [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, August 14, 1998 11:14 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] MetCal Irons
In a message dated 8/14/98 7:03:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
>>Take a hard look at the cost of the tips before leaping!
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Ron Hollandsworth
>>Sent: Friday, August 14, 1998 7:15 AM
>>To: TechNet
>>Subject: [TN] MetCal Irons
>> We are using a no-clean handsoldering flux. I have seen and heard
>> many stories of how good MetCal irons are for a no-clean operation.
>> Maybe I could get some listners here to take note of the importance
of
>> iron temperature and no-clean if you TechNet buddies out in the
World
>> would drop a line or two onto the TechNet about the pros and cons of
>> the MetCal soldering irons. Perhaps I may be able to convince
others
>> in this organization that this is the way to go for tip temperature
>> control.
>> I would appreciate the help.
>> Thanks
>> Ron Hollandsworth
>> Operations Task Leader
>> Advanced Manufacturing Engineering
>> [log in to unmask]
Hi Ron!
From the looks of things, you're getting a lot of positive responses from
everyone. The one negative feedback I pasted here, does need addressing
though. In fact, I just held some training with our rework operators
yesterday
along those same lines which concerned tip maintenance.
We're a start-up and we have Metcals. The operators we've hired came from
other companies that were using the standard adjustable stations, and have
some habits that need to be changed when using metcals, just as one needs to
think a little differently when looking at the price of the tips.
With a Metcal station, the "tip" is actually the meat of the soldering iron,
the heating element is in the "tip". That's why the expense...so in reality,
you're buying a whole soldering iron everytime you buy a "tip"...the fact
that
you need a Metcal power supply, cord, and handle does muck the analogy up a
little, but you can see why they cost $20.00 a pop (for the standard sizes).
That's also why they heat-up so quickly too, and why one can't have the same
soldering habits that many operators have with adjustable stations. You do
really need to practice good tip care such as; tinning the tips with a rosin
core solder and turning the station off when it's not in use, using a clean,
deionized moistened, sulfer-free cleaning sponge to keep the tips clean, and
removing the tips only with the heat proof pad that comes with station...not
pliers or tweezers. Metcals web site has everything documented; proper tip
care, intructions how to use each tip type and what components to use each
type with, you surely can't ask for much more than that...you can print all
this out and there's your training material for your operators.
The little extra care that these stations require is a small price to pay
for
all the benefits that the station provides. Peggy can be correct in the
sense
that it would be hella expensive if your operators go through tips like
crazy,
but that's usually their fault, not the tips...
-Steve Gregory-
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