The JBC tips are just as expensive as Metcal's. 

The tip is crimped onto the heater. We are having real bad problems with the
tips coming loose. This isolates the tip from ground. It also places an
oxide layer between the tip and the heater. This must change performance.
Standard tools cannot be used to check the tip temperature. There is some
kind of interference at the tip that prevents the use of a thermal couple.
We have discussed these issues with JBC USA and Spain. We have reached no
resolution.

My experience, maintenance of these tools is costly. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roberts, Jon
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 2:26 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] Soldering Irons

KennyB, we use JBC's soldering irons currently. Heat very rapidly and
automatically when iron is placed into hold goes into a reduce heat mode.
Very easy to calibrated but does requiring using JBC calibrated device. Jon 

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bloomquist, Ken
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 1:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Soldering Irons

A number of years ago we switched to Metcal soldering stations but since
that time a number of other companies have greatly improved their soldering
stations to compete.

We seem to be gong through a lot of their expensive tips and the power packs
take up a lot of real estate on already overcrowded benches.

Most of our soldering is in the form of wires to terminals, rework on CCA's
that have large ground planes and also SMT parts. We are not doing any BGA's
and we only use Sn/Pb solder with RMA flux.

Do any of you have any recommendations for other manufacturers that you are
having good luck with.

You can contact me off line if you don't feel comfortable talking about
specific manufacturers on this forum.

Thank you,

KennyB 

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To
unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the
BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or
(re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to
[log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per
day of all the posts: send e-mail to
[log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at:
http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site
http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information,
or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100
ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To
unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the
BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or
(re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet
NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send
e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of
previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web
site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional
information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100
ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------