IR hand soldering iron

[coppercone2]

Well I saw this on youtube. The idea is you use a car electronic lighter for soldering.



Other then the macguyver aspect, does anyone see uses for this? Compared to hot air or just a soldering iron, it seems pointless... but I am always open to a new tool.

It does make me think about things like IR cure adhesives, but even for esoteric tasks.. it still seems hot air makes more sense.

If you were to make a careful cutout of aluminum foil, I guess it could target specific parts better? But that is getting specific enough that you need the IR rework table.

Does anyone see a use for a hand held one?

I wonder if there are hot melt glue sticks that absorb that kind of IR better then other stuff, so you can do precise glue work using a infared heating tool with preforms or something.

https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/projects/irphotonics/

[jpanhalt]

What car do you have to buy to get a cigarette lighter?  Seems like an expensive way to solve a non-problem.

EDIT:  My Ford did not come with a cigarette lighter nor did the dealer offer one.  However, I did find a link: https://motorandwheels.com/new-cars-have-cigarette-lighters-ashtrays/

Ferrari
Ferrari offers its customers a smoker package that entails a cigarette lighter and an ashtray at the price of $811. You can order the smoker’s kit from the Ferrari genuine catalogs according to your car model.

Chevrolet
Chevrolet includes a smoker’s package as an option in their cars for those who like to smoke on the go. However, it comes at a price of up to $46.

[Gyro]

I have done the same thing with a 12V H4 Halogen headlight bulb. Using the dipped beam filament, the internal shield acts as a reflector, beaming all of the light and IR through the side of the lamp. Removing the mounting flange turns it into a wand shape. You need decent sunglasses but it works effectively for applying stronger localised heating than hot air can provide.

I think there's a Youtube video somewhere of someone doing the same thing in a fixture, mounted below the moveable board surface. That cigarette lighter element will certainly be more effective at producing more IR, without the visible light nuisance.


EDIT: Found it...

[RoGeorge]

He, he, heat is heat.  I like the look of that! 

Also seen once a dude using halogen spots as an IR reflow station for BGA (the 12V light bulbs with an included reflector, usually for embedding in ceilings and gypsum walls).

Everything packing a few tens of W in a small volume should work.

A good source for such compact heaters could be, for example, the incandescent light bulbs for cars.  Some models of H7 headlights bulbs have a diameter of about 1cm and 2cm long, with 55W/12V.



A lot of power for such a small volume.  The 24V ones can have 70-100W, can make a beefy soldering iron with such a lightbulb as a heating element. 

Fit one of them inside each end of a copper pipe and you got yourself a 100W handheld heater for whatever needs.  For example such a heated pipe would be good to bend plastic sheets to make enclosures for circuits, or for heavy soldering, as a solder-pool heater, etc.  Or coil the copper pipe under an aluminum plate to get a heated bed for a 3D printer, IDK, things like that.

[DC1MC]

The most humble hot-air station of suitable power and airflow will run circles around this thing.

 Cheers,
 DC1MC

[coppercone2]

That is interesting because gyro said that it can provide stronger spot heating. Not as nice as a laser but do you mind giving an example?

[thm_w]

The most humble hot-air station of suitable power and airflow will run circles around this thing.

Its not that it will run circles around it, performance wise it may or may not. Its that hot air will easily give you a reasonably regulated temperature. So you don't burn the shit out of your IC if you leave the handpiece in one spot for a few seconds more than necessary.

This is why you'll see even the cheap IR stations come with a thermocouple, so you can monitor the soldering temperature.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801084475440.html
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803225371262.html

[coppercone2]

I wonder if it would work better on say ceramic packages rather then black plastic.

[Gyro]

I would say anything matt black (including connector housings!).

BTW: A bit off topic but I've been facinated by this really cute little IR reflow made out of an old Halogen floodlight..