Thermaltronics TMT-9000 problems

[wagon]

I've 'taken the plunge' and bought a new soldering iron.  I got a Thermaltronics TMT-9000, with a selection of tips and a single handpiece.

So far, it's been a bit troublesome!  Whilst it's a lovely tool to use, I keep getting a couple of errors, due I think to overheating of the base unit.  These errors always happen when the iron has been sitting in the stand for a while, idling.  The base station gets very hot (too hot to comfortably touch) and I get first an error 31, then if I power cycle, an error 1.  If I wait a while for it all to cool down, it restarts and runs perfectly, until it stops again.  The company I got it off have been pretty good, and have taken it back for warranty and swapped the base unit over.  The problem remains.  I have tried different tips and the cord assembly measures OK. 

Any ideas?

Oh, and my workshop bench temperature would have been between 30C and 35C, but the base station has a good space around it.

[wagon]

Well, for anyone who is interested, I fixed it : by strapping a small computer fan to the heatsink.  Runs all day now, no troubles.

[GreyWoolfe]

Congratulations on the repair.  You should contact Thermaltronics and let them know your problem and fix.   

[wagon]

Congratulations on the repair.  You should contact Thermaltronics and let them know your problem and fix.

I have suggested to one of their retailers here that they ask Thermaltronics to produce a 'high temperature' model with a fan and such, for applications like mine.  We'll see...

[GreyWoolfe]

Kind of sad when you think about it.  I understand that ex-Metcal engineers formed Thermaltronics when the patents ran out.  You'd think they would have a clue how to design a soldering station properly.     Oh, well.  I have a Metcal MX-500 that I have left on all day accidentally.  Unit went into sleep mode no issues.  I lifted the wand out of the auto sleep holder and had temp almost immediately.  No worries.

I wonder how many other users had the same problem and if it is widespread enough for their engineers to address the issue.

Edit:  I should amend my statement that the Metcal didn't get hot at all, the case remained at room temp.

[KL27x]

for applications like mine.

Was it power intensive? All I caught was the part where the problem tended to occur when the iron was "placed in the stand for awhile, idling"... so hopefully for Thermaltronics and its users, there's more to your problem.

If you were to be more specific, I bet someone with a Metcal would try to replicate it, out of sheer curiousity.

[nanofrog]

@ wagon: Are you using a sleep enabled stand (has magnets in it)?

[wagon]

for applications like mine.

Was it power intensive? All I caught was the part where the problem tended to occur when the iron was "placed in the stand for awhile, idling"... so hopefully for Thermaltronics and its users, there's more to your problem.

If you were to be more specific, I bet someone with a Metcal would try to replicate it, out of sheer curiousity.

I turn it on when I get to work, turn it off when I go home.  It spends most of the day idling in its magnetic stand.  It gets to 30degrees celcius or more at my bench.  No air conditioning.

[wagon]

With the tip I'm using it runs at around '19' on the display when the iron is in the stand.