Manual Soldering
Soldering of Reed Switches and Reed Sensors requires some care to ensure that these delicate devices are not inadvertently damaged. Damage could range from minor operate AT or magnetic sensitivity shifts that could cause wrong actuation distance than what was expected, to more major damage such as cracks in hermetic seal integrity which could cause early failure or to outright scrap of the devices.
Manual Soldering of reed switch leads may be required when using custom plastic housing with external cables. The reed switches need to cropped to the required length and then soldered to the cables. When soldering reed switches, some guidelines should be followed.
The leads of a reed switch are composed of approximately 50% nickel and 50% iron. These leads are plated after assembly with either gold or tin. This is to improve the quality of the welding and soldering. In a Reed Switch, the coefficients of thermal expansion of the leads and glass are closely matched. But soldering heats the leads more quickly than the time it takes to seal the reed switch. The result is that this sort of sudden heating which causes metal expansion can loosen or crack the glass-to-metal seal.
In most cases, cables need to be soldered 2-3 mm from the seals. The manual soldering dwell on the reed switch leads should be restricted to less than 2 seconds. If this cannot be followed, a heat sink between the soldering point and the glass seal, is recommended, as temperature too, has a damaging effect on these delicate devices. When requesting for cropped reed switches soldered to cables, kindly follow tolerances shown here.
Soldering (US: /ˈsɒdərɪŋ/; UK: /ˈsoʊldərɪŋ/) is a process of joining two metal surfaces together using a filler metal called solder. The soldering process involves heating the surfaces to be joined and melting the solder, which is then allowed to cool and solidify, creating a strong and durable joint.
Soldering is commonly used in the electronics industry for the manufacture and repair of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other electronic components. It is also used in plumbing and metalwork, as well as in the manufacture of jewelry and other decorative items.
The solder used in the process can vary in composition, with different alloys used for different applications. Common solder alloys include tin-lead, tin-silver, and tin-copper, among others. Lead-free solder has also become more widely used in recent years due to health and environmental concerns associated with the use of lead.
In addition to the type of solder used, the temperature and method of heating also play a crucial role in the soldering process. Different types of solder require different temperatures to melt, and heating must be carefully controlled to avoid damaging the materials being joined or creating weak joints.
There are several methods of heating used in soldering, including soldering irons, torches, and hot air guns. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of method depends on the application and the materials being joined.
Soldering is an important skill for many industries and hobbies, and it requires a combination of technical knowledge and practical experience to achieve good results.
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