946C SMD Hot Plate for Rework Pre-Heating or Reflow Soldering

[@bskull3232]

If your hot plate can go to 260C, I highly recommend using SAC305, not the SnBiAg rubbish. Commercial flux are designed for SnPb and SAC305, and your commercial grade SnBiAg paste uses the same flux, which means by the time the solder melts, the flux were not heated enough to do its job properly. That's why not all parts are pulled to center automagically like you might have seen on videos. The denser your parts are, the more devastating this effect could be. So after struggling with having to repair each and every board reflow, I finally decided to move to SAC305, and I never looked back. Yes, it does cost more to buy gears for high temp reflow soldering, but it is worth it for me, even if I only do prototyping. Currently my setup has a Quick 854 for large area preheating, a Miniware MHP30 for small boards, a JBC NASE for precision fixups, and a Metcal HCT2-200 for first time reflows.

[@64bittz93]

So basically you can use the SAC305 with this hot plate if I understood correctly. Is SAC305 just the name of the "recipe" or is it a brand name? Could you post a link to what you use? Thanks

[@bskull3232]

@@64bittz93 SAC305 is a formulation, consists of Sn (rest), Ag (3%) and Cu (0.5%), a nearly eutectic alloy melting at 220C. This is commonly known as one of the two commonly used lead free solders. The other is SnCu without Ag, some formulations are eutectic, melting at around 10C higher.

[@andymouse]

I use a hotplate for certain jobs and its great, nice to have the option...cheers.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

Great for keeping your tea / coffeee warm when your working hard as well.

[@GadgetReboot]

and the 20x20cm one can also make an omelet

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@GadgetReboot well if it can turn it's hand to Crepes they got my money. :)

[@travishayes6678]

I've been eyeing something like this. Thanks for the helpful video!

[@GadgetReboot]

It was definitely worth having, and I didn't even burn the bottom side of a PCB when letting it go up to 200 degrees for a long time to measure temperatures on the board surface, so it should definitely work for normal soldering time frames.

[@StopClowningAround]

Very instructive. Thank you.

[@MkmeOrg]

Handy tool!

[@SimpleElectronics]

But can it make paninis? Asking the real questions here! I like how thorough you went, I would have just put a bead of water on it and seen if it would evaporate at 100 degrees lol

[@GadgetReboot]

It can make them, but you shouldn't eat them. And it would be better to have two of these to do top and bottom simultaneously (don't forget to use the affiliate links). With my luck a bead of water would have caused too much thermal shock and split the plate.

[@DrexProjects]

Now I want a grilled cheese...

[@josephcaporaso4774]

Hello, I also bought this device but there is something I don't understand or do wrong. For example, when I set the temperature to 175 °C, it remains at that temperature indefinitely. It does not go down automatically. I looked at the curve with a thermocouple and an arduino and the curve is purely upward. It absolutely does not follow the classic curve of the reflow. There is no controller? Do you have an idea?

[@GadgetReboot]

yes there’s no controller, the device is just intended to power on and go to the set temperature so all I do is turn the power off and let it cool down when I feel it has finished re-flowing. It’s not the most professional way to do it but it works for the hobby things I’ve been doing. of course some sort of Arduino project could always be done to manipulate the temperature setting or cut the power but at that point if that much control is needed it’s probably better to do the classic toaster oven project.

[@electronic7979]

Nice item

[@Zefbot]

Can you use that same type of solder paste manually if you don't have a stencil but stiil intend to reflow it?

[@GadgetReboot]

Yes especially if the components don't have pins too close together like tiny ICs but even then the nature of solder mask and surface tension keeps solder where it's supposed to go once it melts and any bridges can be fixed with a solder wick/braid or maybe flux and an iron tip dragging excess away.

[@GEORGE-jf2vz]

Is it any good at making a grilled cheese sandwich? Gotta eat while de-soldering.

[@GadgetReboot]

It's not bad but it has to be monitored closely or it burns. It has even heat distribution so it finishes fast. But only use lead free solder

[@stevenspmd]

Stupidly the 100x100 isn't physically any smaller it just has a large border area around a smaller hot plate.

[@tavinfortavinfor8927]

what about a computer fan to cool down faster? gecause it's no good idea touch a board with melted solder .it it'a a laptop board ,they can die

[@kirklishman8997]

When I used this product on 1.6mm fr4 with LEDs I had it at 280c did the job within 12seconds but I'm sure it killed half of my LEDs because they don't work now... But at 220c took ages I mean ages......

[@SpottedEagleOwls]

how do you clean your hot plate

[@kekekeernest8920]

What is the input voltage