One of the questions we're frequently asked is "why don't Metcal soldering irons require calibration." In fact, there are a number of soldering stations that no longer require calibration, partly because the IPC standards have changed.
Traditionally, a conventional soldering station uses a temperature measuring sensor that feeds back the heating element temperature (not the tip temperature.) In many systems, the temperature that is displayed is somewhere between the tip (working surface) and the heater, and then is fed back to the temperature control PCB. These temperature sensors can and do vary over time. This variance can cause the displayed temperature to be different from the measured tip temperature.
If your conventional station fails the repeatability test, you would need to adjust the heater PCB controller to bring it back into the acceptable temperature repeatability range or to match the displayed temperature by turning some calibration screws usually located on the soldering system. This is a time consuming operation, especially if you have a lot of hand soldering stations.
Calibration implies that because of various components, periodic adjustment must be made to a system to maintain correct operation. Calibration schedules are based on anticipating when these components will go out of tolerance, and anticipating that timeframe to make adjustments before it can be detrimental to your process.
Smartheat’s calibration schedule is longer than the useful life of the system (which for a lot of our customers is many, many years!) There is nothing to adjust, so the system cannot be changed from its initial state.Smartheat cartridges control temperature by the physical properties of their materials. As a result, there's no need to calibrate.
Hope that explains one of our Frequently Asked Questions!
