Hi,
I mentioned to a friend that I was reluctant to take on a project requiring hand soldering a number of SMDs. He suggested plasma soldering is now used because it heats faster so less heat travels to the package. I couldn't find much about the units other than they are used for lead-free solder. Is plasma soldering suitable for home use or are they strictly high end?
I last soldered SMDs in my DEC days. The only specialized piece of equipment was a hot air jet preheat the area. We held the SMD in place with a finger while tacking down the corners then soldered the remaining leads. There were the occasional finger slip and burned fingers. It was an order of magnitude more difficult that soldering in a DIP. DIPs would be too large for this project.
Are there other tools now available for hand soldering SMDs that I should know about?
Thanks, Gary