Describe the function and operation of any one of the following: Electric soldering iron, Rack and pinion, Plastic dip coating tank. - Leaving Cert Engineering - Question i - 2009

An electric soldering iron is used to apply solder. It can be used when soldering electrical wires or components together. A fine tip electric soldering iron is used when soldering electronic components to circuit boards such as printed circuit boards (PCB).

When the electric iron is plugged in, it heats up and can reach temperatures of over 200°C. The tip heats the metal and melts the solder so that it flows round the lead of the component and the track on the board. Heat is produced when electricity flows through a heating element inside the soldering iron. The element is made of a material which electricity finds difficult to pass through. The resistance of the material to the flow of electricity causes the element to heat up, heating the tip.