1.

INTRODUCTION A work station is a person's work area, including furniture, appliances, tools etc. where a specific type of activity is carried out in the work area by one person at a time. It is a high end mapped out section of a working area and includes everything that makes up such a place. In computer systems, the workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for specific technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems. The term workstation has also been used to refer to a mainframe computer terminal or a PC connected to a network. The term soldering work station refers to a giving area in a work shop or any place were a complete setup is established with all the materials required for soldering operation is put in place for soldering of electrical and electronics components during an electrical or electronics maintenance or construction. Soldering is a process in which two or more metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the work piece. Soldering differs from welding in that soldering does not involve melting the work pieces. In brazing, the filler metal melts at a higher temperature, but the work piece metal does not melt. Formerly nearly all solders contained lead, but environmental concerns have increasingly dictated use of lead-free alloys for electronics and plumbing purposes.. The soldering is a term that is used to describe the joining together of two nor more metals at a junction with the use of an alloy usually with a lower melting point in order to make up an electrical circuit or putting together of one or more electrical components. It is used during maintenance to maintain a continuous flow of electric current in an electrical circuit. The soldering work station encompasses one or more devices and components put together to make up the work station. These components includes

The Soldering Iron The soldering iron is a thin handheld tool about 10 inches long or more. An electrical cable connects it to the power supply. A heating element inside the soldering iron gets the metal
1

barrel and tip hot. The iron has a plastic handle and soft grip to keep your fingers cool and comfortable. The soldering iron is used to melt the lead alloy that is used for the soldering. The soldering Stand The soldering stand is usually a metal stand attached to the workstation provides a safe place to park the hot iron when you're not soldering. A metal cage encloses the iron and safely dissipates heat, preventing burns if touched. The soldering Sponge The soldering iron workstation has a holder for a small rectangular sponge. The soldering iron operator uses the sponge to clean burnt rosin and oxides from the iron's tip. Temperature control unit The soldering work station usually requires a temperature regulation system that is used to regulate the temperature of the heating element. This prevents overheating parts and speeds the soldering of larger connections. In many cases, you can adjust the temperature from a control on the power supply. Power Soldering irons for electronics fall in a power range of 5 to 30 watts. Some power supplies let you control the power going to the iron. Less power is better for delicate work. More power lets you solder components like power transistors and heavier-gauge wire. The soldering work station that is implemented in this project is designed around the 8051 microcontroller which is the heart of the system. A temperature sensor LM35 is also provided in the project whose sole function is to take the analog reading of the temperature of the soldering iron. The ADC is interfaced with the microcontroller whose main function is to convert the analog signal that is read from the LM35 temperature sensor into a digital form. The ADC also converts the digital signal into an 8-bit digital data that is read by the MCU (microcontroller unit) of the project. The project also provides an LCD (liquid crystal
2

display) display that is used to provide a digital read out of the alphanumeric value of the temperature of the soldering iron in the work station. The project also provides an interface of relays that are used to provide the control of the various accessories of the work station. In the project, the relays acts as switches that put on the appliance whenever the MCU requests that. The operation is initiated upon the switching of the power supply into the system. As soon as the power supply is turn on, the LM 35 temperature sensor reads the temperature of the soldering iron and continuously sends the analog signal value of the temperature to the ADC which in turn converts the analog signal into an 8-bit digital equivalent of the temperature. This signal is then passed on to the MCU which interprets the signal and sends the alphanumeric value of the temperature for the LCD to display. When the control buttons is pressed, the MCU records the value of the temperature that is selected and ensures that the operating temperature of the soldering iron stays within that range. The control of the heating of the soldering iron is done by a relay that is designed to trip off the soldering iron when the temperature tries to go outside the operation range. The operation of the appliances that make up the work station is simply carried out by pressing a button that controls the required appliance and the MCU triggers the relay on thereby putting the appliance on or off as the case may be. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Soldering, the art of connecting individual objects, is an age-old procedure. However, latest innovations stress more on the use of eco-friendly materials besides the use of the best physical and chemical components, especially that of the fluxes, for better results and greater compatibility. In a quest to find more eco-friendly materials, research organizations worldwide laid emphasis on the elimination of ozone-depleting chemicals and started experimenting with a variety of new combinations with potential materials and alternative processes. In the process, researchers tumbled upon a more reliable form of soldering, better than the established conventional soldering process. The traditional process involved the use of rosin flux. The landmark discovery in the field of soldering was the use of noclean flux for the soldering process. The main advantage being that it does away with the
3

laborious post-solder, which requires the use of CFCs or costly solvents for cleaning. This process has helped in saving time and energy, compared to the age-old practice when soldering was done manually. The introduction of the soldering work station also ensured that cold joints and other forms of abnormal soldering is averted in a given soldering operation. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aim of embarking on the design and implementation of the soldering work station in this project is to establish a platform with which soldering operation can be conveniently conducted in any electrical establishment. The project is also embanked on with the following objectives. To investigate the issues soldering operations in the engineering field of study. To combine the advantages offered by all types of soldering work stations that exists in the implementation of a more reliable and efficient system. To examine the best possible method of implementation of a digital work station that provides all the necessary requirements that is required for easy soldering. To design and implement an improved soldering work station that will give a digital display of the status of the temperature of the soldering iron during the soldering. 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT Various problems may arise in the soldering process which lead to joints which are non functional either immediately or after a period of use. This is because of abnormal temperatures that are used for soldering in many cases of soldering operation. The most common defect when hand-soldering results from the parts being joined not exceeding the solder's liquids temperature, resulting in a "cold solder" joint. This is usually the result of the soldering iron being used to heat the solder directly, rather than the parts themselves. Properly done, the iron heats the parts to be connected, which in turn melt the solder, guaranteeing adequate heat in the joined parts for thorough wetting. In electronic hand
4

soldering solders, the flux is embedded in the solder. Therefore heating the solder first may cause the flux to evaporate before it cleans the surfaces being soldered. A cold-soldered joint may not conduct at all, or may conduct only intermittently. Cold-soldered joints also happen in mass production, and are a common cause of equipment which passes testing, but malfunctions after sometimes years of operation. A "dry joint" occurs when the cooling solder is moved, and often occurs because the joint moves when the soldering iron is removed from the joint. The use of the digital soldering work station that is presented in this thesis solves the problems of temperature regulation that usually leads to abnormal soldering by providing an automated way of temperature control during soldering. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The digital soldering work station offers a wide range of advantages and applications in electrical and electronics engineering discipline and the entire engineering at alarge. It provides a platform where the user can automatically regulate the temperature at which he performs a soldering operation and also provides a digital read out of the value of the operating temperature of the soldering iron. The work station also allows the control of all the tools and equipment that make up the work station set up such as control of the soldering lights, the control of the sucker or the blower as the case may be. The soldering work station is indeed the most reliable setup for soldering in any work shop as it integrates all the materials used for soldering together in the workshop there by defining and separating the section from any other section in the work shop.

1.5

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The digital soldering work station that is implemented in this project cover a quite wide area of application. It can be used in both home and industrial soldering or any scale of soldering though its operation may depend on the size of material being soldered. If soldering is required for larger size situations, all that is required is to change the size of the soldering iron that is used for the soldering as the temperature regulation is not limited to any size of soldering iron. The project offers a wide range of advantages but it is also faced with several limitations which includes; High cost of purchase due to its uniqueness. The use of the soldering work station requires a proper knowledge of the operating principles making the use difficult for the lay man technician.
The project is only limited for people with knowledge of different temperature

requirements for soldering The use of the system requires proper knowledge of the system and operation requires a trained personnel.

2.0 2.1

LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Soldering, the art of joining two or more metal items together by melting and flowing a filler metal (solder) into the joint, the filler metal having a lower melting point than the work piece, the soldering process is an age-old procedure. However, latest innovations stress more on the use of eco-friendly materials besides the use of the best physical and chemical components, especially that of the fluxes, for better results and greater compatibility. In a quest to find more eco-friendly and efficient platform for soldering, research organizations worldwide and various researchers laid emphasis on the meas of providing an ease and reliable platform for soldering and the elimination of ozonedepleting chemicals and started experimenting with a variety of new combinations with potential materials and alternative processes during soldering. In the process, researchers tumbled upon a more reliable form of soldering, better than the established conventional soldering process. This has lead to the various evolutionary trend of soldering work stations.

2.2

Historical Overview of the Work Station The evolutionary trend on the development of the modern soldering iron work station has passed through series of transformations. These began with the discovery of the soldering itself. Soldering was invented in 1916 by a Holland company but the wording is a little non-specific and gives no credit to the original inventor. "The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturing company under the name ZEVA. This name had much to do with the introduction of an innovative product: the electric soldering iron (as differing from then-popular petrol and gas irons). Major customers included Philips Radio and Dutch Telecom." Since the invention of the soldering, there have existed many methods by which the soldering is being done. These methods include the use of the blowing lamp, the use of the soldering gun and the use of the soldering irons which is the most popular today. The soldering iron itself was invented about the same time as its original constituent metals Lead (Pb in Chemistry) and Tin (Sn in Chemistry) - were discovered several thousand years ago. (www.wikiananswers.com). German inventor Ernst Sachs patented the first
7

electric soldering iron in 1921, according to ERSA Global Connectors, the company Sachs founded later that year to produce his device. The company exists today and has its headquarters in Wertheim, Germany. (www.answerbag.com). the modifications on this great invention were made severally in a quest to develop more reliable soldering irons. The introduction of the work station began with the soldering iron stand which is setting where a hot soldering iron is places in the workshop. The soldering iron stands where introduced in the late 18th century in the United States. Since then, the soldering iron stand has being severally modified in various ways leading to the discovery of the work station in the 19th century which can be used both as the stand and as a control station for the soldering operation capable of controlling the temperature of the tools used for soldering such as the soldering iron and the sucker. 2.3 An Overview of the Soldering Work Station The soldering work station that is implemented in this project is designed around the 8051 microcontroller which is the heart of the system. A temperature sensor LM35 is also provided in the project whose sole function is to take the analog reading of the temperature of the soldering iron. The ADC is interfaced with the microcontroller whose main function is to convert the analog signal that is read from the LM35 temperature sensor into a digital form. The ADC also converts the digital signal into an 8-bit digital data that is read by the MCU (microcontroller unit) of the project. The project also provides an LCD (liquid crystal display) display that is used to provide a digital read out of the alphanumeric value of the temperature of the soldering iron in the work station. The project also provides an interface of relays that are used to provide the control of the various accessories of the work station. In the project, the relays acts as switches that put on the appliance whenever the MCU requests that. The operation is initiated upon the switching of the power supply into the system. As soon as the power supply is turn on, the LM 35 temperature sensor reads the temperature of the soldering iron and continuously sends the analog signal value of the temperature to the ADC which in turn converts the analog signal into an 8-bit digital equivalent of the temperature. This signal is then passed on to the MCU which interprets the signal and sends the alphanumeric value of the temperature for the LCD to display. When the control buttons is pressed, the MCU records the value of the temperature that is
8

selected and ensures that the operating temperature of the soldering iron stays within that range. The control of the heating of the soldering iron is done by a relay that is designed to trip off the soldering iron when the temperature tries to go outside the operation range. The operation of the appliances that make up the work station is simply carried out by pressing a button that controls the required appliance and the MCU triggers the relay on thereby putting the appliance on or off as the case may be.