Before we begin reviewing the Weller WXsmart platform itself, it would be good to understand the trends in the hand soldering and rework market and understand where the WXsmart is positioned, its strengths and unique value proposition.
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What’s “hot” in Soldering?
If you thought soldering was something that had been entirely “solved” by temperature-controlled soldering irons and hot air guns, that’s not quite true. Temperature-controlled irons themselves don’t necessarily guarantee the ability to heat-up quickly and respond to load changes instantaneously, as the sensor may not be optimally positioned (inside the heater, instead of inside the tip) and the control loop may not be tight enough to offer rapid response without problems of overshoot. Curie-point based RF heating technologies offer material-based temperature control that is overshoot-proof but offer no adjustment capability without changing to a different material (and therefore, tip).
Even with all of this, it is eminently possible to make a bad joint. I see it all the time with my students even with 60/40 leaded solder, as they have never really been taught to solder properly. The problem is that bad joints are bad news in so many ways.
We rely on electronics in almost every facet of life and much of that is creeping into applications which could be considered critical. Electronics in automotive, marine, aerospace and medical are examples where safety-of-life could be impacted by a failure. While a lot of electronics may be manufactured on process-controlled automated manufacturing lines, there are always niche products, sensitive or awkward components or repair/rework assignments that need to meet a high level of process control for quality management purposes. Likewise, failures in-the-field are expensive, both from a warranty handling point of view but also in terms of reputational damage.
The move towards Industry 4.0 pushes us towards data-driven manufacturing through leveraging technologies such as Internet-of-Things (IoT). By integrating automation and control, it is possible to force compliance with procedures and standards to avoid problems happening in the first place. By collecting data and analysing it, it is (theoretically) possible to detect problems (e.g. non-compliance, poor workmanship) before they leave the facility and have the chance to turn into bigger, more expensive problems. It is also possible to prove compliance to standards and have the traceability to filter for problems (e.g. if a particular staff member or a particular unit was the cause) and reduce needless wastage or recall.
This potential does sound tantalising to industry which is keen to be even “leaner” and ever-more “efficient” and thus a number of the market leaders have come up with IoT soldering stations designed to integrate with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for such benefits.
The Weller WXsmart Hand Soldering Platform
The Weller WXsmart is a connected, IoT-enabled hand soldering platform designed to be Industry 4.0-ready and integrate with MES through MQTT. The unit comes with serial, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity as standard, with no additional add-ons required.
The WXsmart is essentially the one unit that forms the “heart” of the bench. Its 300W power rating runs two channels which can run various items including soldering irons, hot air tools, smaller preheaters and solder baths. It can also, through its serial connection, co-ordinate benchtop control of WXair supply, larger preheaters and fume extraction systems. This allows all of these items to benefit from IoT connectivity which enables them to be configured, controlled and monitored. This integration is a key benefit as it reduces the number of disjoint systems used and eases integration work whether you need a soldering station, hot air rework or desoldering capabilities.
Another key benefit for existing Weller customers is the potential to protect your existing investment in Weller equipment, as the WX-series irons and accessories can work with the WXsmart base unit directly. Because of the mix-and-match philosophy, it is possible to start by upgrading the parts that are necessary and expand the system later on to meet greater needs. For example, the WXair unit doesn’t have to be purchased immediately if the user doesn’t require hot air or vacuum tools at the point of upgrading to the WXsmart system. But if the need arises later, it can be purchased and plugged in, integrating nicely onto the bench.
It also supports the latest technology irons, such as the WXMPS MS and WXUPS MS with new smart-tip active heating technology for best performance (including compliance to mil-spec). It also supports the new smart desoldering tweezers WXMTS and WXUTS with active heating technology. These promise improved responsiveness over previous-generation irons.
Usability improvements through implementing a colour touch-screen LCD improve ease of operation while providing a more sophisticated view into the soldering station’s status. The ability to create locked user accounts and enforce restrictions on configuration ensures compliance with process requirements. The option to import a procedure through a file on a USB stick or by scanning QR codes with a USB 2D barcode scanner simplifies the workflow when multiple processes and workpieces are reworked on the same equipment and reduces the chance for error.
Integration of the WCU calibration unit provides added reliability by providing a quick and easy way to calibrate tip offset temperature to ensure the correct soldering conditions are maintained. The optional calibration manager can also enforce calibration at intervals or when tips are exchanged.
The Market for Professional Soldering Stations
Whatever you do, do not look up an online list of “best soldering stations” or “best professional soldering stations” as you won’t find much in the way of quality articles. Instead, there are plenty of “listicles” which are all affiliate marketing from brands spruiking relatively ordinary mid-range products at best.
Instead, it is best to visit individual manufacturer’s websites to keep an eye on what is the latest in their portfolio. When it comes to IoT soldering stations that don’t come from Weller, the first that comes to mind is Kurtz Ersa’s i-CON TRACE which received an iF Design Award in 2023. This station is a bit of an anomaly with no user-interface except for three LED light bars labelled online, service and ready. It has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and (optional) network card for integration into an MES and use with the free ERSA TRACE COCKPIT software. With a 150W rating, it only supports hand soldering with Series 142 tips.
The next would be the Metcal CV-series which feature their unique Connection Validation (CV) technology which provides real-time feedback through an LED ring light about joint intermetallic compound formation through detecting soldering events, phase change points and timings. Their systems come in ratings of 40W and 80W (two channels) based on SmartHeat technology. It features a much smaller 2.8” colour touch screen as its user interface. Communications is via USB supported by the CV-5000 Monitor Software, but no networking appears to be available. This system also seems to support soldering irons only, although its temperature regulation appears superior due to the technology used.
My research also led to JBC’s B-IRON which appears to be a rechargeable battery-operated iron concept with a tablet-based real-time monitoring app. Apparently, this is something that is “coming soon” and may be used as a secondary tool, with just a 24W power rating from a 7.2V/180mAh battery that requires 30 minutes charge time. This is an interesting concept, but there is no indication of MES integrations and seems to be more functionally limited.
Looking into lower-tier offerings, Hakko’s FN-1010 is an IoT-capable 95W single-channel soldering station using T36-series smart tips with memory and automatic temperature offset calibration with an FG-100B thermometer. Connectivity can be performed through USB, RS-232 and LAN with optional interface cards. A monochrome LCD provides user feedback with soldering power and temperature being recorded for later visualisation. Fall detection prevents potential accidents by turning off power to the iron. This station is limited to soldering irons only, without any hot-air capabilities.
Finally, there is also the Atten ST-9003D 90W High-Frequency Soldering Station with IoT function which operates using an RS-485 interface. User interface is in the form of monochrome segment LCD. It is a single channel station supporting the control of a fume extraction and calibration of tip offset. Available documentation is rather limited, especially regarding the “intelligent management platform” and integration with other equipment.
As a result, it can be concluded that the Weller WXsmart platform stands out in the market because of its versatility in supporting applications aside from just a soldering iron. Being able to provide hot-air rework and desoldering tools, with control of benchtop equipment such as fume extractors, preheaters and temperature calibration units maximises versatility and reduces integration work. Compared to the Kurtz Ersa i-CON TRACE and Metcal CV-series, it has a much more user-friendly user interface in the form of a larger colour LCD touch-screen, has the strength of having all communication interfaces enabled from the factory and the versatility to support more than just soldering irons. In return, Metcal’s Connection Validation technology appears to be unique in being able to provide real-time feedback on IMC formation. Other competitors such as the JBC B-IRON seem to target a different use case, while lower-end products such as the Hakko FN-1010 and Atten ST-9003D have greater limitations in user interface, connectivity options and support for more than just a soldering iron.
Conclusion
Soldering, despite seemingly being a solved problem, is an area that sees improvements. Newer active-control tips provide better temperature regulation and response, with temperature flexibility that fixed-temperature Curie-point systems cannot provide. However, the potential for bad joints still remain which can be quite costly when it causes failure in-the-field, especially in safety-of-life applications such as those found in automotive, marine, aerospace and medical industries. The Industry 4.0 revolution, as it pertains to hand soldering, is to add IoT into soldering stations to provide the ability to automate and monitor in order to ensure compliance with procedure, detect anomalies and trace issues down to their source to reduce the potential for costly problems and ensure minimal waste.
The Weller WXsmart solution is a connected, IoT-enabled hand soldering platform designed to be Industry 4.0-ready and integrate with MES through MQTT allowing everything to be configured, controlled and monitored. The unit comes with serial, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity as standard. The WXsmart is essentially the unit that forms the “heart” of the bench supporting soldering irons, hot air tools, smaller preheaters and solder baths. It can also, through its serial connection, co-ordinate benchtop control of WXair supply, larger preheaters and fume extraction systems. The system supports the latest technology irons such as the WXMPS MS, WXUPS MS, WXMTS and WXUTS with smart-tip active heating technology, but also supports older WX-series irons and accessories. Such a mix-and-match arrangement protects existing investment in Weller equipment and provides an upgrade path in the future as the need arises. By integrating WCU calibration unit into the system, the correct soldering conditions can be easily maintained. The solution also improves ease of use with a colour touch-screen LCD providing intuitive operation and in-depth views into the operational status.
The Weller WXsmart platform stands out in the market because of its versatility in supporting applications aside from just a soldering iron. Being able to provide hot-air rework and desoldering tools, with control of benchtop equipment such as fume extractors, preheaters and temperature calibration units maximises versatility and reduces integration work. Compared to the Kurtz Ersa i-CON TRACE and Metcal CV-series, it has a much more user-friendly user interface in the form of a larger colour LCD touch-screen, has the strength of having all communication interfaces enabled from the factory and the versatility to support more than just soldering irons. In return, Metcal’s Connection Validation technology appears to be unique in being able to provide real-time feedback on IMC formation.
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This blog is part of the Weller WXsmart Connected Hand Soldering Platform RoadTest Review.