No lead solder use on a safety relay controller

[sam_sam_sam]

Here is one that gave me a real big headache---->
This unit is on a Plasma Cutting Table

This start about 3 months ago

The machine would work ok ---->

Then all of sudden the machine stop in its track as though you hit E stop
But you did not do that

You would hit the power button to restart the machine and would work again for awhile and it might or might do it again that day this at the beginning of this problem

Then it started doing this more and more but it would most of the time you could restart it

Then it started doing this a little different---->

It would shut off but then the (safety relay) -->(MSR15D) --->would come on but the machine would not power all the way but it dose not have any errors

This went on for about month or so like this ----->

Then one day last week it would not come back ON at all

Now this safety relay controller has

2 inputs for the E stop switches
3 outputs for controlling the machine
1 set of contacts to active the safety relay controller
2 contacts for power supply to the safety relay controller

It has 5 relay in this controller and four boards in a box formation this was a real trip to take apart to check the relay in question to check it

So I checked the outputs contacts on the controller and found one set has voltage on it when it should NOT have any at all

So I took the safety relay controller apart and what do I find is that one of pins on the board for the relays has turn the real brown but the soldering joint did not look that bad so I though that the relay contacts had gone bad but NO

When I remove the solder from the board the pad came off with it and was not in one pice but it had turn black and looked like small grain pepper what hell is this

I have seen this before where the pad come off the board but the pad comes off hole or in half or part of it ----->but this is the first time that I have seen it this bad

Now I was able to repair this board with wire wrapping wire
It was not the prettiest thing in the world but it worked

****** My boss is real happy now ********

Now the machine is back up and running again

This was a headache to figure out what was going on with this machine

[goontron]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

Am i missing something, or are there no images?

[redwire]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

I don't see it as caused by the no-lead solder?

A fractured solder joint arcing, or (old) relay contacts make heat and end result is a burned pin on the PCB. One cooked pin on a relay, see that in appliances. It starts fires in dishwashers or stoves, the high-current/high-inductance loads are mean to a poor connection.

Vibration might be a problem, if the plasma cutter's vibrate the PCB then all heavy through-hole parts can fracture their solder joints

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

When the solders is no lead the solder is not shine
When lead solder is used it is shine-e
At least that what I have noticed
I could be wrong

I am sorry that I did not take photos of these boards

I have a vacuum Desoldering gun that captures the solder

When lead solder is use you get a ball of solder that all stays together

When lead free solder is used it is a lot of very small pieces that do not stay together

Also when you heat the soldering joint the solder does not flow very easily and takes a lot more heat I have the Desoldering gun temperature set 775* F so I get on the soldering joint and get off of it quickly but with this type of solder you have to stay on it longer to get all of solder out of the joint and lot of the time I have to put some leaded solder for all of the solder to come out of the joint

Now with leaded solder with the Desoldering gun set at 775* F I can do this very quickly and most of the time I get all of the solder to come out the joint

This how can I tell which type of solder is used

One note the pin on the relay was not burn it was the pad that was destroyed

Now I could be completely wrong but this is what I have noticed

[stj]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

When the soldiers is no lead the soldier is not shine
When lead soldier is used it is shine-e
At least that what I have noticed
I could be wrong

you are wrong, *good* lead free solder like i use does shine.
it's just the cheap crap used in chinese factories that doesnt.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

you are wrong, *good* lead free solder like i use does shine.
it's just the cheap crap used in chinese factories that doesnt.

Ok thanks

Can you recommend some good lead free solder

[stj]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

btw, i dont think it's the actual solder - i think it's the flux used in the solder.
because good & bad ones use pretty much the same alloy but are very different to use!

i use stannol solder, 99% tin 1% copper with krystal505 flux.
that's a water clear colourless very mild flux you can hardly see like a thin layer of glass.
very hard to find though

the next one up that i also have is the same alloy with HS10 flux.
that's more what your probably used to, mild golden flux with a bit of rosin in it.

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

btw,
the next one up that i also have is the same alloy with HS10 flux.
that's more what your probably used to, mild golden flux with a bit of rosin in it.

You can find it on eBay from Germany but it is not to bad in cost

Here is the link that I found it at

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STANNOL-Sold...WkV1a#shpCntId

[stj]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

that's 60/40 not lead-free.
but anyway, finding HS10 loaded solder is easy - it's finding krystal505 that's hard!

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

it's finding krystal505 that's hard!

i did find it on eBay but it is expensive

I found this will this work even this is a little expensive as well but not as bad

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MULTICORE-LO...3D322297499802

[stj]

Re: No lead soldier use on a safety relay controller

that has silver in it!

anyway, i may have found a source (re-labelled) of solder with krystal505 at farnell