The soldering iron is an important tool in jewellery production, as it is used to connect metal parts permanently. The soldering iron is used to melt metals, which are then placed on the interface of the materials to be joined. In the process, the melting temperature of the underlying workpieces is not exceeded, but only the solder, i.e. the soldering material, melts. Although the metal parts themselves are not melted, as is the case with welding, for example, an alloy layer of solder and metal part is created. This makes soldering a material-bonding connection technique and not an adhesive connection. The most important element for soldering, apart from the solder, is the soldering iron, which is available in different versions. Electric and gas-heated soldering irons are the most common tools for soft soldering. They differ in the heating power they have to provide to melt the solder. The most common electric soldering irons have a power of around 150 watts, although the maximum can be up to 500 watts. However, this maximum range for electric soldering irons is more often used by gas soldering irons. In jewellery making and also in the home use of soldering irons, electronic temperature-controlled soldering irons are usually relied on, which are also suitable for very delicate work with exchangeable soldering tips.
