OK International Metcal MX-5000 User manual

Metcal MX-5000
Power. Precision. Performance.
Soldering, Desoldering and Rework System
User Guide
99 Washington Street
Melrose, MA 02176
Phone [phone]
Toll Free 1-800-517-8431
Visit us at www.TestEquipmentDepot.com

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CONTENTS
1. SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 2
2. SYSTEM DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
a. SmartHeat®Technology, No Calibration Required 2
b. Systems, Upgrade Kits & Accessories Guide 3
3. POWER SUPPLY OVERVIEW
a. Power Supply Features 4
b. Power Supply Mode Overview 5
4. HAND-PIECE OVERVIEW 6
a. Hand-piece Selection Guide 6
5. CARTRIDGE OVERVIEW
a. About Metcal Cartridges 7
b. Choosing the Correct Tip Geometry 7
c. Choosing the Correct Temperature Series 8
d. Temperature Series Chart 8
6. TIPSAVER WORKSTAND OVERVIEW
a. TipSaver Workstand Features 9
b. Cradle Guide 9
c. TipSaver Workstand Configurations 9
d. Cradle Positioning 9
7.OPERATION
a. Initial Setup 10
b. Replacing all Tip Cartridges 10
c. MX-PTZ and TALON Operation 10
d. MX-PTZ Tip Alignment 10
e. User Programmable PowerSave Mode Adjustment 10
f. User Selectable Power Graph 10
8. APPLICATION NOTES
a. Extending Tip Life 11
b. Detinned Tips 11
9. BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 11
10. SAFETY 12
Warranty
OK International warrants the MX-5000 System against any defects in materials or
workmanship for five (5) years from the date of purchase by the original owner. This
Warranty excludes normal maintenance and shall not apply to any opened, misused,
abused, altered or damaged items. If the product should become defective within the
warranty period, OK International will repair or replace it free of charge at its sole option.
The repaired or replacement item will be shipped, freight prepaid, to the original
purchaser. The warranty period will start from the date of purchase. If the date of
purchase cannot be substantiated the date of manufacture will be used as the start of
the warranty period.

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1. SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Ambient Operating Temperature 10 - 40°C
Maximum Enclosure Temperature 55°C
Input Line Voltage 100 - 240 VAC, grounded circuit
Input Line Frequency 50/60 Hz
Power Consumption 125W
Output Power (Max.) 80 Watts max. Per channel at 22°C ambient
temperature
Output Frequency 13.56 MHz
Power Cord 3-Wire 183cm (18/3”) SJT
Dimensions w x d x h 12.1 cm (4.8”) x 13.0cm (5.1”) x 23.5cm (9.3”)
Certification / Marking cTUVus, CE
Surface Resistivity 105- 109Ω/in
Tip-to-Ground Potential <2mV
Tip-to-Ground Resistance <2 ohms
Idle Temperature Stability ± 1.1°C in still air
Hand-piece Cable Length L=122cm (48”), burn proof, ESD safe
Hand-piece Connector F connector
Workstand Dimensions w x d x h 8.6 cm (3.4”) x 19.1 cm (7.5”) x 8.3 cm (3.3”)
2. SYSTEM DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
The MX-5000 Series is a precision, high-power soldering system with dual
switchable ports. It is the newest design of the market leading Metcal soldering
systems. It adds new ergonomic hand-pieces, a new built in power meter, 80 watts
of power and includes SmartHeat® Technology for quick response and precise
control.
a. SMARTHEAT®TECHNOLOGY
No Calibration Required
Each cartridge is equipped with a self-regulating heater which ‘senses’ its own
temperature and closely maintains its pre-set idle temperature for the life of the
heater-tip; all controlled by OK International’s proprietary SmartHeat®Technology.
The tip temperature is determined by the inherent metallurgical properties of the
heater; no external adjustment or equipment is required. This eliminates spikes
and transients associated with electrically switched elements found in conventional
soldering irons. The integrated power indication meter actively monitors power
delivered to the tip as it varies in direct response to the thermal load. The power
indication meter requires no calibration, because it is monitoring an active
feedback loop. Please feel free to contact your OK International representative with
any questions.
Those companies or individuals requiring periodic verification of system
performance may do so in the following ways:
•Measure the performance of the system in ‘time required to solder a defined
number of loads’, or
•Observe start up and idle power with the integrated Power Indication Meter, or
•Measure tip idle temperature as it equates to this performance.

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b. SYSTEMS, UPGRADE KITS & ACCESSORIES GUIDE
The MX-5000 Series offers users a choice of systems, upgrade kits and accessories.
Systems Description
MX-H1-AV MX-H2-UF
MX-PTZ
MX-DS1
MX-5010 MX-PS5000 Power Supply, Metcal Advanced™Soldering
hand-piece (MX-H1-AV), TipSaver™ workstand (MX-W1AV) 
MX-5020 MX-PS5000 Power Supply, UltraFine soldering hand-piece
(MX-H2-UF), TipSaver workstand (MX-W1AV)

MX-5050 MX-PS5000 Power Supply, MX-DS1 desoldering hand-
piece, workstand (MX-WS5DS)

MX-5041 MX-PS5000 Power Supply, MX-PTZ tweezers hand-piece,
Metcal Advanced Soldering hand-piece (MX-H1-AV),
TipSaver workstand (MX-W4PT), TipSaver workstand (MX-
W1AV)
 
MX-5051 MX-PS5000 Power Supply, MX-DS1 desoldering hand-
piece Metcal Advanced Soldering hand-piece (MX-H1-AV),
workstand (MX-WS5DS), workstand (MX-W1AV)
 
Upgrades
MX-UK1 Metcal Advanced Hand-piece & TipSaver workstand 
MX-UK2 UltraFine hand-piece & TipSaver workstand

MX-UK4 Precision Tweezers hand-piece & TipSaver workstand

MX-UK5 MX-DS1 hand-piece & TipSaver workstand

Accessories
MX-H1GR Grip, Metcal Advanced hand-piece, Ring pattern 
MX-H1GK Grip, Metcal Advanced hand-piece, Knob pattern 
MX-H1GS Grip, Metcal Advanced hand-piece, Scallop pattern 
MX-H2GR Grip, UltraFine hand-piece, Ring pattern

MX-H2GK Grip, UltraFine hand-piece, Knob pattern

MX-H2GS Grip, UltraFine hand-piece, Scallop pattern

MX-H1-GSR-5 Sleeve, green for Metcal Advanced hand-piece grip, ring
pattern, set of 5 
MX-H2-GSR-5 Sleeve, green for Metcal UltraFine hand-piece grip, ring
pattern, set of 5

MX-CP1 Cartridge removal pad, Metcal Logo 
  
AC-BP Brass Pad, package of 10 
  
AC-Y10 Yellow Sponge, package of 10 
  

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3. POWER SUPPLY OVERVIEW
a. POWER SUPPLY FEATURES
LCD Display
The MX-5000 Series utilizes a built in LCD which displays system information
including:
•Integrated Power Indication Meter
The MX-5000 Series has a built in power indication meter which will display
a graphical and numerical representation of the power.
•User Programmable PowerSave Mode
The MX-5000 Series has a user programmable PowerSave Mode. The time
to enter PowerSave Mode is adjustable from 10 to 120 minutes.
•Universal Power Supply
The MX-5000 Series automatically senses the input line voltage and adjusts
accordingly, which allows for worldwide operation without adaptors or a
change in performance.
Fron
t
LCD Display
Output Selector/
Command Button
Power Switch
Left Output
Right Output
Integrated Carry Handle
Power Connector
Communication Port
“For Future Use”
Back

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POWER SUPPLY MODE OVERVIEW
READY MODE
1. Hand-piece removed from workstand.
2. System is ready for use.
SLEEP MODE
1. Hand-piece in workstand.
2. Power to the hand-piece is reduced.
POWER MODE
1. Hand-piece removed from stand.
2. System is in use. Power Meter displays power at tip.
POWERSAVE MODE
1. Hand-piece in workstand.
2. Power to the hand-piece is off.
3. LCD Display flashes.
4. Press Command Button to reset.

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4. HAND-PIECE OVERVIEW
The MX-5000 Series offers users a choice of hand-pieces to meet the customer’s
application needs. Each hand-piece has its own range of cartridges with many
choices available for tip geometry and temperature.
a. Hand-piece Selection Guide
NOTE: This is only a small sample of tip styles available for each of the hand-
pieces.

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5. CARTRIDGE OVERVIEW
a. About Metcal Cartridges
The soldering and rework cartridges are constructed with a tip, heater, coil,
connector and shaft. This assembly is designed for precision and long life provided
that the proper tip care procedures are followed. (See Section 8)
Selecting a cartridge depends on the following variables
•Need for access
•Type of solder
•Size and mass of load
•Componenet type
The correct choice of cartridge will result in an optimized soldering process. Here
are some of the considerations for selecting the soldering or rework cartridge.
b. Choosing the Correct Tip Geometry
Metcal cartridges come in a wide variety of tip geometries and temperature ranges
(for a complete up to date listing, visit ZZZWHVWHTXLSPHQWGHSRWFRPfor
more information). These tip geometries cover a broad range of tasks from delicate
precision work to heavy ground plane soldering.
1. Pick a tip that maximizes contact area between the solder joint and tip.
Maximizing contact area gives the most efficient heat transfer, producing
high quality solder joints quickly.
2. Pick a tip that allows good access to the solder joint. Shorter tip lengths
allowquicker response. Longer or angled tips may be needed for soldering
densely populated boards.
3. Pick the lowest temperature tip cartridge that will accomplish the task. This
minimizes the potential for thermal damage. The temperature series is
marked on the shaft of the Heater Tip. (See page 8 for more Information)
Too Large
Solder/Rework Thru-hole
Desolder Thru-hole
Correct
Correct Too Small Too Large
Too Small

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c. Choosing the Correct Temperature Series
Each cartridge is specially designed for high power delivery, which means that you
can often solder with a Metcal cartridge at a temperature 100°F (40°C) or more
lower than with a conventional soldering iron. Since Metcal tip cartridges sense
thermal loads and respond to them, you need only approximate the size of the
loads you will be working with. Start with a lower temperature, going to a higher
temperature only when necessary.
d. Temperature Series Chart
Application X=Series STTC SMTC UFTC PTTC TATC STDC
High Thermal
Sensitivity 500
Series 5 5 5
Moderate
Thermal
Sensitivity
600
Series 0 0 6 6 0
Moderate
Thermal Mass 700
Series 1 1 F 7 1
High Thermal
Mass 800
Series 8 8 8 8
Note: Not all temperature series available for some styles.
Connector
Coil Assembly
Tip
Shaft
Heater
SMTC-X60
LOT 1212
Consult Temperature
Series Chart
Lot Code
Style
Magnetic Shield Series
CARTRIDGE CONSTRUCTION AND IDENTIFICATION

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6. TIPSAVER WORKSTAND OVERVIEW
a. TipSaver Workstand Features
b. Adjustable Angle Cradle Guide*
Workstand Cradle Description
MX-W1AV MX-W1CR TipSaver cradle, Advanced hand-piece, includes knobs
MX-W1AV MX-W1CR TipSaver cradle, UltraFine hand-piece, includes knobs
MX-W4PT MX-W4CR TipSaver cradle, MX-PTZ hand-piece, includes knobs
MX-W5DS MX-W5CR TipSaver cradle, MX-DS1, includes knobs
c. TipSaver Workstand Configurations
The TipSaver Workstand is designed to accommodate different configurations
in a minimal footprint. To change the configuration;
1. Remove the two screws from the underside of the workstand base (MX-WB).
2. Move the Workstand Sponge Holder (MX-WSH) into the desired position.
3. Replace the two screws into the underside of the workstand base.
d. Cradle Positioning
The TipSaver Workstand incorporates an adjustable angle cradle allowing the
insertion angle for the hand-piece to be adjusted for the comfort of the operator.
To adjust the angle of the cradle;
1. Loosen the knobs counterclockwise.
2. Adjust the cradle to the desired
angle.
3. Tighten the knobs clockwise.
Workstand Sponge Holder
(MX-WSH)
Workstand Base (MX-WB)
Adjustable Angle Cradle*
Adjustment Knobs
Coiled Brass Cleane
r
or Coiled Brass Cleane
r
with Sponge