Triac soldering

Wayne J

Wayne J

Super Moderator
Staff member
If you plan to use a heatsink on the triacs, then keeping them straight and inline is important. I have this little trick to help do this. I have built over 70 ssr boards with this method, and it works great.

First, you need two straight edges, some masking tape, and a tape measure.

Take the two straight egdes and set them parallel with each other. The distance between them depends on the board you have, but for the SSR 2.4, it is 1 13/16"

Tape them down to the work surface making sure that the board will fit in a way that is comfortable to solder the triacs.

Put the triacs in the pcb, flip it over into the fixture and push the triacs against the straight edge and then let the pcb slide back to the other straightedge. Then go through and solder the middle pin of the triacs first. Finish soldering them and VOLIA .... nice striaght and in line triacs. :)

(click for full size)
 
Wayne J said:
If you plan to use a heatsink on the triacs, then keeping them straight and inline is important. I have this little trick to help do this. I have built over 70 ssr boards with this method, and it works great.

First, you need two straight edges, some masking tape, and a tape measure.

Take the two straight egdes and set them parallel with each other. The distance between them depends on the board you have, but for the SSR 2.4, it is 1 13/16"

Tape them down to the work surface making sure that the board will fit in a way that is comfortable to solder the triacs.

Put the triacs in the pcb, flip it over into the fixture and push the triacs against the straight edge and then let the pcb slide back to the other straightedge. Then go through and solder the middle pin of the triacs first. Finish soldering them and VOLIA .... nice striaght and in line triacs. :)

(click for full size)
Click to expand...

Absolute genius!
 
Perfect timing as I begin my SSR soldering. Too bad i didn't know this earlier today, my first one isn't exactly very straight.
 
Might it be possible, if you knew the measurements, to mount them to the heat sink first, and then solder them?
 
I just attach the heat sink to them ahead of time. I have one heat sink made just for a templete. I have done this for the R24's and SSR's. Place all the triacs in the pcb then install the heat sink. Flip the board over, adjust as needed and then solder. Just measure the distance between them on the pcb your using then go drill a heat sink.
Jerome
 
Sure, I drill up about 50 of them ahead of time, here are the measurments for the triac heatsink of the SSR 2.4 pcb.

 
I was planning on using 1/20th thick x 1/2" angle aluminum for my heat sinks. Should I use something larger or will this be fine?
 
JEEPGUY said:
I was planning on using 1/20th thick x 1/2" angle aluminum for my heat sinks. Should I use something larger or will this be fine?
Click to expand...


I use ½" x .060 thick aluminum angle for mine. Seems to be fine. :)
 
Wayne J said:
The distance between them depends on the board you have, but for the SSR 2.4, it is 1 13/16"
Click to expand...
Wayne:

How did you determine this measurement? Some fancy geometry or t-and-e? ;) ...

I have a bunch of SSR4s to build and would like to use this technique.

Thanks.

\dmc
 
dmcole said:
Wayne:

How did you determine this measurement? Some fancy geometry or t-and-e? ;) ...

I have a bunch of SSR4s to build and would like to use this technique.

Thanks.

\dmc
Click to expand...

Of course while a little neanderthal, you could just adjust the straight edge until the triacs are straight. From there it just a measurement. :wink:
 
WWNF911 said:
Of course while a little neanderthal, you could just adjust the straight edge until the triacs are straight. From there it just a measurement. :wink:
Click to expand...
Leon:

Ah, but you caught me: I did try that approach and came away with unstraight triacs ... they were even, but not at a 90-degree angle to the board. My eyeballs aren't what they used to be (but then, none of my pieces/parts work the same as they did but a mere few decades ago). And it was hard to get the little carpenters' square underneath the board to make sure ;) ...

BTW, that's what I was referring to in a "t-and-e" (or trial-and-error) method.

\dmc
 
dmcole said:
Leon:

Ah, but you caught me: I did try that approach and came away with unstraight triacs ... they were even, but not at a 90-degree angle to the board. My eyeballs aren't what they used to be (but then, none of my pieces/parts work the same as they did but a mere few decades ago). And it was hard to get the little carpenters' square underneath the board to make sure ;) ...

BTW, that's what I was referring to in a "t-and-e" (or trial-and-error) method.

\dmc
Click to expand...


I got that too and so far have gotten around that by 1st soldering only one post per triac. Sort a tack weld if you will. Check it, then if you need to adjust its easy.

Leon
 
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