470KHz Soldering System

After three years of active development, we have released our first complete soldering system as Open Hardware. The goal of this project has been to develop an affordable induction soldering station that can be built by hobbyists.

Assembly instructions and latest updates can be found on the GitHub page for this project.

The Handpiece and Cable

Through nearly one hundered revisions, we have perfected a 3D printable soldering iron grip that maximizes comfort on long soldering jobs. The core of the handpiece is our custom coaxial connector, designed for long term durability, repairability, and ease of assembly. Surrounding the core is a precisely designed air gap that minimizes heat transfer from the hot soldering iron tip to the grip. Multiple different grip texture options are availible for customization by the user.

The custom coaxial cable developed for the 470KHz soldering system allows for excellent flexibility while only requiring minimal cable thickness. Custom silcone cable jacketing allows for performance in rough environments and extreme burn resistance. Improved strain relief allows for greater durability than most other soldering irons on the market. The 470KHz coaxial cable can be adapted to, 3-pin DIN, 8-pin DIN, and 3-pin mini-DIN for compatibility with other 470KHz soldering power supplies on the market.

The Power Supply

The core of the 470KHz soldering system is the power supply. The power supply has two main parts to it. First, it has a fixed-frequency 470kHz oscillator providing a 50% duty square wave to a MOSFET gate driver. This drives a MOSFET in a class-E amplifier, followed by an impedance matching circuit, a constant voltage to constant current LC network, and a matching circuit to the tip LR. This allows the tip to induction heat properly.

The Workstand

The workstand was specifically designed to be 3D printer-friendly and fit the user’s needs. The stand contains print-friendly geometry and features that allow for minimal support structure, along with having a compact and durable design. The tapered hole makes it easy to dock the handle, and the integrated notch helps to prevent the handle from being knocked backwards. When docked in the workstand, a pair of magnets reduces the temperature of the soldering tip, ensuring tip longevity. Like all of our other system components, the workstand can be customized by the suer to fit their specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is induction soldering better than resistive?

A: As Metcal explains, inductive soldering has the benefits of fast heating, fast thermal recovery, and precise temperature control.


Q: Will your open source files become available?

A: Check out the GitHub page for our 470kHz soldering system for the latest updates. We plan to set up an eBay page for handles for 13.56MHz Metcal systems, which will be coming soon.


Q: Are there any tradeoffs for the thinner, lighter cable used in RTSS products?

A: Yes. Due to the higher flexibility, thinner, and lighter cable, it is more prone to temporary kinks. In this situation, you just need to de-twist the cable. This is an inherent consequence of the higher freedom of maneuvering the cable enables.


Q: Your cables are exchangeable, does that mean they will fail quickly?

A: No. The main competitor's cables typically fail due to their abominable strain relief. We have taken a different, and better, approach to our strain relief in order to prevent this. If you do not abuse your cables they will last for many years. We made them exchangeable for the sake of portability and repairability.


Q: Does your handle feel better than what is provided by competitors?

A: We think it does! We spent years perfecting our handle grip comfort and consulted multiple focus groups to ensure we selected the most universally comfortable option.