The soldering process for Neon Flex LED strips must balance structural stability, electrical safety, and flexibility. Key aspects include tool selection, temperature control, soldering techniques, anti-static measures, solder joint protection, installation specifications, and testing and verification.
Tool selection must be adapted to the thin and lightweight nature of the flexible LED strip. The soldering iron power is recommended to be between 30-60W. The soldering tip should be ground into a horseshoe shape to increase the contact area and shorten soldering time. Low-melting-point solder wire with a diameter of approximately 0.8mm should be used to ensure fluidity. The flux must have strong penetrating power to remove the oxide layer. Auxiliary tools include wire strippers, heat shrink tubing, insulating tape, and anti-static tweezers. Heat shrink tubing is used for insulation protection, insulating tape assists in fixation, and anti-static tweezers prevent damage to the LED chips during operation.
Temperature control is crucial to preventing damage to the LED chips. The colloid and chip of the Neon Flex LED strip are sensitive to high temperatures. During soldering, the soldering iron temperature must be strictly controlled between 300-350℃, the soldering time should not exceed 3 seconds, and the solder joint should maintain a distance of at least 2mm from the bottom of the colloid. If using a hot air gun, the temperature should be set to around 260℃, and the airflow adjusted to medium speed to avoid localized overheating that could cause colloid deformation or chip detachment. For fully encapsulated LED chips, the paint layer around the solder pads must be scraped off with a blade to expose the copper wires before soldering to ensure conductivity.
The soldering technique must follow the "negative electrode first, then positive electrode" principle. During operation, first apply a small amount of solder to the positive and negative solder pads of the LED chip, then simultaneously heat both pads with the tip of the soldering iron. Once the solder melts, quickly use tweezers to align the positive and negative electrodes of the LED chip with the solder pads, ensuring complete contact between the leads and the pads. During the soldering process, the LED strip must be kept stationary to avoid cold solder joints or short circuits caused by movement. For multi-segment LED strip connections, cut the strip at the marked cutting point, strip the wire insulation to expose 3-5mm of metal wire core, tin it, connect the positive and negative terminals accordingly, and finally wrap the solder joint with heat shrink tubing and heat shrink it.
Anti-static measures are essential throughout the entire soldering process. Neon Flex LED strip chips are sensitive to static electricity; operators must wear anti-static wrist straps, anti-static gloves, and anti-static shoes to ensure the potential difference between the human body and ground does not exceed 5V. An anti-static mat must be laid on the work surface, and the soldering iron must be grounded to prevent static electricity from being conducted to the LED chips. Before soldering, an ion fan can be used to remove static electricity from the LED strip. During soldering, never touch the LED chip leads with bare hands to prevent static electricity from damaging the chip.
Solder joint protection must consider both insulation and waterproofing. After soldering, the solder joint must be tightly wrapped with heat shrink tubing to prevent short circuits. For outdoor applications, apply silicone or silicone sealant to the outside of the heat shrink tubing to improve waterproofing. For connections between multi-segment LED strips, secure them with insulating tape and wrap it 2-3 times to prevent exposed wires. During installation, avoid impacts from heavy objects or scratches from sharp objects to prevent damage to the LED strip and exposure of internal wiring.
Installation specifications must accommodate its flexible characteristics. Neon flex LED strips can be bent into arcs, waves, etc., but the bending radius must exceed the minimum allowable value to prevent breakage of the LED leads. Keep the LED strip flat during installation, avoiding excessive local stretching or compression. If fixing to a wall or irregular surface, use special clips or tape; never use metal materials such as wire to bind it tightly to prevent short circuits. The power cord must be of a specification matching the LED strip's power. The main line should use standard wire diameter, and branch lines should not be too long to reduce voltage drop.
Testing and verification are the final step to ensure welding quality. After welding, a power-on test must be performed to check if the LED strip emits light evenly, without flickering or dark areas; use a multimeter to check the forward and reverse resistance to confirm there are no short circuits or poor soldering; for dimmable LED strips, the controller function must be tested to ensure it is working properly. Before outdoor installation, a simulated rain test should be conducted to verify the waterproof performance; after long-term use, the welds should be checked regularly to see if they are loose, and timely repair welding or replacement of aging light strips should be carried out.
