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MAINTENANCE/TROUBLESHOOTING/APPLICATION EXAMPLES

Top of Support & Service  >  MAINTENANCE/TROUBLESHOOTING/APPLICATION EXAMPLES  >  How to use the FT-720 tip cleaner

How to use the FT-720 tip cleaner

The FT-720 tip cleaner cleans a soldering tip with rotating brushes in a second.

Mechanism of the FT-720 tip cleaner

The cleaning brushes start rotating automatically as the infrared sensor detects a tip coming in.

Contact the area of the soldering tip you want to clean with the rotating brushes. Then, it can become cleaned in a second.

If you place the soldering tip in-between position (approx. 20mm from the insertion opening) of the rotating two brushes, you can clean it efficiently.
 

Some soldering irons and tips are not compatible with FT-720.
Please confirm the compatibility with the chart table below.

Compatible irons and tips with FT-720 Compatible irons and tips with FT-720

Soldering station Handpiece Soldering tip Remarks
FX-971 FX-9701 T39 Series * Shapes of "Spatula" is not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
FX-9702 T39 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9703 T50 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9704 T50 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-972 FX-9701 T39 Series * Shapes of "Spatula" is not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
FX-9702 T39 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9703 T50 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9704 T50 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9707 T53 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-9708 T53 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-951 FM-2028 T12/T15* Series * Shapes of "Quad", "Tunnerl" and "Spatula" are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
FM-2026 T13/T17** Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FM-2032 T30 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-950
FX-952
FM-2028 T12/T15* Series * Shapes of "Quad", "Tunnerl" and "Spatula" are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
FM-2026 T13/T17** Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FM-203
FM-206
FM-2027 T12/T15* Series * Shapes of "Quad", "Tunnerl" and "Spatula" are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
FM-2026 T13/T17** Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FM-2030 T22 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FM-2031 T22 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FM-2032 T30 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-100 FX-1001 T31 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-1002 T35 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FN-1010 FN-1101 T36 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FN-1102 T36 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-805 FX-8004 T37 Series * All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Regular Type
* All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Slim Type
All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8005 T37 Series * All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Regular Type
* All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Slim Type
All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-801
(Discontinued)
FX-8002 T33 Series
Regular Type
* All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Slim Type
All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8003 T33 Series
Regular Type
* All the tips are not compatible with FT-720 as they might stop the lotation of cleaning brush.
T33 Series
Slim Type
All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-838 FX-8301 T20 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8302 T20 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-888D
FX-889
FR-701
FR-702
FX-8801 T18 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8802 T18 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8803 T18 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-8805 T19 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-600 T18 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.
FX-601 T19 Series All the tips are compatible with FT-720.

Part names of FT-720

 1. Sensor cover  1. Sensor cover

If the sensor, sensor area, or sensor cover is not clean, the unit may not detect coming and going of the tip and the brushes could keep rotating with non-stop. Please apply maintenance periodically according to the frequency of use.

Replace the sensor cover if it has cracked or there is a considerable amount of scratches on it. (Part No.A5062: Sensor cover for FT-720)

Please make sure to use the FT-720 always with the sensor cover. Otherwise, solder waste or debris may come into the sensor area and cause a malfunction of the unit.

 2. Adjuster  2. Adjuster

You can make the opening wider by removing an adjuster.

When you want to clean a bigger soldering tip, it makes the work easy and efficient by doing so.

In case an extremely slim tip is applied, the sensor may not be able to react to tip coming and the brushes do not start rotating.

  • The removed adjuster can be stored inside the base of the unit.

 3. Cleaning brush  3. Cleaning brush

Other than the standard fluoroplastic brush, you can change to use the optional brushes.

Option Standard Option
Metal brush Fluoroplastic brush Resin brush
Effective in removing solder from a tip completely
Recommended for soldering fine and precise components.
Almost no solder remains on the tip after cleaning. Need to pay attention to tip oxidation.
Long-life brush with excellent durability
The ideal amount of solder remains on the tip after cleaning.
So, it's recommended for a wide variety of soldering, including high volume soldering operations.
Effective in reducing the impact of tip oxidation while soldering with lead-free alloy or halogen-free flux.
A sufficient amount of solder remains on the tip to avoid oxidation. Instead, precise control of solder amounts isn't easy.
Guideline of solder amount left after tip cleaning
Guideline of solder amount left after tip cleaning
 4. Solder waste collector  4. Solder waste collector

Solder waste and flux residue accumulate in the solder waste collector. Regularly remove and discard them as necessary.

Instruction for use

  1. Connect the AC adapter to the outlet, and insert the plug in the DC jack.

  2. Insert the soldering tip into the opening to start cleaning.

The sensor reacts when the tip is inserted, and cleaning will start.
Contact the area of the tip you want to clean with the brushes, and the tip becomes cleaned in a second.

An example of cleaning on a D-type tip
  • before cleaning
  • after cleaning

The FT-720 finishes tip cleaning in a short time (within a second).
If you use it in the incorrect way shown below, you can't clean well and may even damage the brushes or the unit.

Incorrect usage
  • Inserting the tip into the cleaner too much over the guideline
  • Keeping the tip in contact with the brushes for an extended time
    * The FT-720 finishes tip cleaning in a short time (within a second).
  • Moving the tip up and down during cleaning

Check out the video to learn the correct usage.