A soldering station, invariably temperature-controlled, consists of an electrical power supply, control circuitry with provision for user adjustment of temperature and display, and a soldering iron or soldering head with a tip temperature sensor.
A soldering iron is a hand tool used in soldering. It supplies heat to melt the solder so that it can flow into the joint between two work pieces. The station will normally have a stand for the hot iron when not in use, and a wet sponge for cleaning.
Soldering irons and stations are most often used for installation, repairs, and limited production work in electronics assembly.
