Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 7212
Solderer
Solderers operate various equipment and machinery such as gas torches, soldering irons, welding machines, or electric-ultrasonic equipment in order to solder together two or more items (usually metals), by melting and forming a metal filler in between the joints, the filler metal has a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.
Check yourself in a minute: solderer
Rate 5 of the 16 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
monitor gauge
remove inadequate workpieces
remove processed workpiece
perform test run
wear appropriate protective gear
About solderer
As a solderer, you will be responsible for joining metal components together using various soldering techniques and equipment, creating strong and reliable joints essential for manufacturing everything from electronics to heavy industrial equipment. Your work requires precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of metals, filler materials, and temperature control to ensure quality welds that meet strict industry standards. You will work in manufacturing facilities, repair shops, or on construction sites, operating specialized equipment while maintaining the highest safety standards and consistently producing flawless work that will be relied upon by end users.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a solderer.
1
Prepare Materials for Soldering
- Inspect and prepare metal pieces to ensure proper surface cleanliness and fit
- Select appropriate filler metal based on base metal type and joint requirements
- Apply flux to joints to remove oxidation and improve solder flow
2
Operate Soldering Equipment
- Operate soldering irons, gas torches, welding machines, and ultrasonic equipment with precision
- Monitor and control torch temperature and solder application rates
- Ensure equipment is properly maintained and available for daily operations
3
Apply Precision Metalworking Techniques
- Solder joints using manual or semi-automatic techniques to achieve consistent quality
- Ensure correct metal temperature during soldering process to prevent defects
- Create smooth, uniform solder joints that meet dimensional and appearance specifications
4
Quality Control and Inspection
- Spot and identify metal imperfections, cracks, or weak joints during and after soldering
- Monitor gauges and testing equipment to verify joint strength and integrity
- Remove inadequate workpieces and perform test runs to ensure quality standards are met
5
Safety and Compliance
- Wear appropriate protective gear including safety glasses, gloves, and heat-resistant clothing
- Follow quality standards and safety protocols specific to soldering operations
- Maintain a clean and organized work area to prevent accidents and contamination
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (16)
torch temperature for metal processestorch temperature for metal processesIdeal temperature of tools and machinery equiped with torches to perform various metal processing on workpieces.types of metaltypes of metalQualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.monitor gaugemonitor gaugeOversee the data presented by a gauge concerning the measurement of pressure, temperature, thickness of a material, and others.remove inadequate workpiecesremove inadequate workpiecesEvaluate which deficient processed workpieces do not meet the set-up standard and should be removed and sort the waste according to regulations.remove processed workpieceremove processed workpieceRemove individual workpieces after processing, from the manufacturing machine or the machine tool. In case of a conveyor belt this involves quick, continuous movement.perform test runperform test runPerform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, ...wear appropriate protective gearwear appropriate protective gearWear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.ensure equipment availabilityensure equipment availabilityEnsure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.operate soldering equipmentoperate soldering equipmentUse soldering equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, such as a soldering gun, soldering torch, gas-powered iron, and others.select filler metalselect filler metalSelect optimal metal used for metal joining purposes, such as zinc, lead or copper metals, specifically for welding, soldering or brazing practices.spot metal imperfectionsspot metal imperfectionsObserve and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fracture...apply fluxapply fluxApply a chemical cleaning agent, such as ammonium chloride, rosin, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, borax, and others, that removes the oxidation from metals being joined during soldering, brazing, a...prepare pieces for joiningprepare pieces for joiningPrepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they'll be joined.ensure correct metal temperatureensure correct metal temperatureEnsure the necessary, usually constant, temperature of processed metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.apply precision metalworking techniquesapply precision metalworking techniquesComply with precision standards specific to an organisation or product in metalworking, involved in processes such as engraving, precise cutting, welding.
Optional (29) — show
metal joining technologiesmetal joining technologiesThe various technologies used for the joining and assembling of fabricated metal workpieces.ferrous metal processingferrous metal processingVarious processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.welding techniqueswelding techniquesThe different methods of welding together pieces of metal using various equipment, such as oxygen-acetylene welding, gas metal arc welding and tungsten inert gas welding.manufacturing of metal household articlesmanufacturing of metal household articlesThe manufacture of flatware , hollowware , dinnerware and other non-electrical utensils for use at the table or in the kitchen.manufacture of small metal partsmanufacture of small metal partsThe manufacture of metal cable, plaited bands and other articles of that type, uninsulated or insulated cable not capable of being used as a conductor of electricity, coated or cored wire as well as b...fuel gasfuel gasThe various qualities, hazards and applications of gaseous fuels, such as oxy-acetylene, oxy-gasoline, oxy-hydrogen and others.manufacturing of heating equipmentmanufacturing of heating equipmentThe manufacture of electrical ovens and water heaters by metalworking processes.types of metal manufacturing processestypes of metal manufacturing processesMetal processes linked to the different types of metal, such as casting processes, heat treatment processes, repair processes and other metal manufacturing processes.manufacturing of door furniture from metalmanufacturing of door furniture from metalThe manufacture of metal items that can be attached to a door in order to support its function and appearance. The manufacture of padlocks, locks, keys, hinges and the like, and hardware for buildings...flammable fluidsflammable fluidsThe behaviour of liquids and gases that represent a serious explosion and fire danger, and their appropriate handling systems and effective storage.manufacturing of weapons and ammunitionmanufacturing of weapons and ammunitionThe manufacture of heavy weapons (artillery, mobile guns, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, heavy machine guns), small arms (revolvers, shotguns, light machine guns), air or gas guns and pistols, and w...metal smoothing technologiesmetal smoothing technologiesThe various technologies used for the smoothening, polishing and buffing of fabricated metal workpieces.manufacturing of toolsmanufacturing of toolsThe manufacture of knives and cutting blades for machines or for mechanical appliances, hand tools such as pliers, screwdrivers etc. The manufacture of non-power-driven agricultural hand tools, saws a...precious metal processingprecious metal processingVarious processing methods on precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.operate brazing equipmentoperate brazing equipmentUse equipment designed for brazing processes in order to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.operate oxy-fuel welding torchoperate oxy-fuel welding torchOperate a cutting torch fueled by oxyacetylene gas safely to perform welding processes on a workpiece.work ergonomicallywork ergonomicallyApply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.handle fuelshandle fuelsHandle and store fuels and assess their potential risks and dangers.operate welding equipmentoperate welding equipmentUse welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.perform product testingperform product testingTest processed workpieces or products for basic faults.operate precision measuring equipmentoperate precision measuring equipmentMeasure the size of a processed part when checking and marking it to check if it is up to standard by use of two and three dimensional precision measuring equipment such as a caliper, a micrometer, an...apply brazing techniquesapply brazing techniquesApply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of brazing, such as torch brazing, braze welding, dip brazing, and others.maintain mechanical equipmentmaintain mechanical equipmentObserve and listen to machinery operation to detect malfunction. Service, repair, adjust, and test machines, parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical principles. Maintain...ensure correct gas pressureensure correct gas pressureEnsure the necessary, usually constant, pressure of gas which is part of a machine or tool, such as torching equipment, used to process metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.consult technical resourcesconsult technical resourcesRead and interpret technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.keep records of work progresskeep records of work progressMaintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.adjust temperature gaugesadjust temperature gaugesOperate temperature gauges to maintain food and drink items at appropriate temperatures.non-ferrous metal processingnon-ferrous metal processingVarious processing methods on non-ferrous metals and alloys such as copper, zinc and aluminium.apply preliminary treatment to workpiecesapply preliminary treatment to workpiecesApply preparatory treatment, through mechanical or chemical processes, to the workpiece preceding the main operation.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a solderer do?
Solderers operate various equipment and machinery such as gas torches, soldering irons, welding machines, or electric-ultrasonic equipment in order to solder together two or more items (usually metals), by melting and forming a metal filler in between the joints, the filler metal has a lower melting point than the adjoining metal.
What skills does a solderer need?
A solderer needs 16 essential skills, including torch temperature for metal processes, types of metal, quality standards, monitor gauge, remove inadequate workpieces.
Will AI replace solderer jobs?
The AI disruption score for solderer is 47/100 (moderate risk). Skills most exposed to automation: remove processed workpiece, monitor gauge, quality standards. Most resilient: operate welding equipment, operate oxy-fuel welding torch, welding techniques.
AI Replacement Risk
47/ 100
Moderate Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
ISCO GroupMetal, machinery and related trades workers
Essential Skills16
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