1006_WT_#SolderJoint_Zeitschrift_USletter_48p_2025-02-07_prev - Flipbook - Page 26
What’s coming next?
“After 34 years with Weller Tools, I will probably
miss the work itself. But most of all I will miss this
incredible team. I don‘t think about what I won‘t
miss. But I will definitely appreciate having more
time for my family and especially for my
grandson, which I‘m looking forward to. And I
also have lots of hobbies, so I am sure, I won‘t
be bored.”
R&D is teamwork: Ralf Zerweck in dialogue with his
collegues Marcel Teller (Sr. Director Global Product
Management and R&D, Weller) and Michael Möhl (Manager,
R&D Besigheim, Weller).
Fascination with details and simplicity
For Ralf Zerweck the most fascinating aspect of
developing tips is the size and simplicity of the products.
It’s only a small but important part of the R&D work at
Weller Tools. Nevertheless, it is so fascinating for him,
because this is a seemingly simple part but still very
complex. The interaction of the materials is the exciting
part. The tip has to be wettable on the front, not
wettable on the back, it also has to have high thermal
conductivity, high heat capacity, high melting point
and at the same time it has to be cost effective
because it is a consumable. All theses aspects make
the challenges of tip R&D so attractive to him.
WT1M as the next big thing
The last big thing in his career at Weller Tools was the
development of the new WT1M concept, which he
likes from developer’s and sustainability’s perspective.
The most important benefit of this brandnew Weller
soldering station will be that the customer will now be
able to use Weller’s active tools in combination with
the cost-effective WT midrange series, saving money
and ressources.
that developers often evaluate the potential risks or
challenges that could arise, such as compatibility
issues, maintenance, and performance over time.
With a concept such as the WT1M, Ralf and his team
have also considered the intuitive use and user
friendliness as well as the ease and cost-effectiveness
of development. In the R&D process they aimed to
solve the technical challenges and avoid risks
without excessive time or budget overruns. He knows
Sustainability was a key factor in the design of the
WT1M. In other words, what materials and resources
are required for production? Are they renewable or
recyclable, and what is the carbon footprint of the
concept over its entire lifecycle - from development
to disposal?
