durchlöte

Durchlöte is a German verb meaning to solder through holes, and it is commonly used in electronics to describe the process of inserting component leads through drilled holes in a printed circuit board and establishing a solder connection on the opposite side. The term can also refer to the act itself in a general sense. The related noun is das Durchlöten, and the past participle used in perfect tenses is durchgelötet.

In electronics manufacturing, durchlöten is closely associated with through-hole technology (THT). In this approach, components with leads are placed into pre-drilled holes and soldered, typically on the solder side of the board. This method contrasts with surface-mount technology (SMT), where components are soldered directly to surface pads without passing through holes. Through-hole soldering can be performed by wave soldering or by manual/flux-assisted hand soldering, and it often provides greater mechanical strength for certain applications.

Linguistically, durchlöten is a separable verb formed from durch- (through) and löten (to solder). In present-tense sentences the prefix can be placed at the end of the clause (for example, “Ich löte den Draht durch.”). In perfect tenses the form appears as durchgelötet, as in “Der Draht ist durchgelötet.” The term is mainly used in technical writing and discussions about PCB assembly and related manufacturing processes.