How to install a Qi charging station in a desk
You want to charge your smartphone wirelessly and install the Qi charging station in a piece of furniture? In this article we show you how to drill a hole for the IKEA RÄLLEN loading pad into a desk with the bimetal hole saw.
You have bought an iQ charging station and want to install it in a piece of furniture. Most pieces of furniture are made of wood (plywood) and can therefore be easily machined with a bi-metal hole saw HSS. Learn more about bi-metal hole saws in our article "Bi-metal hole saws and its applications".
Even when you charge your phone wirelessly, the charging station needs power. So think carefully about where in the piece of furniture you want to place the charging station in order to have a short distance to the next power outlet.
We install the RÖLLEN charging pad from IKEA in a desk. With a hole in the desk, the charging station is flush-mounted and the mains cable disappears under the table top. All you see is the plus sign on the cargo area where you load your phone.
Required tools
To cut the through hole you need the following tools:
- Safety goggles
- Bi-metal hole saw HSS (79 mm)
- Arbor holder
- Flat screwdriver
- Cordless screwdriver / hand drill
- Wireless charging station, RÄLLEN charging pad by IKEA (no longer available)
IKEA indicates a diameter of 78 mm for the ROLLEN charging pad. We do not have this diameter in our program and therefore use the hole saw with a diameter of 79 mm.
How does wireless charging work?
You don't need a charging cable to charge your smartphone. Charging is done by induction by simply placing your smartphone on the pad.
A coil through which alternating current flows is installed in the charging station. This creates a magnetic field around the it. Qi-capable smartphones also have a coil. When the coil enters the charging station's magnetic field, the energy flows directly into the smartphone's battery.
Qi is the Chinese word for "life energy".
Source: Cyberbloc
The working procedure
Bi-metal hole saw and arbor holder have a thread that you screw together. At the end of the screw connection, press the two plugs on the holder into the two openings of the hole saw.
To finally fix the two elements, use the flat screwdriver to tighten the grub screw on the arbor holder.
Fix the bi-metal hole saw with arbor holder in the cordless screwdriver.
Center the bi-metal hole saw and cut the through hole. Make sure that you
- drill with light, steady pressure,
- avoid pendulum movements, and
- have the safety goggles on.
The last and easiest step is to place the charging station in your drilled hole and plug the power cord into the wall socket.
Done: Your charging station is lowered and you can charge your phone wirelessly.
Summary
An iQ charging station is a practical invention and installation is quick and easy with the right tool.
To install them in a piece of furniture, it is best to use the bi-metal hole saw HSS. It is very well suited for cutting soft materials such as plastics, wood or aluminium.
If you want to install the charging station in harder materials, it is best to use a bimetal hole saw HSSE-Co 8.
Learn more about bi-metal hole saws in our article "Bi-metal hole saws and its applications".