[Gllug] component level repair (was Open Source Hardware User Group meeting)

[Andrew Back]

On (21:44 11/05/10), Frank Scott wrote:
> On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 06:59:55PM +0100, general_email at technicalbloke.com wrote:
> > tid wrote:
> > 
> > Yes I have heard several similar stories but I wouldn't dare try it on
> > any of my customers hardware! Apparently several people have met with
> > success baking the motherboards of their (notoriously flaky) HP DVx000
> > series laptops in a normal domestic oven though, the original problem
> > being the graphics chips solder connections fatiguing and breaking
> > because of excess heat followed by repeated cooling.
> > 
> > Apparently the trick is adding a healthy dose of flux and getting the
> > temperature just right, IIRC 205 degrees C so make sure you get an oven
> > thermometer as most ovens thermostats aren't very accurate and the
> > difference between the top and bottom shelves can be as much as 20
> > degrees even with a fan. I suppose a grill might work even better.
> > 
> 
> At fosdem the RepRap guru (Adrian Bowyer) recommended using a non-stick
> frying pan calibrated with a cheap handheld infrared thermometer to do
> SMT work.

I have little experience of SMT so what I think counts for little. However,
this sounds more like a party trick - surely it's easier to control the
temperature across surfaces to be soldered in an oven than it is with a
stack of bits on a teflon pan? And doesn't industrial process use an oven
rather than hotplate?

I'm interested as to folks practical experiences though, using whatever
methods, as I eventually plan to have a go with some SMT work that likely
won't work out / will be rather difficult by hand with an iron.

Cheers,

Andrew

-- 
Andrew Back
mailto:andrew at osmosoft.com
http://carrierdetect.com
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