Rework Guide

Hot Air station SMD rework guide

this is a tentative guide to use a hot air station for smd rework on pcbs, the aim is to express the basics of smd rework

General settings

the main settings are Heat and Air speed, we found the best temperature to be at around 360 celsius, and the airflow to be as low as 10% of course theese settings may vary also based on the components as per maximum temperature stated in the datasheets.

Nozzle diameter

the nozzle dimension is based on the component which needs rework, the air speed setting must be adjusted to compensate the diameter difference when changing nozzles.

Board prepping

Component shielding

ensure to cover sensible components with heat covers or capton tape so to not damage them while working on near components or accidental mishandling of the hot air gun.

Procedure

apply some flux on the component prior to heating it up to ensure optimal solder melting and avoid oxidation. once the solder is melted remove the component with tweezers. Clean the pads with solder wick and reapply solder with iron, then reapply flux under the component and place it in position, re heat it up to re melt solder and jiggle it to make sure it is aligned, it should spring back to its correct position. Wait for the board to cool down and clean off excess flux with isopropil alchool.