Rework Station
ZT-2, ZT-3, ZT-1-CLS-DPU, Hakko FR-301, Quick861DW
Make: Zephyrtronics
Model: ZT-2, ZT-3, ZT-1-CLS-DPU, Hakko FR-301, Quick861DW
Ace: Isaac Beals (ibeals16@georgefox.edu).
Location: PCB Lab
Description
The Rework Station is essential for fixing what you messed up during the fabrication process. Consisting of an Air Bath, Air Pencil, and Air Pick, the Rework Station allows you heat up a specific area of the PCB and make modifications, whether that means adding/removing some solder on the pads, rotating a component, or completely replacing a component. Other tools are available for similar purposes, such as a desoldering gun, and an additional heat gun for larger components.
Documentation
Terminology
Air Bath (ZT-1-CLS-DPU)
Air Pencil (ZT-2)
Air Pick (ZT-3)
Desoldering Gun (Hakko FR-301)
Heat Gun (Quick861DW)
User Manual
Training
Overview
The Airbath can heat up to 205 °C, which is not enough to melt the solder on a PCB, but it is close. Solder will melt at higher temperatures than this, which can be achieved using the Air Pencil and/or Heat Gun. Essentially, the Air Bath heats up the board and the Air Pencil finishes the job by heating up the are of the part that we want to fix. This is where the Air Pick comes in. After heating up the part we want to fix, the Air Pick uses a vacuum to pick up the component off the board. If the component is too small, using tweezers to pick up the component is a good alternative.
Demonstration
To show a complete knowledge of the Air Bath, Air Pencil, Air Pick, Desoldering Gun, and Heat Gun, the student will have a PCB prepared and perform tasks with the station as a whole. Using the Air Bath, Air Pencil, and Air Pick, students will remove a SMD and solder it back on. Using the Desoldering Gun, students will remove a soldered through hole component. Using the Heat Gun, students will mount a larger SMD, solder it on, and then remove it.
General Procedure
- Fixing/Replacing Components
- Before turning on the Air Bath, clamp the PCB on the black stand, preferably placing it so that the component you want to fix is directly above the air.. You should not be able to move the board once it is clamped. Keeping it sturdy helps from accidentally moving the PCB during the reworking process.
- Now you will heat up the Air Bath. Hit the Power switch on the front, and set the temperature about 20-30 °C below the solder's melting point. The melting point for your solder can be found using the table below. Voltera's Solder Paste (Orange) melts at lower temperatures than the Sn63Pb37 Solder Paste (Blue). If the Voltera Solder Paste says T4 at the top, heat the Air Bath to 180 °C. If the Voltera Solder Paste says T5 at the top, heat the Air Bath to 150 °C. If you are using the Sn63Pb37 Solder Paste, heat the Air Bath to 150 °C.
- Once the board is heated, you can use the Air Pencil to heat up a specific component. Direct the pencil onto
- Desoldering Through Hole Components
Safety
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Certification
Foxtale Quiz
Troubleshooting
Maintenance
General maintenance
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Specific Maintenance Tasks
| Maintenance Procedure | Frequency | Done By |
|---|---|---|
| Sample | Sample | Sample |
The current Ace of the Rework Station is Isaac Beals (ibeals16@georgefox.edu).
What is the Rework Station?
The rework station is a collection of tools used for heating up printed circuit boards to remove surface mount components or touch up soldering jobs. The tools vary from a board heater, to very precise pin-point heating tools.
Documentation
Training
- Getting Started CHANGE
- HelpDocs CHANGE
Terminology
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
SMD - Surface Mount Device
SMT - Surface Mount Technology
Heat Gun- A soldering iron-like tool that blows out hot air through a variable sized hole (often variable through interchangeable tips).
Helping Hands - A tool that grabs onto your PCB with little clips.
Soldering - The process of melting a tin-lead compound of metal to secure pins and leads of electronic components onto the terminals of a printed circuit board.