Of all the different situations a technician or electronics hobbyist can find themselves in… perhaps one of the most intimidating is needing to replace a bad BGA (Ball Grid Array) component on a board. Reworking BGAs is not for the faint of heart, which is probably why there are so many myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic. In this post, we’ll tackle 5 common myths about BGA Rework Stations and hopefully make you a bit more comfortable deciding to tackle that Xbox chip replacement or CPU upgrade.
Myth 1: BGA Rework Stations are expensive
It is true that BGA Rework stations can get extremely expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick up a decent unit at a reasonable price point that won’t break the bank. You may have to give up some bells and whistles found on the most high end machines, like upward and downward facing cameras, or high performance IR heaters. These features are nice especially if you’re working with very tight pitch parts or have a very low failure tolerance. But if reworking BGAs is something that only comes up every so often, a good hot air unit or lower end IR system should do work just fine. If you’re looking for a list of good options for lower cost BGA Rework stations, check out this related post.
Myth 2: BGA Rework Stations are noisy
This myth really stems from the type of rework station we’re talking about. Hot Air rework stations can be rather noisy. They require fans to move and direct the hot air at the parts being reworked. Hot air BGA rework stations can sound almost like a hair dryer at times, and can be annoying in an otherwise quiet lab environment. There are a type of BGA rework stations that don’t sound like a wind-tunnel, and those are IR or infrared based systems. IR rework stations use IR light to heat the components that need to be reworked. Since IR systems use IR lamps, there is no blowing hot air, and therefore they are relatively quiet to operate.
Myth 3: BGA Rework Stations require special utilities
Very large and complex BGA rework stations do in fact require special considerations when it comes to utilities required. Some larger systems require higher voltages like 220V instead of the standard 110V. There are other systems that require additional plumbing for inert gasses. There are however a great number of smaller and simpler BGA rework stations that require little more than a benchtop and a wall outlet. That being said, with any soldering station it is critical that work is done in a well ventilated area, preferably with exhaust to vent the toxic fumes from the solder and flux.
Myth 4: BGA Rework Stations don’t work on BGAs with metal lids
This myth comes from those whisper quiet IR rework stations. You see, the issue with IR heating is that like any other light, IR light can be reflected instead of absorbed. When attempting to heat a component with an IR heat source, it is important that the IR light is absorbed by the component in question. If too much light is reflected then it will take FOREVER for the part to reach reflow temperatures.
That is how the myth of the metal lids came to be, their shiny surfaces easily reflect IR light. There are a couple simple work-arounds here to bust this myth. First, one can use a hot air rework station, which should have no problem heating a part with a metal lid. Second, you could simply cover the metal lid with a black tape to help IR get absorbed and heat transferred into the component. The only ‘trick’ with using black tape is that you have to make sure it can survive reflow temperatures.
Myth 5: BGA Rework Stations are difficult to operate
It is absolutely true that getting good at doing BGA repair, replacement and rework takes practice. When you’re first starting out, make sure to have some test pieces and boards that you don’t mind sacrificing to get the hang of how to rework a BGA. The difficulty comes in learning which temps a particular board will reach reflow temperature, how to protect the adjacent components, and how to ensure the BGAs are aligned when replacing. The actual BGA Rework stations themselves are relatively simple to operate.
Most will include one or more temperature settings; usually you can adjust the temperature of the base plate, and you can adjust the overhead heat source, be it IR or hot air. Most of the temperature adjustments are closed-loop digital controls with simple (+) and (-) buttons to change the temperature setting. One thing to note though is that it is important to independently monitor the actual temperature of your circuit card. Even if your bottom heater is set to a given temperature, it does not mean the board is at that same temperature.
Hope you’ve enjoyed breaking down these common BGA rework myths, we’ve enjoyed sharing our experience and knowledge with you. If you are looking for some great BGA Rework Stations to add to your lab, check out these 5 great options.
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