BGAs or Ball Grid Arrays can be one of the most difficult Surface Mount Device (SMD) package types when it comes to solder rework. Having a good BGA rework station is critical to troubleshoot and replace these types of components. Many of today’s most advanced SDR or software defined radio chipsets are BGA package types. There are a few reasons why BGA rework is so difficult. The solder pads are located underneath the package body. The large surface area makes it difficult to evenly reflow the solder pads without overheating surrounding components. With any electronic rework operation it is important to test continuity and function before and after any major rework event.
TL;DR: Here’s our top pick for the best BGA/SMD Rework Station
Our top pick came in as the T862++ IR BGA Rework Station with pre-warmer. It offered a good balance between features and affordability.
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Methodology for ranking BGA/SMD Rework Stations
Deciding on a BGA/SMD rework station can be a daunting task. Luckily, we’ve done the homework and research for you. We reviewed several facets including heating source, power consumption, utilities required, usability, and of course cost.
The BGA rework stations we considered are geared more for small labs and hobbyists, and low volume prototyping operations. If you’re looking for something more serious for a true production environment, we recommend checking out the folks over at PCB-Repair.com. You can read more about each of these review criteria at the end of this post.
Without further ado, here is our short list of great BGA rework stations.
Top 5 BGA/SMD Rework Stations
1. T862++ SMD/BGA Benchtop Rework Station
The T862++ BGA Rework Station is a true IR based rework station. It includes an IR light source and 3 lenses that can be used to focus the heat energy on the BGA or component to be reworked or removed. The T862++ also includes IR heated ceramic “pre-warmer” hot plate that is useful to bring the entire board up to an elevated temperature slightly lower than the reflow temperature. The T862++ also includes a touch-up soldering iron and stand for quick hand solder touch-ups.
In terms of controlling the various heat sources, the T862++ offers digital control of each of the three heating elements, the IR pre-warmer, the IR lamp, and the touch-up soldering iron. Each controller includes an on/off switch as well as (+) and (-) buttons to dial in the temperature that you desire.
The work area of the T862++ is 120mm by 120mm and features adjustable rails for holding PCB assemblies. With adjustment rails only in 1 axis, it may be difficult to capture and hold odd shaped circuit cards. In terms of utilities and power consumption, the T862++ BGA rework station can run off of normal 110V AC and has a total output power of 800W, 650W of that power budget going to the “pre-warmer” hot plate.
Overall, the T862++ has a good set of features for a very affordable price which is why it ranked number 1 on our list of great BGA Rework Stations.
2. IR6500 IR BGA/SMD Rework Station
The IR6500 BGA Rework Station is larger and higher power benchtop rework station. The IR6500 uses IR heating for both the top and the bottom heating elements. The heating elements are closed loop controlled and can be pre-programmed with various temps and ramp rates. The IR6500 benchtop rework station also includes that ability to connect the unit to a PC through an included USB cable and control the heaters using included software.
The IR6500 offers one of the largest work areas of the units we researched at 400mm x 350mm. The work area also features highly adjustable rails to secure and hold unique circuit shapes and sizes. The IR6500 uses 110V power and has a total power usage of 1250W. Although this is a significant amount of power, it seems the IR6500 suffers from slow heating, particularly with the bottom heater. Its important to monitor the actual temperature of our circuit card, and not just the temperature of the heaters.
Due to the added features of the heater controllers, the IR6500 is less user friendly than T862++ above. It can handle larger CCAs, but at more than twice the price of the T862++, we’d really only recommend the IR6500 for more experienced users that need finer control over heating and a larger work area.
3. T-890 SMD/BGA Rework Station
The T-890 is a benchtop IR based BGA rework station. This unit features the ability to run off of either 110V or 220V power. The total output power of the T-890 is a whopping 1500W. Most of that poower is used for the bottom pre-heater element, with 300W coming from the IR lamp up top.
The T-890 is a larger rework station, so it can handle fairly large circuit assemblies. The work area is 330mm by 320mm. The overall design is compact and simple, without a nest of wires that can be seen with some of the other units. The T-890 BGA rework station also offers an all digital temperature controller and includes 8 preset temperature profiles pre-loaded. This can be helpful for dialing in the appropriate temperatures for a wide variety of circuit cards.
Pricing for the T-890 can vary widely, so it’s important to shop around and find the best price. We consider the T-890 to be a good no-frills option if you already have some other basic equipment in your lab, like soldering irons and stands.
4. Aoyue 866 Hot Air Rework Station
The Aoyue 866 Hot Air Rework Station is our favorite hot air unit on our list. It offers an affordable price, compact design and a ton of accessories. The Aoyue 866 comes with an “IR” base heater for pre-warming, and both a high power heat gun and a soldering iron. The base comes with a special holder that is designed to hold the heat gun and be positioned where desired. It does not offer a ton of adjustment options, but for the price the Aoyue 866 is good budget option.
The baseplate IR pre-heater is quartz IR based heater. In terms of temperature control, the Aoyue 866 offers digital control of the pre-heater, air gun, and soldering iron. There is also an analog control know to adjust the air flow. It is important to adjust airflow which can blow tiny parts off boards if too strong.
As mentioned, the Aoyue 866 is a compact unit with a work area of 140mm by 140mm. The unit is powered by standard 110V and has total outpout power of around 400W. One of the best features of this rework station is the number of accessories that come with the Aoyue 866. It includes a vacuum pen for picking up small surface mount parts. It also includes a small spatula for the same purpose. Additionally, the Aoyue 866 comes with multiple tips for the air gun and tips for the soldering iron. It even comes with a toolbox to store all your accessories!
5. YIHUA 862BD+ Hot Air and Soldering Station, plus BGA Preheater Station
Our final BGA rework station is a bit of a DIY option for the most budget conscience. It is possible to build your own BGA hot air rework station. This is done by combining a hot air gun and soldering station with a hot plate. For this option we’ve highlighted the Yihua 862BD+ Solder/ Hot Air Rework Station. To finish this out, we’re recommending a basic benchtop hot plate.
The Yihua 862BD+ offers digital control for both the soldering iron and the hot air gun. There is also an analog control knob for controlling air flow. This rework station runs on 110V and has a total power rating of 750W. If you add a decent digital controlled hot plate, you can create a BGA rework station for an affordable price.
Considerations when picking a BGA/SMD Rework Station
Heat Sources
Two of the most common BGA/SMD rework station heat sources are hot air and infrared. Hot air BGA/SMD rework stations use different nozzles or heat guns to direct heated air at the part to be reworked. The higher end rework stations will include multiple nozzles that can be positioned precisely to guide the heat. Lower end models have a simple heat gun.
Infrared or IR rework stations use infrared rays as a heat source. IR BGA rework stations are less complex, but several vendors on the low end try to pass simple IR heat plates as true IR rework stations. In reality, true IR rework stations use IR lamps to precisely direct IR light at components. These light sources often include shutters and lenses used to shield surrounding components from the IR light. One consideration for IR SMD rework stations is that they often struggle heating light colored or silver bodied components due to high reflectivity of the case. This can often be overcome by using black tape on top of the components being reworked.
Power Consumption and Utilities Needed
BGA rework stations get hot! Like, really hot! Hot air rework stations typically pump out super heated air somewhere between 300 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit! It takes a lot of power to generate that much heat. An important consideration when picking a BGA rework station is the power consumption and utilities needed. Simpler rework stations can run off of normal 110V power and can be set up in a well ventilated area. Higher end BGA rework stations will run off of 220V and could require addition utilities. There would be nothing worse than unboxing and setting up your BGA rework station only to find out you don’t have the right utilities or power available.
Affordability
The pricing for BGA rework stations can vary from a couple hundred dollars for the most basic options, to several thousands of dollars. Combine that with the complexity caused by multiple vendors offering basically the same machine, and things can get confusing quickly. For our review we scoured to find the best price for each model and took affordability into account when ranking these BGA rework stations.
