Reflow BGA package?

Yes you can but it costs. Once the BGA is removed, it needs to be reballed. Then reflowed, xrayed and inspected, and repeated if it failed inspection. One major hurdle is the thermal profile. Was the BGA the first part or the last part? Components on the bottom? It gets really complicated, I doubt you'd find someone willing to do this for 1 piece.

Cheers

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:10:44 -0700, Martin Riddle wrote (in article ):

There is a place in Main, USA, that is reported to do this, one-off.

But I was considering doing it myself. The hot-plate or electric griddle technique ($30 at Walmart). Googling around shows many successes. But with a BGA I've yet to see it.

It is possible although it takes a lot of patience. Don't know if the effort is worth $170 though.

Once we had two BGA pads swapped by mistake on the prototype board. The tech managed to take the BGA off, fix the PCB and then put the BGA back. That saved the board run.

VLV

Your best bet would be to find a lab that has an SMD rework station.

Sure, YOU can reflow a laptop chip, and removes it, and you can reflow the bad chip and remove it, but re-using the replacement requires specific steps.

Also, the rework station is ideal for the removal on the PCB you are trying to fix, as hap-hazard reflow techniques can cause failures to other components local to the removed part. That is why a rework station is practically a requisite. You could call a few contract manufacturers that do PCB assembly, and ask them what they would charge you to change out a chip with no guarantees. Finding someone to perform that task for less than $50 will not be easy. Also, it is all very likely RoHS, so lead free processes have to be used, and that is an even higher temp.

You would have better success with a more focused heat source that a griddle plate.

Particularly if there are other SMD parts surrounding it, and there no doubt is.

You bring the whole assembly up to about 160 F. Then, you apply some heat to the bottom, directly under the chip, to bring that part of the board up a couple hundred more degrees, then you place the focused heat on top over the chip, all the while preparing to grab it with good tweezers or a four corner mechanism that you build specifically for removing the chip.

You cannot pull the chip before all the balls reflow, and you cannot "pull" at all really. If the temps are right, it will reflow, and you should be able to lift it off with NO force required, and you should never apply any either.

I would still get someone with a rework station to replace it though.

The surface has to be prepped after the old chip comes off, and other things that require someone with experience to perform to keep from buggering up the board.

You may succeed, but the odds are below 50%, and decrease another 10% with each additional 25 balls.

Even when done in a pro lab, it is difficult, and x-rays are required after.

ey are

It's a relatively straightforward procedure, given the correct equipment. X-ray isn't *required* especially for a on-off like this.

are

It IS required if the replacement does not work.

are

And what do you do with the results of the X-Ray - decide to reflow or not. Same as you would do if it didn't work.... 'nice to have', yes, 'essential' - no.

they are=20

=20

Impressive tech. A full board run vs. that tech multiplied by the time required per unit. How did the costs work out? Don't forget schedule and time to market.