An accurate residual solder removal is essential for most rework applications. However, increasing packing density and ever shrinking sizes of SMD components make it more and more difficult to get sufficient access to the component site. Finetech offers solutions for contactless solder removal in a single sweep which allow a safe, careful and - most important- reproducible dressing even of very small sites on heavily populated boards.

Flex materials are increasingly used in consumer electronics and the automotive industry where highspeed interconnections, 3D connection and mechatronic concepts as well as maximum miniaturization are essential. Finetech offers adapted equipment solution to rework pure flexible materials or partially flex multilayer PCBs.

Following the technological trend, rework of Package-on-Package (PoP) components will be one of the key issues for the years to come. Finetech offers a comprehensive application solution for reworking stacked devices.

Flat packages such as QFNs (Quad Flat No-lead) or other MLFs (Micro LeadFrame) with outstanding thermal, inductive and capacitive characteristics arebeing increasingly incorporated into denseöy populated, space-saving assemblies.Unlike BGA components, QFNs however do not provide a solder ball array for SMDassembly but have to be soldered to the assembly with their contact padsattached directly to the metalized body (lead frames). This technology makesmuch higher demands compared to the handling of standard SMD components.

The trend of increasing complication in the rework arena continues. Sources of today’s rework challenges include the development of ever smaller components and the continued difficulty of reworking BGAs (with defective, deformed, or missing balls). Add to that, the necessity for contract manufacturers to have a reliable solution to reduce waste continues. The need exists to blend “typical” rework (SMD components, lead-free solder and 0201) with more complex rework, such as single ball reballing. Or, simply put, to reuse BGA components...

When looking at surface mount technology, the field of rework appears more and more important due to economic considerations. Valuable raw materials and components, complex productions engineering and long value chains make advanced rework profitable. The difference between non-underfilled component removal and underfilled component removal mainly results from one specific preparation stage:

BGA means Ball Grid Array. A BGA consists of a small thin PCB, called interposer, and the electrical circuit as a silicon die mounted on its top side and covered by a plastic case. On the interposer's underside is a grid array of solder balls. The interposer contains conducting paths and vias that connect the contacts of the die to the solder balls. All FINEPLACER^® Systems are suitable for standard rework applications like BGA or µBGA (CSP) components.

Are you sure that your system can handle these devices without problems and in a lead free environment? Please read about FINETECH's understanding of small passives rework.

Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) is a smart adhesive assembly technology with numerous benefits. Unlike most adhesive bonding technologies, ACF-bonded devices are reworkable. A good example how much reworking ACF-mounted components can make sense is the repair of failed CSP driver chips at TFT display panels.