what is the best way to remove and replace smd components?

[EDWARDEFFECT1]

what do you recommend for removing and replacing smd components .infared station?hot air station? or do you have a special technique you use.open for any ideas?if i buy something for making these repairs i'd like to make the right decision.thanks...ed

[J M Fahey]

Why, I just use a screwdriver and a regular soldering iron if necessary ... to replace the  SMD component, its brothers, and the rest of the board ... 

[DJPhil]

There are a bunch of things to try without involving fancy equipment. Solder wick will make the biggest difference, and liquid flux helps a lot too. If you don't need to salvage the chip it's much easier, you can just cut all the pins. In the end, the screwdriver and soldering iron method is fastest.

If you've got the free time, the IPC has solder and rework training videos available. They're the primary standards association for electronics assembly worldwide, so if you can operate at their standards you're officially a pro (if you get the certificate). Not everyone can stand watching workplace training videos, but there's a lot of good information there. They naturally assume you have all the high end stuff, but the theory carries over.

Hope that helps.

[J M Fahey]

Fun aspects aside, there *is* people which is forced to take such repairs in, like it or not, such as official, authorized, Service Centers.
You can't tell to a big maker "I choose which to service and which not", it's all or nothing.
This means buying (on your own) all the fancy equipment needed, taking all courses, and, most important, perform specified service for the fixed price they pay. Oh well !!
"Fortunately" (it's a two edged sword), many manufacturers are going the "replace, don't repair" route, like it or not.
I know people (in Argentina) which bought everything and then some, have NASA type Labs, but do *not* service Audio Equipment, only Industrial Automation and the like.
If you want to charge U$500 to a Musician, he says "no way" and buys something new.
In, say, a Magazine printer's shop, they lose 50.000 to 200.000 U$ (or even much more) if a vital, half block long printing machine stops on a critical day, so they happily (well, really grudginly, but have not choice) pay your U$5000 service bill.
Imagine the same on an important TV plant or Studio, a car factory, a 2 block yoghurt or beer factory, you name it.
Some friends tell me that I wasted my time getting into Musical Instruments Electronics.
In a way, I agree, only that ... Music is so fun !!!
Not forgetting that by now, if still alive, would already have been through my 3rd or 4th triple-bypass surgery or something to that effect.
Oh well, Life is beautiful.

[Enzo]

I own and operate a small pro audio repair shop, and I constantly wrestle with whether or not it makes sense to invest in more advanced solder gear.   If I were changing out 100 leg SM LSIs all day, I'd have a hot air machine in here.  But still most of what I do is through-hole stuff, and mowstly my sm stiff is like little op amps in mixer or preamp circuits.

The problem is not getting the parts off, it is doing it without pulling up pads and traces.

There is a product called Chip Quik - I may be off on the spelling a little - and I find it works really well.  It is stuff that looks like solder, but it is some special stuff that melts at very low temperatures.  Basically you melt this stuff with your iron onto the legs of an IC or something and it melts with the existing solder.  The combines solder and stuff stays soft and melted for more than long enough to lift the part off the board.

Then clean off the area of solder, and install the new part with a regular iron with a small tip.

[EDWARDEFFECT1]

just purchased a hot air station.i'll get it soon.i will let everyone know if it helps in doing part replacements..$119.99.from a usa seller!.thanks...ed

[EDWARDEFFECT1]

just got the x-tronic 4000 hot air station.i removed a 28 pin small  surface mount ic (cs4221-ks) for my first time with no practice!awesome.i wasn't sure if it would speed up repairs!it will definitely be a huge improvement! it is awesome.i will let you know how it is for soldering in a couple of weeks when my obsolete chip comes in.really low price too.buy dirrect form mercantile station and save $10.00 over their e-bay price.....i did..the phone number there is ...402-742-2586.
this is a digital hot air and soldering gun unit!!!!!.later *****...ed!!!

p.s. no damage at all like my previous encounters removing surface mount ic's.fast and efficient....love it...

saying of the day: work smart not hard! let the tools do the work!!!!

[J M Fahey]

Post some picture of it actually working, even better a 3-4 picture showing that.
Congratulations.

[EDWARDEFFECT1]

here is a site on you tube with a simular unit being used(Aoyue 852A). the aoyue has a plastic air pump and the x-tronics 4000 i bought has a metal heavy duty pump....ENJOY!!!!!!!     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOEHstgaVLM&feature=related

p.s. i used mine with no gloves with no problem! the gloves make the unit look scarey.

of coarse i'll tell you to use gloves to prevent burns,but for me i'm carefull and haven't needed them....

[J M Fahey]

Thanks, interesting!!

i used mine with no gloves

That's what I call a macho technician !! 8|
I hope after that you don't