REPAIR AND REWORK
Reworking, repairing and modifying electronic boards
It can happen, while developing a project, that a board has to be modified in order to achieve the desired functionality.
Mostly it’s about updating the prototypes, but sometimes it’s about a defect in the assembly that affects the functionality or a strategic board that deteriorates and needs to be fixed.
In either case rework, repair or modify an assembled product is always a delicate work that requires great care, know-how and expertise.
The IPC standard 7711/7721 lays down the guidelines for rework, modification and repair of electronic assemblies and mastering its contents it’s mandatory knowledge, but that’s not enough, since the situations you can meet are very variable and so, the experience gained in the field is invaluable. Moreover, you must have solid bases of metallurgy and dispose of the proper toolings to be able to tackle such a challenging process on high-tech assemblies.
Our technicians have developed a vast experience in this field supporting large companies in the field of Science and Aerospace industry through the development of their prototypes.
That line of work often requires reworks and adjustments on special components that are frequently also expensive and sometimes rare or custom made.
When the soldering processes are performed on a board that is already assembled even a simple removal-installation procedure can be tricky especially if the components are peculiar and the board is complex.
That’s why being able to map out a good FPC (Factory Production Control) plan is a key for success: you must pinpoint the criticalities, choose the most suitable materials and toolings and perform the activity in a systematic way in order to achieve consistent and satisfactory results.
Repair and rework is much more than just a “remove-install” operation, the work can entail, for example, jumper wiring which can range from the simpler one all the way through the most complex wirings that are useful for instance to adapt the components on layouts having different footprints.
That can be especially helpful while realizing the “breadboards” when you want to use downgraded components in order to cut the costs and speed up project development or when the components you planned to use are no longer available or are suffering from shortage.
Thanks to rework and repair skills you can also operate directly on the PCB (printed circuit board) fixing damages that can occur such as cut conductors or lifted lands and sometimes you can even replace tracks or other missing or damaged circuitry using some special pre tinned frames that allow to restore the operational reliability to damaged assemblies or modify them as desired.
Now it’s clear that rework and repair processes can be extremely variable and they need excellent training of staff and availability of equipment and facilities.
The staff must master all the soldering techniques and have the knowledge of the raw materials and of the physical and chemical principles that rule these processes.
And they obviously must know the reference standards for the electronics assemblies such as IPC or ESA. The tools are just as important and they must always be fit for purpose.
Whether it is soldering irons, pre-heating systems, hot air stations, rework machines or ovens, the added value lies in the skills of setting and using them under proven procedures, enhanced by the experience.
Also the raw materials such as alloys, flux and other chemicals have to be tailored to the selected process in order to achieve the objectives set.
It can be said that rework and repair processes are among the most delicate of the electronic manufacture and require strong commitment and passion.
Our Company has shown a strong inclination toward these activities that we find inspiring and exciting since they promote our technological growth and they became an actual core business, a service that we can offer with the certainty of satisfying the most demanding customers.