REBALLing
Repair and Rework
It can happen that a BGA component doesn’t work or that it has to be replaced for a variety of reasons. In that case you have to face the situation in a completely different way than you would do with a conventional component.
If the issue it’s about a solder joint you can’t correct it singly since the balls lie below the component case and they can’t be reached with a soldering iron.
Sometimes you can solder again the whole board in order to correct that issue or you can perform a thermal cycle using a hot air station but, if this choice is not convenient or unfeasible the only way is to remove the whole component. The same applies if the component is properly soldered but not working.
Removing a BGA properly means to pull off the removing process getting a fully functioning component – unless it was already broken, obviously- and completely devoid of its connection balls.
Once the decision to remove the BGA has been taken it’s important to assess the best thermal process in order achieve your goal while protecting the PCB and all the other components already assembled that can be also very close to the ball grid array (BGA) itself.
You must plan the process before moving on to the realization being absolutely clear about the involved materials, the board layout, the batch, and the final aim.
After taking those elements into account it will be possible to prepare a FPC plan complete with processes sequence, toolings and machines, setting parameters, materials and checks.
Sometimes after the removing process the component it’s just discarded and replaced with a new one. But it can happen that the component now deprived of his connection balls cannot be substituted.
There can be a few reasons: for example the BGA is very expensive or has a low availability, otherwise one is attentive to the chance of not wasting a fully functional device that can be restored fairly easily as long as you have the right skills and toolings.
Today, more than ever, in a context of global shortage of electronic components and in the light of an increasing awareness about the circular economy, the processes dedicated to the recovering of the materials are of particular interest as long as they are performed with great expertise and guarantee functionality and durability.
Should you select for restoring the BGA in order to replace the connection it’s necessary to reposition the balls and fix them under the component case through a special process called REBALLING.
Our technicians can perform reballing for all BGA sizes and footprint using either semi-automatic or automatic systems applicable in every layout.
As the CGA (column grid array) version is increasingly widespread, where the columns supersede the balls, our staff specialized in reworking those packages as well getting excellent results also on high-end applications.
