What is PCB assembly rework?

PCB assembly rework entails desoldering or resoldering of some of the components mounted onto your printed circuit boards. Essentially, it means repairs and replacements on your PCBs.

Why do we require PCB Assembly rework?

There could be some damaged or faulty components, soldering mistakes, bad soldering, incorrect component placement, electrical defects, high-voltage current exposure, and other issues that result in rework. There could also be counterfeit or refurbished parts from your brokers that might lead to non-functional or semi-functional electronic boards. Any mistakes made by your designer also result in non-functional boards. PCB Assembly rework helps in uncovering these production errors, fill in the gaps by fixing them, and prevent the mistakes from recurring.

What are the factors that need to be considered while a PCB is reworked on?

There are many factors that need to be considered like - Materials used - Thickness - Complexity - Type of components - Type of PCB - Precision required - Coating materials - Safe removal - Proper cleaning mechanisms

What are the basic procedures involved in PCB cleaning and rework procedures?

Cleaning, conformal coating removal, repair, or replacements are some of the procedures involved in PCB rework.

Why should I choose Mer-Mar Electronics for PCB assembly rework?

Mer-Mar Electronics is one of the most experienced with over 4 decades. We follow the best practices for PCB assembly rework. We have trained our personnel adequately for aiding them in instructing and delivering accurate & reliable PCB assembly rework. We are also a specialized company providing PCBs and components that can endure several cycles of higher temperatures. We do careful planning for all the considerations for the PCB assembly rework required for your project.

How do you go about the PCB assembly rework?

We begin the PCB assembly rework process by following the below steps - Define the accurate thermal profile - Identify the failed components and remove them - Clean the site to remove any solder residues - Prepare for the new components - Replace the components with the new solder and perform the reflow - Test and inspect for quality. If you have lead-free requirements, we follow new processes for more accurate thermal profiles and extreme precision throughout the PCB rework.

What are the challenges involved in PCB assembly rework?

One of the primary challenges is the rework of a massive number of PCBs. The other challenge is the cost and time issues involved in the PCB assembly repairs. If you need lead-free assembly, the cost of the rework further rises.

What can reduce the rework issues?

If you can provide a correct BOM, many issues in the layout can be avoided. Further, follow the DFM requirements of your contract manufacturer. This also avoids the wrong placement of components and spacing issues on the components.

Can we just do desolder and resolder by hand? Isn’t it sufficient?

Manual desoldering and resoldering can be done to some extent but not suitable for reworking PCBs. Manual processes during rework may damage some electronic components or PCBs. The hand soldering process may put stress on components and PCBs due to inconsistent heat application. This is expensive and time-consuming. Also, it is not possible to use hand soldering for all electronic components.

How do I know that PCBA rework was a success?

You can test the PCB assembly. Use X-ray testing for BGAs and other electronic components after performing rework. You can also go for visual inspection but that is not as effective as X-ray testing. Mer-Mar electronics provide the rework process in a way that reworked boards cannot be distinguished from non-reworked boards. You can expect the same life expectancy as non-reworked ones.

PCB Assembly Rework – Mer-Mar Electronics

Leading the way for over 40 years

PCB Assembly Rework

Mer-Mar Electronics is a leading electronics manufacturing company with over 4 decades of solid experience in assembling printed circuit boards and PCB assembly rework and repair service through cutting-edge tools and technologies. We ensure effective resoldering or desoldering of certain surface-mounted components on the printed circuit boards. With the increase in lead-free requirements, the PCB repair process has become even more complex but we have trained personnel to work on lead-free assembly, rework, and inspection.

We follow an uncompromised approach when it comes to quality and strictly adhere to the stipulated deadlines. Whether it is the removal of damaged components, cleaning of the circuit site, or replacement of the components with the new soldered ones, we follow the right protocols to make sure the board is not ripped off.

We are also an ISO 9001:2015 certified company with skilled personnel who are IPC trained and strictly incorporate triple process inspection for adhering to the highest quality standards for PCB assembly rework requirements. All your PCB assembly rework services are backed by our specialized support, reliable testing, and authorized workmanship.

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Certified PCB Assembly Company for
All your PCBA rework needs

Lead-free PCBs – Lead-free PCBs demand better precision and you get it with is. We provide high temperature and high precision services for your lead-free assemblies. We are aware of the challenges involved in building lead-free assemblies and how to overcome them without any issues.

Uncompromised Quality – We do not compromise on quality and we display excellent skills and craftsmanship while mounting components and working with fine-line circuits. We use high-quality tools for heating, drilling, soldering, removing components, and so on.

Safe Removal – Special tools are used for the removal of damaged components. Based on the components, we choose the right and safe tools for the quick removal of any component. Extra care is taken for the removal of glued components by proper heating until the glue comes off completely.

Proper cleaning and Replacement – We ensure you do not face any issues like contamination and poor adhesion while cleaning. We also make sure there won’t be any current leakage issues and corrosion during the removal of residues. Our skilled technicians use upgraded equipment for replacing circuit components.

PCB Assembly Rework

High-quality Accredited PCB Assembly
Rework and Repair Services

Component Replacement

Our team has a thorough knowledge of circuit boards and can help you with component replacement. We have the right strategies and solutions for helping you to choose replacement components for your PCB. Your boards may need some mid-way design changes and may also need to adapt to the new requirements. We would be there for you to traverse through this and help you choose replacement components compatible with the device’s functionality. We find the exact replacement component that matches every possible specification your device needs.

BGA Repair and Reballing

If you need your BGA repair and reballing services, we help you restore your BGA PCBs to high-quality levels and original performance with solution-driven solutions. We have the capabilities to take BGA rework and reballing assignments of all types – Plastic BGA (PBGA), Chip BGA (CBGA), and Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA). Our high-precision services help you perform accurately and with no margin for error. We are your perfect partners in handling any irregularities with BGA rework and for maintaining the efficacy of your circuit boards.

SMT Assembly Repair

With top-notch SMT repairing equipment and rework machines, we have been offering top-of-the-line repair services. We have all the requisite tools and equipment for SMT assembly repair. We provide everything that is involved in SMT assembly repair from desoldering, component shaping, Pad cleaning, mounting & placing components, soldering, as well as cleaning. We also offer automated in-line systems designed for high-volume SMT assembly repairs and you can be assured of a flawless SMT assembly with performance intact.

PTH Assembly Repair

Besides designing and manufacturing a plated through hole (PTH) PCB, we also provide a PTH assembly repair process. With unique knowledge, capabilities, and advanced equipment, we perform the repair and test of the complex PTH circuit board assemblies. We reliably repair or replace the damaged components on the assembled PCBs. With appropriate tools and materials, we have created a versatile kit that meets the needs of your PTH assembly repairs. We also prioritize what needs to be taken first by re-evaluating the performance levels.

Internal Ground Planes

Mer-Mar Electronics has powerful internal ground connection capabilities and lays a firm foundation that your PCB board needs. We have tools and expertise for handling design challenges and improving performance. We simplify your ground plane layout task and with careful attention to the ground plane, we ensure to avoid electrical noise and interference. Through proper planning of the layer stack-up configuration, we help control the electrical performance of the board and avoid crosstalk between the signals on the layers.

Re-evaluation

We carefully inspect the options before you and pick the right PCB options for you. With reevaluation, we aid you in picking the perfect components. You will have complex semiconductors like microprocessor units, processors, sensors, etc. In addition to these, we also evaluate your common input and output connectors, graphic displays, memory, and also the onboard power supply. In this process, we ensure you have adequate space needed on the board and also test points for evaluation and analysis.

Pad & track repair / solder mask

Whenever any components are removed or the device breaks, your solder pads may be damaged. We clean & remove the damaged pad immediately and remove the solder mask. We take special precautions to not cause any damage in the process of removing and cleaning the boards. We replace these missing or damaged ones on the circuit board. Our team quickly jumps in to do the necessary repairs.

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PCB Assembly Rework Techniques

PCB Assembly Rework techniques involve –

Cleaning
Conformal coat removal
Repair Work

Mer-Mar Electronics use the following procedures –

Cleaning – We look into any surface contaminants that might have severely affected the PCB’s electrical characteristics as well as components. For cleaning the surface components, we use the following –
- Cleaning agents
- Automated cleaning process
Conformal Coat Removal – For conformal coat removal, we use the following procedures –
- Solvent Method
- Peeling Method
- Thermal Method
- Scraping Method

We first bake the PCBs before rework for removing any residual moisture from the components and preheat for the removal of any adhesive materials. We go for the bow and twist repair method wherein our primary focus remains reducing the warping of circuit boards. We also go for the hole repair methods for repairing and reworking if any circuitry and the plated hole get damaged. Both plated and non-plated holes on the circuit boards will be repaired.

Through the ‘epoxy method’, we repair any minor damages to the mounting holes. We go for the transplant method for modifying any size or shape or location of the mounting holes.

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PCB Assembly Rework Testing Capabilities

Mer-Mar Electronics follow stringent safety and quality regulations for the PCB assembly rework process. We make sure no component gets damaged during the repair and replacement work. We also thoroughly test and verify all aspects like functionality as expected and quality standards are met. We make sure to remove any contaminations and overcome any defects if identified. We also have trained and skilled personnel for testing for high-quality rework.

We focus on all the potential defects and their causes while testing your rework. Some of the issues we keep an eye on are coplanarity, twisting, pad cleaning, torn pads, uneven heat distribution, thermal overload, unacceptable residues, and internal damage to the circuit boards. Based on the defect type, we perform the fixes.

Some of the testing methodologies we adopt for delivering high-quality products to our customers are –

1. Visual Inspection of Solder Paste – We employ this testing method for capturing the problems early on in the process which helps in reducing the wastage and further rework. Through the manual inspection of the solder paste, we ensure to prevent any solder bridges, fragile joints, and open circuits that could lead to failure.

2. Pre and Post Reflow Inspection – Through these methods, we avoid repetitive mistakes like unnecessary damage to the boards. We try to mitigate any errors by thermal profiling of your boards. We also use an X-ray machine for detecting any errors and finding alignment issues. We also look for any component overlapping during the design process and try to fix them.

Some of the testing methods we perform are

Automated optical inspection (AOI)
X-ray Inspection
In-circuit Testing
Functional Testing

PCB Assembly Rework

Industrial Applications

With over 4 decades of experience in handling PCB assembling for diverse industries ranging from healthcare to the military, Mer-Mar Electronics can assure high-quality PCB assembly services. Our skilled and certified technicians have vast experience in providing PCB assembly rework services for the following industries –

Aerospace
Communications
Defense
Consumer Electronics
Medical & healthcare
Renewable energy
Industrial appliances

PCB Assembly Rework FAQs

Want to Get Your PCB Assembling from Mer-Mar Electronics? Send us an inquiry to Get a Quick Quote based on your custom specifications.

Want to get your PCB Assembly reworked from Mer-Mar Electronics? Send us an inquiry to Get a Quick PCB Assembly Quote based on your custom specifications.

If you have any queries regarding our PCB Assembly rework or repair services or need urgent assistance, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team of skilled personnel. Send email with your queries at sales@mermarinc.com or call us at (760) 244-6149. We are looking forward to hearing from you.

PCB Assembly Rework

Certified PCB Assembly Company for
All your PCBA rework needs