How to Repair the Printed Circuit Board?
The most common PCB failures are caused by thermal damage, physical damage, and excessive component voltage. Although the glass fiber, copper wire, and glue coating in the circuit board can prevent the accumulation of heat to a certain extent, some PCBs are indeed more prone to delamination and other thermal damage than others.
Only by correcting the following repair methods to the faulty printed circuit board, the normal use of the printed circuit board can be guaranteed.
Remove damaged pads or components
First, fix the PCB on the workbench so that it will not move during operation. It is best to use tape.
In order to diagnose a damaged PCB, sometimes it is necessary to use an oscilloscope to detect the signal strength and waveform of each point and test the circuit continuity of the entire board. Sometimes it is only necessary to simply find the burned area, replace the faulty components, pads, or traces, and reconnect to the existing copper wires of the PCB.
If you find that a component on the PCB is not working properly, you can remove and replace the component through the following simple steps:
(1) Pick up the heat gun and turn on the switch. The heat gun should be at least 6 inches away from the faulty component.
(2) After a few seconds, remove the component with tweezers. If you can’t remove it, heat it for a few more seconds and try again.
(3) If the PCB pad is damaged by heat, it is best to use a sharp knife to carefully remove it. It must be noted that when removing the damaged component from the board, do not damage the copper wire and other nearby components.
Clean the copper wire and remove the solder
After removing the damaged pad, continue to use a sharp knife to remove the solder on it. If it is inconvenient to use a knife to complete this more delicate operation, you can also use a pointed screwdriver or sandpaper with fine grit.
No matter which tool is used, the copper wire should be completely exposed at the end, there is no remaining solder, and it looks clean and shiny.
Clean the copper wire and remove the solder
After removing the damaged pad, continue to use a sharp knife to remove the solder on it. If it is inconvenient to use a knife to complete this more delicate operation, you can also use a pointed screwdriver or sandpaper with fine grit.
No matter which tool is used, the copper wire should be completely exposed at the end, there is no remaining solder, and it looks clean and shiny.
Welded joint
At this time, it is necessary to carefully solder the joints between the new copper foil tape and the repaired PCB copper wire. Here are some relevant tips and warnings:
(1) The copper foil tape melts quickly at the soldering temperature, so it must be determined that the operation can be completed at one time.
(2) Heat as little as possible, and must be cautious and fast during operation to reduce the amount of heat applied.
Restore PCB vias
Find a hard tool with a round tip, such as a pen or other simple tool. Press on the area that has just been soldered and rubs firmly to ensure that the copper foil tape is firmly fixed on the entire pad area. After heating the area, the tape is still sticky.
Use this technique to determine the location of the through-hole, and then use a paperclip or other similar tool to perforate.
Place the components and solder them
After completing the above steps, the PCB is repaired and the selected new components can be accepted.
Solder new components with as little heating as possible. Because the new solder joints between the newly attached copper foil tape/pad and the copper wire may not be too strong.
Cut off the excess tape in the repair area
Use scissors or a craft knife to carefully cut the copper foil tape to a suitable size to complete the repair. It must be noted that the solder joints just repaired may restore the function of the PCB, but the pads, copper wires, and connectors will no longer be as strong as the previous circuit boards.
The printed circuit boards designed and manufactured by PCB Quick are of excellent quality, durable, and can meet the actual needs of customers. If you want to learn more about printed circuit boards after reading the above, you can get a comprehensive solution by contacting us.
As a professional PCB product manufacturer, we have accumulated rich production and design experience in this field. We have a professional production team that manufactures in full accordance with strict standards and can provide customers with safe and high-quality products. We can also provide corresponding customized services and professional solutions according to customer needs. If you want to buy our printed circuit boards, please contact us immediately!
