Electronic Component Salvaging

BEST can be your outsourced partner for reliable and consistent part salvaging of electronic components. The result is savings in re-design effort and be able to build the assembly you need to build or repair. Whether you need to harvest components which are in short supply from repair or obsolete or slow-moving inventory, BEST can properly handle, make sure the PCB is properly conditioned and the parts are removed and properly conditioned for re-insertion to the manufacturing process. Our expertise when it comes to ball grid arrays, ultra fine pitch QFPs, QFNs, LGAs or other electronic packages, will give you the assurance that it the reclaiming process is of the highest yield. Our particular expertise in BGA removal, replacement and reballing makes our makes our BGA salvaging particularly fruitful and worthwhile. Our expertise in electronic component salvaging will give you the highest yields with an eye on reliability.

Most electronic components can be reliably salvaged and conditioned for use in electronics manufacturing in order to build new assemblies. There are several factors in processing the components for salvaging. The ESD sensitivity of the component needs to be considered prior to attempting part salvaging. The storage conditions, the PCB handling and packaging all play a roll in determining the exposure to ESD events of the PCBs which will have the parts harvested from them. In addition, the other elements which the board has seen including humidity and temperature levels, exposure to water, solvents and other potentially harmful environmental conditions will need to be considered prior to planning the electronic component harvesting. Coatings including conformal coatings, underfills and other insulating barriers or glues may hamper the component removal or change the component salvaging process. These and other factors will determine the process employed to remove and recondition the components for later use. In turn this process will determine the electronic component salvaging cost. The experts at BEST can recommend processes for harvesting specific components and explain the risks to yield as well as impacts on component reliability and the associated tradeoffs in salvaging costs. BEST expertise in advanced package rework including BGAs, LGAs POPs and other component body types makes us a safe choice for salvaging these electronic components. Our rework process expertise will benefit the yield obtained for these advanced packages. Our project management experience assures that your electronic component harvesting project will go smoothly.

BEST not only has the knowledge for proper component salvaging processes but we have the right equipment to reliably prepare the components for later use in manufacturing. BEST has BGA rework systems, both hot air as well as IR, which can provide the right thermal profile for part removal without damaging the components. Once area array packages have been removed and prepped BEST has a variety of methods available for attaching new solder balls to the components for BGA reballing. Automated inspection can follow to insure co-planarity, proper ball location and single correct ball sizes are re-attached to the BGA. For leaded components such as QFPs, throughhole device and J-leaded components BEST offers hot solder dipping in order to remove remnant solder for later use. BEST will also clean, bake out and dry pack the components. We can supply the returned components in trays, stick or tape and reel per EIA-481E standards. BEST has the right equipment to go along with the expertise and project management experience to complete your PCB project.

For large quantity part salvaging or in cases where the application is for a critical end use environment, we recommend performing an initial lot acceptance. After the components have been placed onto the PCB and reflowed, we welcome feedback after determining a yield from the salvaged component assembly build.

We ask that you send us drawings and photos (secondary and primary sides) of the PCB as well as the component locations for your component salvaging project. In addition, we ask for an electronic copy of the component data sheet for each component which needs to be salvaged. Please let us know the solder alloy and how you would like the components returned after salvaging and conditioning-tray, stick or tape and reel. Finally, let us know the solder alloy as well as how to dispose of the remnant PCBs. We can then promptly supply you with comments as well as a quotation for your electronic component salvaging project.