SR-430A BGA Rework Station by Southern Machinery

BGA joints fail where nobody can see them. The balls sit under the package body, so a repair that looks clean on the bench can hide a cold joint that passes AOI and fails weeks later. Most of that risk traces to heat: manual hot air delivers it from one direction, at a rate the operator estimates. The SR-430A from Southern Machinery replaces that estimate with closed-loop K-type thermocouple control, optical alignment, and a profile you can save and run again.

The cost you haven't named: the second repair

BGA rework usually gets priced as one operation — heat the part, lift it, drop a new one on. The real cost is what happens after the first attempt fails.

The rework of the rework. A package set a fraction of a millimetre off its footprint fails electrically, so the board runs the whole thermal cycle a second time, spending pad life it cannot get back.
Warp from one-sided heat. Heating only from the top bows a multilayer laminate, and a bowed board lifts pads before the solder reaches liquidus.
Collateral damage. Adjacent fine-pitch parts, connectors and plastic housings absorb heat they were never specified to survive.
Joints that pass today. An under-reflowed ball can read clean at AOI and open up later under field thermal cycling.
Profile knowledge that leaves with the operator. When the recipe lives in one technician's hands, results drift by shift and by person.
Scrap of boards worth saving. On high-value control, medical and automotive assemblies, rework economics collapse once the process stops being repeatable.

The Closed-Loop BGA Rework Framework

Four steps turn BGA repair from a craft into a controlled process.

1. Stabilize the board. Support the assembly on a V-groove fixture and bring the whole board up with bottom preheating before any local heat is applied. The goal is a flat, evenly warmed board, because a flat board is what keeps pads attached through the rest of the cycle.

2. Align optically. Register the replacement package to its footprint with the CCD optical system and laser positioning before it ever touches the board. Alignment is confirmed by image, not by eye, so placement is right on the first pass.

3. Run a closed-loop profile. Drive the cycle from a K-type thermocouple in closed loop with PID adjustment and a multi-segment curve. The controller reads actual board temperature and corrects heater output continuously, which is what holds accuracy within ±3 °C instead of chasing a guessed setpoint.

4. Control cooldown and record. Cool at a defined rate rather than in room air, save the curve, and confirm the joint by X-ray. Recording closes the traceability gap: the same profile runs at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., from operator to operator.

The vehicle: SR-430A BGA Rework Station

The framework maps directly onto the machine.

Stabilize → three-zone heating with IR preheat. A 1200 W top hot-air heater, a 1200 W bottom hot-air heater and a 2700 W IR preheater bring the assembly up from both sides, which is what large PCBAs and dense packages need instead of heat from a single direction.
Align → CCD optical alignment, laser positioning and joystick control. The adjustable CCD colour optical system shows the package and its footprint together; the laser marks the target and the joystick lets the operator make fine corrections by hand before placement.
Profile → closed-loop K-type thermocouple with PID. Independent temperature control, multi-segment curves and instant curve analysis on the touch screen let the operator watch the profile while it runs rather than reviewing it afterwards.
Place → BGA mounting head. The mounting head lifts the package and sets it down under vacuum pickup on the aligned footprint, covering packages from 2 × 2 mm to 80 × 80 mm across a board range of 65 × 65 mm to 410 × 370 mm.
Record → USB profile storage. Completed curves and parameters save to USB storage, giving each board revision a reusable file and a reference if a joint is questioned later.

Specification note: the figures below are catalog values; vacuum nozzle sets, profile storage capacity, optical magnification, fume extraction and site power should be confirmed at quotation against your board mix.

Specifications

| Parameter | Value |

|---|---|

| Power | AC 220 V ±10%, 50/60 Hz |

| Total power | Max 5360 W |

| Heating zones | 3 — top hot air 1200 W, bottom hot air 1200 W, IR preheat 2700 W |

| Temperature control | K-type thermocouple closed loop, independent zone control |

| Temperature accuracy | Within ±3 °C |

| Profile memory | Multi-segment curves, PID adjustable, saved via USB storage |

| Thermocouple type | K-type, 1 pc |

| Alignment system | Adjustable CCD colour optical system with laser positioning |

| Vacuum pickup | BGA mounting head (nozzle set confirmed at quotation) |

| PCB size | Max 410 × 370 mm, min 65 × 65 mm |

| BGA chip size | Max 80 × 80 mm, min 2 × 2 mm |

| Positioning | V-groove, PCB support |

| Footprint | L640 × W630 × H920 mm, 70 kg |

The loop: re-baseline the profile for every new board

Rework is not a one-time setup. Every new package, board revision or laminate stack changes the thermal mass the controller manages, so build a loop: run a profile, inspect the joint, then store the corrected curve against that board revision. Feed X-ray and AOI findings back into the profile and review first-pass rework yield monthly. That loop keeps closed-loop control honest — the thermocouple can only correct against a curve that still matches the board on the bench. Run this way, the station stays a planned yield tool in the repair and engineering area: post-AOI and post-X-ray repair, NPI debugging, field-return service, and profile validation for new packages before volume.

Your next step

Send your board sizes, BGA package range and monthly rework volume, and we will map them against the SR-430A working envelope and outline what to confirm at quotation. Boards larger than 410 × 370 mm should be reviewed against the T-870A as well. Reach Jason at jasonwu@smthelp.com or on WhatsApp +86 13602562576.

FAQ

What board and package sizes does the SR-430A handle?

PCBs from 65 × 65 mm to 410 × 370 mm, and BGA packages from 2 × 2 mm to 80 × 80 mm. Boards outside those ranges need a different station.

Why does closed-loop thermocouple control matter?

The controller reads actual board temperature through a K-type thermocouple and corrects heater output continuously, holding accuracy within ±3 °C instead of following a fixed setpoint that ignores thermal mass.

Does it need an external PC to run profiles?

No. Profiles, PID parameters and curve analysis run from the touch screen, and completed curves save to USB storage.

Can the SR-430A sit inline with my SMT line?

No. It is an offline station for the repair and engineering area — post-AOI repair, NPI debug, field-return service and profile validation.

What inspection should follow a BGA rework?

X-ray for the hidden joints, AOI on the surrounding area, and the saved profile attached to the repair record.

About the author

Jason Wu

Founder & CEO, Southern Machinery (Shenzhen Southern Machinery Sales and Service Co., Ltd.)

Email: jasonwu@smthelp.com / info@smthelp.com

WhatsApp: +86 13602562576

Catalog & manuals: file.autoinsertion.com | Machine photos: ph.smthelp.com

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