PCB IR Preheater Vs Ceramic Preheater  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2024, 11:18:50 pm
content: Hi, I want to buy a pcb preheater but I can't understand which type of preheater is better; the IR one or the ceramic one?Ceramic - PUHUI T-8280https://www.aliexpress.com/i/381095746.htmlIR - Quick 854 infrared preheaterhttps://eleshop.eu/quick-854-infrared-preheater.html

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 24, 2024, 11:33:06 pm
content: What type of job you to do with it? Both of them may be unsuitable depending on the task.QuoteBoth are the same. Both are IR and both are ceramic.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 12:11:14 am
content: Depends on the size of what you want to work on:Puhui 8280 - 1500W - 280x270mmQuick 854 - 400W - 130x130mmAs wraper says they are both IR, the heater is made from ceramic material.

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 12:15:19 am
content: I want for VGA cards and motherboards for BGA chips.There is no difference between IR and ceramic plate? I though that the IR plates was these that emitting red /infrared light like the below and these that not emitting light like Puhui 8280 are ceramic or am I wrong?https://www.jbctools.com/phse-preheater-for-pcbs-up-to-13-x-13-cm-5-x-5-product-1541.html

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 12:34:48 am
content: Then Puhui is barely usable, Quick way way too small. Beside somewhat small heater, PCB holder on PUHUI is guaranteed not being able to prevent PCB warping which is a huge issue for large BGA. Ideally you want a large heating platform on which you put entire PCB on standoffsQuoteIR is just a heat radiation and it's invisible. Although heater may get dark red. You can only see light from garbage with halogen heat lamps, because they emit a lot of unwanted visible light too.

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 08:53:07 am
content: Thanks for your time to reply me.As I understand the right way is that the PCB have to heat in his overall area in order to avoid warping (like bimetallic strip). The boards that I would place would be:24.5cm x 30.5cm (ATX Motherboard)30.5cm x 30cm (E-ATX Motherboard)28cm x 43cm (CNC Motherboard - 2 FPGA processor)22cm x 9cm (Inverter PCB - 1 FPGA processor)The only that I found and fits the "28cm x 43cm (CNC Motherboard - 2 FPGA processor)" is the JBC preheater "PHXLE-2KA" (Max PCB 51 x 61cm) where is quite expensive . Also, the next larger one where has an affordable price for me it the "Hakko FR872" but it has heating area 350x286mm. I would like to ask that if I buy the hako FR872 and a part of the PCB is out of the heating area will result to bend the PCB? I have seen a friend to do this method with the "Quick 854 infrared preheater" with the "22cm x 9cm (Inverter PCB - 1 small size FPGA processor - size 23x23mm) without bending (maybe by a chance not bending) but I would like your opinion. If anyone knows a large preheating plate please tell me.PHXLE Preheater for PCBs up to 51 x 61 cm / 20 x 24"https://www.jbctools.com/phxle-preheater-for-pcbs-up-to-51-x-61-cm-20-x-24-product-1835.htmlFR-872https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fr872.htmlQuick 854ESD – PCB Preheater 600W 13x13cmhttps://quick-global.eu/product/quick-854esd-pcb-preheater-600w-13x13cm/

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 08:58:08 am
content: Quote from: wraper on June 25, 2024, 12:34:48 am"Ideally you want a large heating platform on which you put entire PCB on standoffs"You mean to put standoffs not only around the PCB but also under of it. I am asking you because all the Chinese that I have seen have standoffs like PUHUI.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 09:20:09 am
content: I mean like this, PCB warping is prevented when a whole board is heated and supported.

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 10:36:46 am
content: Quote from: wraper on June 25, 2024, 09:20:09 amThanks for your photo.. Have you ever try something like this or you will not suggest me to do.Quote

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 10:50:43 am
content: Quote from: 2X on June 25, 2024, 10:36:46 am23x23mm is not a large chip so warping/preheater size in not that critical, especially if PCB is not that large. You could do that even with a handheld hot air (with preheater of course). I have an old IR station with insufficiently large preheater and PCB holder similar to Puhui, and it was an absolute pain to solder GPUs due to warping, but using standoffs instead helped a lot even with that preheater. I didn't buy a large preheater because I very rarely do large BGA repairs these days.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 11:06:04 am
content: There is Pace PH-100E but it's expensive. I've seen some low profile heating plates on aliexpress but they were quite hard to find. Also they usually have uncoated aluminium surface that needs to be painted with high temperature black paint to work well as IR preheater.

author: 2X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2024, 07:15:34 pm
content: My thought is to buy the "Quick 854ESD" for my small size PCBs (22cm x 9cm) and to buy the "FR-872" for the other PCBs. The large one (28cm x 43cm) will not have heat under the whole PCB area but I hope all will be ok because this PCB have FPGAs and not big PC BGA processors, so I hope even if it happens a tiny warping the chip will solder or maybe there is no warping because a little area will stay out of heating plate. Unfortunattely the hako don't have standoffs like yours so I will need extra luck for the ATX motherboards because as I understand (please correct me if am I wrong)even a tiny warping is a problem in soldering in large BGAs because it is like a table in an unleveled floor and warping in some tiny degree will happen without the standoffs even if the hole PCB will heat. If I bought it I will tell you the results. Thank you very much for all the tips and informations.