I've owned two PDR Lightmaster IR rework stations (bought at 2 diff. companies) and have been extremely happy with them. Closed loop,separate control of top and bottom heater via non contact thermocouples. Control the process, not the product - set the profile and power limits by zone section and the software adjusts to follow the profile you've set. No nozzles to deal with, a couple of lenses to go from passive rework up to over 2" x 2" parts. Thermal tape for reflective parts, aluminum foil to make "shields" for sensitive parts. Can remove components that are bonded to PCB, most adhesives release at reflow temps - you are heating the leads up via the component body. Quick to train operators in use, program interface resembles a media player, ie...play, stop, pause...etc. In manual mode you can profile "on the fly". In auto mode the machine will jump to the point on the profile curve if the board has latent heat from another rework location - handy if you're removing multiple parts. Definitely worth a demo if you're in the market.
reply »