Why Does a Ball Grid Array (BGA) Need Reballing?

December 8, 2021
Ball grid array reballing
BGA

All of us have items that we use on a fairly regular basis. For example, most of us own cars that we drive reasonably frequently. And some of us have jobs that require specialized equipment that we constantly use, such as custom-made computers or construction tools.

When an item is used constantly, it will eventually need repairing, maintenance, or both. The same principle applies to ball grid arrays (BGAs), which may ultimately need reballing. 

The purpose of a ball grid array is to connect a printed circuit board and a chip. We’ll tell you about:

  • The main benefits of a BGA package.
  • Why a BGA would need reballing.
  • What the process of BGA reballing involves.

At Circuits Central, we offer excellent BGA reballing service to Toronto and the surrounding areas.

What are the main benefits of a BGA package?

BGA stands for ball grid array. A BGA package is a typical surface mount chip package with a grid of solder balls (usually made out of tin, silver, lead, or copper) for connectors. 

These are the three main benefits of BGA packages:

  1. They offer a higher pin density.
  2. They provide lower thermal resistance.
  3. They offer lower inductance than other types of packages.

With BGA packages, in comparison to dual in-line or flat packages, you have more interconnection pins and increased performance at higher speeds.

Why would a BGA need reballing?

As stated previously, anything that is in constant use will eventually need either maintenance or repairs. And BGAs are no exception to this rule as they are constantly in use! 

Reballing is most often performed for gaming consoles, laptops, and PC motherboards. Some of the most common reasons a BGA would need reballing are:

  1. The BGA is simply faulty and needs to be reballed to fix it.
  2. The solder joints between a chip and a printed circuit board have come loose.
  3. The BGA needs to be updated or redone because the printed circuit board is being replaced or upgraded.
  4. The solder balls have become overheated and started to melt or change position.

No matter why you need BGA reballing done, you can count on quality service from Circuits Central. We offer a top-notch BGA reballing service in Toronto.

What’s involved in BGA reballing?

The specific process of BGA reballing will vary from company to company, but the general steps will be the same. All BGA repair or reballing processes will involve four primary methods -  component removal, component cleaning, and deballing and reballing.

These are the most common steps involved in BGA reballing:

  1. Apply heat to the BGA component until the solder is soft enough that you can lift the BGA component.
  2. Remove the solder balls using a proper solder blade. 
  3. Clean the printed circuit board surface using a solder remover like isopropyl alcohol.
  4. Apply paste flux to the printed circuit board. Solder paste flux is a chemical compound that is similar to jelly. It serves many purposes, including removing oxidized metal from a surface to be soldered and helping improve how well liquid soldering works.
  5. Place the solder balls on the printed circuit board.
  6. Put the entire component in a reflow oven or rework machine.
  7. Confirm the balls have transferred to the device. 

These are some of the most common tools used in BGA reballing:

  • Solder balls, which are small balls of solder (a metal alloy). Solder balls provide contact between the chip package and a printed circuit board.
  • A soldering iron, a hand instrument with a heated metal tip and an insulated handle, is used to metal solder to flow between the joints of a printed circuit board and the associated electronic components. 
  • Soldering paste, which is used to connect printed circuit boards to solder balls. 
  • Desoldering wire (a pre-fluxed copper braid) is used to remove solder.
  • A BGA rework machine is a heat-providing machine used for attaching or removing the BGA chips.

At Circuits Central, we offer a unique Toronto-based BGA reballing service that is both reliable and cost-effective.

How can Circuits Central help me with Toronto-based BGA reballing services?

We offer several services at Circuits Central, including printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, PCB prototyping, PCB layout design, product testing and upgrades, and BGA reballing and repair services.

You may require our Toronto BGA reballing services for various reasons, including dealing with faulty BGA components, a need to change engineering parts, or simply having an overused BGA! 

The purpose of reballing is to avoid having to replace your entire system. BGA reballing offers several benefits:

  • You can repair defective joints that are insufficiently soldered.
  • You can remove and replace BGAs to test them.
  • You can reuse BGAs.
  • You can replace missing or damaged BGA pads or balls.

At Circuits Central, we use industry-proven methods and tools for our Toronto BGA reballing services. We offer efficient, hassle-free services, and we know you’ll be satisfied with our BGA reballing work!

BGA Reballing Offers So Many Benefits

Now you know more about:

  • The three main benefits of BGA packages are higher pin density, lower thermal resistance, and lower inductance than other packages.
  • The most common reasons a BGA would need reballing are issues with soldering or the solder balls, a faulty BGA, or a need for updates to the BGA or printed circuit board.
  • All the steps involved in BGA reballing, from removing the original solder balls to firmly affixing the new or replacement solder balls.

We offer top-notch service via our Toronto BGA reballing services! You can rest assured that our high-qualified team members will ensure that every soldered ball on your ball grid array circuits is appropriately replaced.

Contact Us About Toronto BGA Reballing Services

Interested in learning more about either our ball grid array reballing services or some of the other services we offer, like printed circuit board assembly or prototyping? Reach out to us today! You can call us at 1-888-821-7746 or contact us here.

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