Board Level Repair
When you are facing board level repair because one of your devices has gone pop due to overheating or lack of maintenance, then you have two options. Either attempt the repair yourself or get a professional to do it.
Why A Professional Is A Good Idea?
• Generally speaking printed circuit boards are rising in price every day so it is not always possible to replace one if something as minor as a trace becomes defective. Look for a seasoned professional in your vicinity either on Craig’s List or in your daily newspaper so that you can get the board fixed quickly without it costing an arm and a leg.
• Most companies hire experts for a sheer variety of services which means affordable all-in-one packages can be provided to clients. These services include circuit board repairs, power feed board work, trace repair and speed control board repairing.
• Professionals have ready-made kits to service every kind of circuit board regardless of its manufacturer. Perhaps if you attempt complex repairs at home you might end up only postponing a bigger fixer-upper in the future.
• A professional can give you competitive rates which include the cost of replacements for example copper traces. They can also provide you with around the clock assistance once you register with them and become a regular customer. You may also be able to obtain a warranty for any new replacements made on the board which will put your mind at ease.
Investing In A Repair Kit
If you are a budding technician who loves fixing damaged circuits at home you can buy a repair kit which will save you from putting in the expense of hiring a professional each time something goes wrong. These ready-made repair kits are great for beginners who are trying to learn the trade and people who want to become a little more self-reliant.
Most repair kits that you can get at hardware stores contain a special epoxy pre-filled, dry film, replacement circuits, circuit frames, additional traces, eyelets and special soldering tools. If you pay a little extra you can buy a conductor pen separately which is the ideal at-home tool for doing repair work on a circuit board.
Repair kits can do all but the most complex of repair jobs such as fixing conductors, gaps in circuit boards, defective traces, bad wiring and the list goes on. You can also construct solder masks and carry out base board repairs with these kits as they have artificial colors included in the pack.
If you are keen to attempt board level repair at home you can buy a microscope which is built for that purpose and they come in all shapes and sizes and the ones used for circuit boards are usually really small and easy to hold for precision. Since circuit board repair requires a lot of cleaning of debris in between steps, you can invest in foam alcohol swabs with small pointed tips so that you can reach inside the traces and gaps and clean effectively.