Abstract: Process, apparatus and nozzle device are available for controlling the soldering/and or desoldering of a land grid array (LGA) component and corresponding circuit grid present in the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). The nozzle device comprises a vacuum cup for supporting the LGA parallel to the PCB, with the LGA and the circuit grids in contact or slightly spaced, a device for directing a continuous flow of an inert hot gas, such as nitrogen, from a gas source against the upper surface of a dielectric body of a component to conduct heat therethrough to melt an underlying LGA, vents for venting the major volume of the hot gas, adjacent the upper surface of the body of the component, and one or more vertical passages for directing a minor volume of the total gas flow from the upper surface of the component around the edges, under and horizontally through the array into a discharge chamber, and out a gas outlet.

Abstract: Process, apparatus and nozzle device for controlling the soldering and/or desoldering of a land grid array (LGA) component and corresponding circuit grid present on the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). The nozzle device comprises a vacuum cup for supporting the LGA parallel to the PCB, with the LGA and the circuit grid in contact or slightly spaced, a fixed orifice gap for directing hot inlet gas from a gas source horizontally through the array, a gas outlet, and a thermocouple for sensing the temperature of the hot outlet gas and for signaling a computer to actuate a heater and a flow rate regulator. According to a preferred embodiment, this increases the temperature and decreases the flow rate of the hot gas through the array when a predetermined gas outlet temperature is sensed at the thermocouple.

Abstract: Process and nozzle device for the soldering and/or desoldering of a land grid array (LGA) component and a corresponding circuit grid present on the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). The nozzle device comprises a vacuum for supporting the LGA parallel to the PCB, with array contact, a fixed orifice gap for directing hot gas horizontally through the array, and a gas outlet. Uniform circulation of the hot gas is continued to produce uniform, simultaneous melting of the solder array to permit bonding to or desoldering from the circuit array of the PCB while supporting the component parallel to the PCB.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for the visual alignment and placement of electrical components, such as lead-carrying chip members, and pad members, such as pad-carrying printed circuit boards, for purposes of aligning, placing and soldering said leads to said pads. The method involves supporting the chip member vertically over said pad member, inteposing therebetween a beam splitter cube which provides a simultaneous view of the underside of the chip member and the surface of the pad when viewed through a stereo microscope means, interposing an adjustable polarizing filter means which permits the operator to adjust the visual contrast between the leads and the pads, thereby facilitating the proper X, Y and theta vertical alignment, and moving the component down onto the pad member for soldering thereto.

Abstract: Air-operated vacuum pump assemblies are disclosed which provide a maximum vacuum force and a large vacuum flow per volume of air consumption. The present venturi pump assemblies comprise one or more solid ejector housings each having a single longitudinal bore comprising two or more linear exit passage sections, each said passage section being larger than and spaced from the passage section exhausting thereinto. Vacuum chambers between the exit passage sections each communicate with a surface of the pump housing through transverse bores, to a common vacuum manifold through which vacuum flow can be drawn through each of the vacuum chambers of the linear exit passage sections for exhaust through the final downstream exit passage section.