Abstract: An integral heating nozzle and a syringe needle pickup vacuum tube where the nozzle moves relative to the pickup tube, FIG. 4, and where the nozzle does not move relative to the pickup tip, FIG. 1. The relative movement allows the heating gas to be directed to the solder connections while the vacuum tube may be independently moved so as to attach to the component body for removal and replacement, even when the component body is small and of different contours. In both cases the nozzle size allows components of cross section 0.01×0.01 inch to 0.05×0.05 inch to bereplaced. The opening of the nozzle accommodates removing and placing these smaller components through the nozzle. In some embodiments helium rather than air or nitrogen is used as a heating gas.

Abstract: A heater box for PCB boards uses open cell metal foam as a heat sink and diffuser of heated gas. The heated gas is dispensed through a metal fabric mesh and then to the PCB to be heated. The gas is introduced under pressure and flow regulated to conduits in the metal foam diffuser. The conduits have side holes that allow the gas to diffuse evenly through the foam. The gas is heated by electrical resistance heaters built into the conduits or by a resistance heated layer between the conduits and the foam. The frame that holds the PCB to be heated and the metal fabric mesh and the heater box itself are all laterally floating with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method of dehydrating metal pieces including immersing the pieces in an oil heated to or above the boiling point of water for a time to boil off the water and then removing the pieces from the oil. An apparatus for the dehydration of metal pieces includes a container for carrying the pieces to be dehydrated, a receptacle for holding oil in which the chips are to be immersed, means for heating the oil to or about the boiling point of water, and means for introducing the container into the receptacle to immerse the pieces in the oil and removing the container and pieces from the oil.