Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Best Practices for Electronic Component Salvaging
Global Citizenship: Together for a Perfect PCB Solution
Smart Automation: Odd-form Assembly—Dedicated Insertion Equipment Matters
Rework Challenges for Smartphones and Tablets
November 19, 2014 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Smartphones are complex, costly devices and therefore need to be reworked correctly the first time.
To meet the ever-growing demand for performance, the complexity of mobile devices has increased immensely, with 70% more packages now found inside a mobile device than just a few years ago. For instance, a 1080P HD camera with video capabilities is now available on most high-end smartphones or tablet computers, making their production more elaborate and expensive.
The printed circuit boards for these devices are no longer considered disposable goods, and their bill of materials start from $150, with higher-end smartphones going up to $238, and tablets well over $300.
The implementation of surface mount devices is crucial for smartphone manufacturers, offering increased component density and improved performance. For example, the newer style DDR memory integrated components use less power and work at twice the speed of former versions. It is not surprising that most component manufacturers now produce these surface mount devices as small as 1 mm square.
Mobile products generally use an epoxy underfill to adhere components to the printed circuit board to meet the mechanical strength requirements of a drop test. Reworking glued components is the most difficult application in the electronics industry, and must be addressed as a process.
Rework Challenges
The removal of a glued component from a PCB assembly requires a specific order of operations. The first step is to remove the glue fillet located between the component and the circuit board. Mobile products generally have many types of components glued to the PCB in order to meet the industry standards outlined in JESD22-B111 Board Level Drop Test Method of Components for Handheld Electronic Devices and JESD22-B110 Subassembly Mechanical Shock. The epoxy is applied to the components to prevent the common failure modes of cracks in the laminate, cracks near the intermetallic, and cracks in the bulk solder. The addition of the epoxy increases the robustness of the design and enhances reliability for the user.
Read the full article here.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of SMT Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Technica USA Advocates for PCBAA Membership Among Printed Circuit Assembly Customers
09/16/2025 | Technica USATechnica USA is actively encouraging its printed circuit assembly customers to join the Printed Circuit Board Association of America (PCBAA), a leading industry organization advocating for increased domestic production of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and substrates.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Best Practices for Electronic Component Salvaging
09/17/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileElectronic component salvaging is the practice of recovering high-value devices from PCBs taken from obsolete or superseded electronic products. These components can be reused in new assemblies, reducing dependence on newly purchased parts that may be costly or subject to long lead times.
Staying on Top of Signal Integrity Challenges
09/16/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineOver the years, Kris Moyer has taught a variety of advanced PCB design classes, both online IPC courses and in-person classes at California State University-Sacramento, where he earned his degrees in electrical engineering. Much of his advanced curriculum focuses on signal integrity, so we asked Kris to discuss the trends he’s seeing in signal integrity today, the SI challenges facing PCB designers, and his go-to techniques for controlling or completely eliminating SI problems.
TTM Technologies to Exhibit at the Electronica India 2025 Exhibition in Bengaluru, India
09/16/2025 | Globe NewswireTTM Technologies, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of technology solutions, including mission systems, radio frequency (RF) components, RF microwave/microelectronic assemblies, and quick-turn and technologically advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs), will exhibit at the Electronica India 2025 trade fair, at Hall 3, booth #H41, from September 17-19, 2025, at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru, India.
ICAPE Group Unveils Exclusive Report on Sustainability in Electronics Manufacturing
09/15/2025 | ICAPE GroupICAPE Group, a global leader in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and custom electronics manufacturing, today announces the launch of its 2025 Industry Outlook & Innovation Report: Sustainability in Electronics Manufacturing. This exclusive report is accompanied by fresh insights from a dedicated Statista survey of 100 electronics manufacturing professionals, commissioned by ICAPE Group.