Electronics/TenmaMiniSMDPreheater
 | |
| SMD preheating plate | |
| Equipment Information | |
|---|---|
| Status | Unknown |
| Manufacturer | Tenma |
| Hackspace Information | |
| Induction Required | Yes |
| Induction Information | Here |
| Card RFID Enabled | No |
| Owner | Tom (On Loan) |
The Basics
This preheating unit allows you to keep a board at a set temperature while reworking parts on the opposite side. It is helpful to minimise board warping during rework, which can damage delicate BGA parts. This device is also very useful for repair of boards, as you can heat the bottom of the board whilst reflowing components on the top side (think Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 motherboards, or smartphone CPUs.)
Do not attempt to use this unit for anything other than its intended function. It is not a hot air gun and it cannot be used to desolder parts, by itself. This is a fairly infrequently used item. You are likely to know when you need to use this.
It uses a 600W heater and contains a fan, plus a small control circuit. Control is very basic using a simple "bang-bang" thermostatic control relying on the thermal mass of the heating element to keep the temperature steady. The temperature can be adjusted using the control knob.
There are a pair of magnetic board holders stuck to the unit which allow you to mount a board over the outlet.
Safety
You must read the safety documentation in this link before using this equipment.
The outlet can get VERY hot. Do not touch the outlet while it is hot.
Cooldown
After use, please set the temperature dial to 100 C or lower and let the unit cool down (with its fan running) for at least two minutes.
This will minimise wear and tear on the non-replaceable heating element.