Repairing flexible pcb connector track? Result!
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From: Ian P on 31 Jul 2010 18:55 After mulling over all the good guidance and advice I recieved in response to my original posting I decided which method to use and this evening have successfully repaired the cut tracks. I went for the soldered wire jumpers over the breaks, straightforward under normal circumstances but in this case on a small scale. I bridged four adjacent tracks using wire 0,05mm (2 thou) diameter taken from super flexible test lead wire. The tracks were were between 0.1 and 0.15mm wide and the whole repaired area ended up 0.9mm wide and 4mm long. With the right equipment, microscope etc I can now see that a repair of this sort could be done fairly easily, I managed with a strong magnifyng glass that I fixed in place so I had both hands free. After I fixed the first jumper I improved my technique and was able to work one handed by using a longer length of jumper held taught exactly in line with the track by bits of masking tape at either end. Because of its length its really easy to position the jumper, I also put a little bit of packing under the ribbon so that it formed a raised surface to keep the wire in contact with the previously tinned tracks. I still have to test the repair but mechanically all the joints are sound and separated from each other so I'm happy. Many thanks to all that responded. Ian
From: Arfa Daily on 31 Jul 2010 21:37 "Ian P" <elanman99(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message news:8bjnv3Frf3U1(a)mid.individual.net... > After mulling over all the good guidance and advice I recieved in response > to my original posting I decided which method to use and this evening have > successfully repaired the cut tracks. > > I went for the soldered wire jumpers over the breaks, straightforward > under normal circumstances but in this case on a small scale. I bridged > four adjacent tracks using wire 0,05mm (2 thou) diameter taken from super > flexible test lead wire. The tracks were were between 0.1 and 0.15mm wide > and the whole repaired area ended up 0.9mm wide and 4mm long. > > With the right equipment, microscope etc I can now see that a repair of > this sort could be done fairly easily, I managed with a strong magnifyng > glass that I fixed in place so I had both hands free. After I fixed the > first jumper I improved my technique and was able to work one handed by > using a longer length of jumper held taught exactly in line with the track > by bits of masking tape at either end. Because of its length its really > easy to position the jumper, I also put a little bit of packing under the > ribbon so that it formed a raised surface to keep the wire in contact with > the previously tinned tracks. > > I still have to test the repair but mechanically all the joints are sound > and separated from each other so I'm happy. > > Many thanks to all that responded. > > Ian > Glad you got a fix ! If the flexiprint doesn't have to bend at the point where you've repaired it - and I assume that it doesn't as you say that you have put some strengthening behind it - you might want to coat over the repair with some clear nail laquer, just to add a bit of 'stay still' to the wires, and offer a bit of physical protection. Don't know if you might have a need in the future to do any very fine work like this again, but if you do, a stereo microscope with built in work lamp is indispensible. You can pick them up quite cheaply on eBay. Mine came from Farnell when they had them on offer a few years back. It takes a bit of getting used to soldering under one, as even the finest tipped iron looks like a wrought iron poker that the local smithy has just turned out, and the solder looks like a steel ship hawser, but then even very fine tracks look like roads, so it's all relative ... Arfa
From: Grant on 31 Jul 2010 22:01 On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:55:21 +0100, "Ian P" <elanman99(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >After mulling over all the good guidance and advice I recieved in response >to my original posting I decided which method to use and this evening have >successfully repaired the cut tracks. > >I went for the soldered wire jumpers over the breaks, straightforward under >normal circumstances but in this case on a small scale. I bridged four >adjacent tracks using wire 0,05mm (2 thou) diameter taken from super >flexible test lead wire. The tracks were were between 0.1 and 0.15mm wide >and the whole repaired area ended up 0.9mm wide and 4mm long. > >With the right equipment, microscope etc I can now see that a repair of this >sort could be done fairly easily, I managed with a strong magnifyng glass >that I fixed in place so I had both hands free. After I fixed the first >jumper I improved my technique and was able to work one handed by using a >longer length of jumper held taught exactly in line with the track by bits >of masking tape at either end. Because of its length its really easy to >position the jumper, I also put a little bit of packing under the ribbon so >that it formed a raised surface to keep the wire in contact with the >previously tinned tracks. > >I still have to test the repair but mechanically all the joints are sound >and separated from each other so I'm happy. > >Many thanks to all that responded. Great news! Even if it not work first time, sounds like you find a good technique to repeat. Grant.
From: William Sommerwerck on 31 Jul 2010 22:27 Congratulations! Or should I say "Congratos!"?
From: Meat Plow on 1 Aug 2010 18:15
On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:55:21 +0100, Ian P wrote: > After mulling over all the good guidance and advice I recieved in > response to my original posting I decided which method to use and this > evening have successfully repaired the cut tracks. > > I went for the soldered wire jumpers over the breaks, straightforward > under normal circumstances but in this case on a small scale. I bridged > four adjacent tracks using wire 0,05mm (2 thou) diameter taken from > super flexible test lead wire. The tracks were were between 0.1 and > 0.15mm wide and the whole repaired area ended up 0.9mm wide and 4mm > long. > > With the right equipment, microscope etc I can now see that a repair of > this sort could be done fairly easily, I managed with a strong magnifyng > glass that I fixed in place so I had both hands free. After I fixed the > first jumper I improved my technique and was able to work one handed by > using a longer length of jumper held taught exactly in line with the > track by bits of masking tape at either end. Because of its length its > really easy to position the jumper, I also put a little bit of packing > under the ribbon so that it formed a raised surface to keep the wire in > contact with the previously tinned tracks. > > I still have to test the repair but mechanically all the joints are > sound and separated from each other so I'm happy. > > Many thanks to all that responded. > > Ian Get yourself a 25x stereo magnifying visor. It's a good investment. |