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Compared hot air vs. infrared for removing potting compound...
Decided to try my new IR station on a potted industrial sensor last Tuesday and it cleaned that goop off in under 90 seconds. The hot air method I've been using for years took me 20 minutes and still left residue. Any of you guys found a tool that just kills it for a specific job?
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lucasking2d ago
yeah that IR trick is wild once you see it work. I've been messing with one of those cheap chinese IR preheaters for about a year now and it's a total game changer for removing conformal coatings too. the way the heat penetrates instead of just blasting the surface makes a huge difference. hot air just bakes the outer layer into a hard crust while the bottom is still solid. but with IR you can dial in the wavelength to match the plastic's absorption and it softens the whole mass at once. only downside I've found is you gotta be really careful with sensitive components nearby since the IR heats everything in its path. I've cooked a few tantalum caps by accident. still I'd take that over fighting with solvent and scrapers for twenty minutes any day.
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gavin_knight392d ago
Wouldn't the uneven heating risk cracking boards though @lucasking?
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