Rework is reprocessing an assembled board so it meets its drawing again: swapping wrong or failed parts, clearing bridges and opens, removing and reballing BGAs. Labs stretch the word to cover adding wires and cutting traces, which IPC calls modification, and rebuilding lifted pads, which it calls repair. The work is done with irons, hot air, preheaters and BGA stations under controlled profiles following IPC-7711/7721 methods, and since every cycle stresses the laminate and pads, the number allowed at one site is usually limited.
This is the third rework on U5's pads, if one lifts we scrap the board.
Related terms
Hot air
Hot-air rework station, or the technique of reflowing parts with a focused stream of heated air.
Bodge wire
Wire soldered onto an assembled board to fix a design error by joining points the copper failed to connect.
Wick
Braided copper desoldering ribbon that soaks up molten solder, and the verb for using it.
Tack
To solder one or two pins of a part first to hold it in place before soldering the rest.