Rotating Liquid Heat Removal of PWB Chips Without Damage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for removing electronic chips and components from printed wire boards often damage the components and are environmentally unfriendly, lacking a green, safe, fast, and economically efficient process for reuse or recycling.

Innovation Solution

A process involving the rotational removal of electronic chips and components using liquid heat media, where a printed wire board is immersed in a heated vessel with a liquid heat medium above the solder's melting point, allowing the solder to melt and the components to detach, with subsequent separation and recycling of the solder and components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional methods are used to remove electronic chips from PWBs, then the components can be removed, but the removed chips are damaged and the process is environmentally unfriendly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent integrityVSAvoidenvironmental harm

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state parameters of the separation medium from solid mechanical force to liquid heat medium, controlling temperature parameters to melt solder joints. This parameter transformation enables component removal without mechanical damage while the liquid medium can be recycled, reducing environmental harm.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transition of the heat medium (liquid state) and phase change of solder (solid to liquid) to achieve separation. The liquid heat medium penetrates and melts the solder joints through thermal energy, allowing components to be removed intact while the liquid medium remains reusable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Reliability

If high temperature is used to melt solder, then components can be detached, but energy consumption increases and environmental harm worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent detachmentVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous circulation of the liquid heat medium through heating, application to PWBs, cooling, and recycling. This continuous process maintains thermal energy efficiency by reusing the heat medium repeatedly, reducing overall energy consumption while achieving complete solder melting and component detachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent recovers and recycles the liquid heat medium after use by cooling it down and reapplying it to new PWBs. This recovery process significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuously heating fresh medium, while maintaining effective solder melting capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Productivity

If mechanical force is used to remove components, then separation is achieved, but components are damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical separation systems (physical force, scraping, cutting) with a thermal system using liquid heat medium. The thermal energy melts the solder joints chemically/physically without mechanical contact to components, achieving high separation efficiency while maintaining component integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid heat medium serves as an intermediary between the heat source and the solder joints. It transfers thermal energy to melt the solder without requiring direct mechanical contact with the components, enabling efficient separation while protecting component integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method effectively removes electronic components without damaging them, allows for their reuse, and facilitates the recycling of metals, while being environmentally friendly and economically efficient.

Implementation Method 1

immersing a rotatable housing containing the PWB at least partially into in a liquid heat medium within a heating vessel at a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the solder such that the solder is melted

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS11343950B2Rotational removal of electronic chips and other components from printed wire boards using liquid heat media

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 GREENE LYON GROUP INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for the removal of electronic chips and other components from PWBs using liquid heat media are generally described. According to certain embodiments, PWBs comprising solder can be positioned within a rotatable housing. The rotatable housing can, in some embodiments, be at least partially immersed within a liquid heat medium. The liquid heat medium can be heated and/or maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to melt the solder. In some embodiments, the rotatable housing can be rotated while it is at least partially immersed in the liquid heat medium. The rotational force can aid, according to some embodiments, in the removal of solder, electronic chips (including those in which an integrated circuit is positioned on a piece of semiconductor material, such as silicon), and/or other electronic components attached to one or more surfaces of the PWB.