Just registered, Hi, hand re-working 0201 SMD resistors

[Zmrbill]

I had to remove and replace some 0201 resistors yesterday and man it took me a while... Our boards are lead free so that makes it even more fun.  We use PACE TD-100 soldering stations which I can't say I'm all that happy with.  The heat control doesn't seem as good as Metcal and the tip gets oxidized quickly.  What is the general opinion of PACE?  What other setups should I be looking at for working with these small parts?  Any tips on working with 0201 sized parts to make it easier?

Thanks in advance, Bill

[purfield]

I have a JBC NASE which can handle 0201 easily.  Awesome soldering station.  Just don't look at the price tag!

[asmi]

I use PACE ADS200 station for everything from SMA connector all the way down to 0201s.

For desoldering I use desoldering alloy (like this one) which dramatically decreases melting temperature of a solder (from ~205°C down to about 90°C). So once you apply it, you can easily desolder just about anything with a hot gun tuned down to ~150°C. This way you can pretty much eliminate any chance of a damage from thermal shock, and the process is super easy and quick. Just make sure you wick away all alloy from pads after desoldering before you solder replacement.

Also when soldering 0201 decoupling caps to a big ground plane make sure you solder in the ground connection first, because it's safer to heat up ground enough when sensitive part isn't there yet.