Printed circuit board header attachment station

Abstract

The printed circuit board (PCB) header attachment station mounts a header (PCB) onto a PCB having preexisting solder joints, such as underneath a direct mount IC chip. The apparatus applies a soldering paste to PCB lands configured to receive the pins of the header; nests the header component in stacked alignment with the PCB in order to bring the header pins into contact with the respective PCB lands; heats the PCB to a temperature approaching the reflow temperature of the solder in the pre-existing PCB solder joints; and actuates a compliant heating block or bar to heat the header pins to an extent sufficient for the pins to conduct enough heat to locally reflow the solder on the corresponding PCB lands without reflowing the solder in the pre-existing solder joints. The local reflow of the solder precludes solder reflow in the surrounding pre-existing joints which may coalesce under the direct mount IC chip and render the PCB defective.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.