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Aug 16, 2023

DIY SMD Reflow Hot Plate

Surface-mount devices (SMDs) allow you to pack more components onto a circuit board. They’re also far more appropriate for automation, and can arguably be easier to assemble by hand than their

Surface-mount devices (SMDs) allow you to pack more components onto a circuit board. They’re also far more appropriate for automation, and can arguably be easier to assemble by hand than their through-hole cousins.

The “easier” part, however, is highly dependent on a number of factors, including the actual components used, your experience, and equipment setup. One tool that help facilitate SMD assembly is a reflow hot plate, and Mr Innovative shows how he made one in the video below.

The design is actually fairly simple, and runs off of an Arduino Mega 2560, with a shield originally meant for use with a filament extruder. In this reflow role, it controls the power input to a heating element, regulated by a solid-state relay (SSR). The temperature is sensed via a thermistor, and power is provided by a 12V, 1.3A supply.

Temperature profiles are input via the touchscreen, which then displays the status of the plate as it goes through the heating cycle. As seen in the video, it appears to do a very good job of relowing components into place. This saves time on larger SMD parts, and would make smaller, more intricate components much easier (or even possible) to attach.

The controller PCB file can be found here. The build could also serve as inspiration for constructing something similar, and perhaps even simpler, as it appears that much of the shield’s capabilities aren’t used in this implementation.