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Forum Index : Electronics : Gluing SMD components to PCBs

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thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4040

Posted: 11:59am 04 Jun 2021

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Hi folks,

Can anyone advise me on what glue would be suitable (or unsuitable) for mechanically attaching SMD components to the empty areas of a PCB before I electrically connect them to the actual printed circuit with flying leads.

The use case is adding an SMD push button and micro-SD enclosure to a Pico board.

Best wishes,

Tom

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Solar Mike
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Joined: 08/02/2015
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1138

Posted: 12:11am 05 Jun 2021

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Well you can glue them upside down so the pads are exposed, any instant gel type adhesive will work, use a pin to place a tiny amount and hold down with tweezers for a few seconds.

I have used a Verowire pen in the past see Link to run fine wires everywhere on prototypes.

Cheers
Mike

bigmik

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Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2914

Posted: 05:53am 05 Jun 2021

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Hi Tom,

Sorry, I have almost, but not quite, given up on the electronics section as it is 90%+ on inverters of one sort or another of which I have only a fleeting interest of.

Some options are thin double sided tape, dab or superglue or small dab of epoxy glue.

With things like the SD connector be careful as most of these need to be totally flat to the board and soldered down to allow the card to slip in and be held tightly to the connectors..

Using glue underneath could foul up the connectors and maybe even impair the card from being inserted correctly.. I would buy one of the cheap SD card adapters that come on a small PCB substrate and then glue that down onto your board.

Something like this, with the pins removed if they are an issue.

Kind Regards,

Mick

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thwill

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Joined: 16/09/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4040

Posted: 07:01am 05 Jun 2021

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@SolarMike, thanks but I'm not sure an upside down push button or for that matter SD card enclosure is going to work out

. I keep meaning to get myself a verowire pen but instead make do with tweezers and a reel of copper wire with solderable insulation ... though I think calling it solderable is a joke, awkward stuff to work with and I end up with a blackened mess or duff connection more often than I would like.

@BigMik, thanks for the input. As it happens I have some of exactly the board you pictured coming on the slow boat from China.

Best wishes,

Tom

Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures

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