Conductor Repair - When Appearance Counts
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Repairing a damaged conductor with a wire is commonplace, but the repair will shout, "Look at me, I've been repaired!" When you want to repair a damaged conductor but don't want the repair to be evident, try using a flat copper ribbon. After cleaning the area, you remove the damaged section of conductor.
Then, scrape off any solder mask or coating from the conductor ends. Then tin the conductor ends with solder. Then, you select a replacement flat copper ribbon circuit to match the width and thickness of the damaged conductor.
Circuit Tracks are replacement copper ribbons designed precisely for this application. They are available in a variety of sizes, including:
.002" x .004", .002" x .006"
.002" x .008", .002" x .010"
.003" x .012", .003" x .015"
.005" x .020", .005" x .030"
Cut a length of the copper Circuit Track ribbon and tin one end with solder. Overlap solder this end to the tinned conductor on the circuit board surface. Pure copper ribbon Circuit Tracks are easy to form, so you can match the path of the damaged conductor.
Once the new conductor is in the proper position and soldered, it can be overcoated with epoxy to secure it to the circuit board surface.
Tools and Materials
201-3130 Circuit Track Kit
115-1322 Epoxy Kit
Several members of the Circuit Technology Center team contributed to this feature story.
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