LUOWEI AP03 Carbon Fiber Chip and Board Fixture

The LUOWEI AP03 is a carbon fiber fixture for holding chips and motherboards, much lighter than metal holders of a similar size.

It measures 71 x 60 x 17 mm and weighs 130 g net, packed in a 96 x 64 x 28 mm box. The listing describes a stable clamp and calls the carbon fiber body heat-resistant.

Jobs for a light fixture

• A chip that slides around while you reball it.

• A small board with a failed component.

• A short on a sub-board that you are probing.

• A damaged pad you are rebuilding under the microscope.

Working tips

Carbon fiber holds less heat than metal, so a board warms up faster on it during preheating. Clamp only on bare edges. Clean flux off with alcohol so the clamp grips evenly. Like all carbon fiber, it can conduct, so keep the clamp from touching a powered board's contacts.

The AP03 and the metal LW-313 are a similar size; choose the AP03 for a lighter fixture, or the LW-313 for metal. The AP02 is the larger tri-axial carbon model.