Laptop Keyboard Teardown
Ok, here I will show a laptop keyboard teardown, and why some keyboard are not working and why it is impossible to clean and repair.
This is the target keyboard. It is from a Gericom Q10 Air 3G netbook.
After 10 minutes of disassembling, I got the half of the letter out-see the above photo.
This is after 30 minutes. As you see, there are three main parts.
– the buttons
– the PCB foil
– and the metal plate
Now we have to disassemble the PCB foil into two parts. On this foil are the circuit printed for the keyboard with the pads. In some situation, you can try to clean the keyboard with a cotton swab and alcohol or some cleaning liquid. However, take care what type of cleaning stuff you use because of the foil. Don’t use nitro paint thinner! This will mess up your foil! Do not use any sharp tool that will destroy the conductive trace.
Most of situation the cleaning the pads will not help. Why ? I will show you on the next photos.
All of that dark coloring in the wiring is corrosion, as cancer in human body. This is why the keys are not working correctly or they stops working after a time. No cleaning with water, alcohol, ultrasonic cleaning will help to solve this problem.
Inspect this picture and you can see there are no hopes any more…
This is a pad with corroded wire and a black point on the left side, which is a corroded point too. This pad will be completely destroyed in a short time.
This is a completely corroded, useless pad.
This is may be a 25% good pad, but in a short time stops working too. The best way to repair this kind of keyboard is to replace it with a new one. I hope you enjoy this tutorial and will save lot of repair time.
This article was prepared for you by Christian Robert Adzic from Novi Knezevac-Serbia.
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Note: You can check his previous post in the below link:
https://www.jestineyong.com/acer-aspire-5734z-back-light-problem-repaired/
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Henrique Jorge Guimarães Ulbrich - Brazil
August 27, 2015 at 9:51 pm
Thanks, Christian. A very didactic article, with detailed and high quality pictures. Really useful.
Sasa Todorovic
August 27, 2015 at 10:34 pm
I'm sorry!
But I think that this problem can be solved with CONDUCTING SILVER!
This is fluent silver, and can be buy for about 10 EUR. Bottle is about 10ml, or 5ml, and I use it for few year. With this liquid silver you can resolve all this problem with keyboard show on picture.
On may bottle write:
LEITSILBER L100
CONDUCTIING L100
CONDUCTING SILVER
PLATA CONDUCTOR
ARGENT CONDUCTEUR
With this liquid silver I resolved much keyboard from register case and notebook!
with this liquid silver you can make on any plastic panel make wire how you want. This wire you can't burn on. For reassemble wire I use wooden pick.
By!
1flatlander
August 27, 2015 at 11:03 pm
Those traces can be repaired using "Quick Grid Repair Resin". This stuff is what is used to repair the rear window defrost grid on automobiles.....and YES, IT'S A PIA! and relatively expensive.
Cheers,
1flatlander
Derek
August 27, 2015 at 10:08 pm
What did you use to photograph the keyboard pads?
Chris
August 28, 2015 at 3:40 am
Derek thank you for supporting my article.
I use several equipment when I take photos like this.
Exactly these photos are taken with my Nikon Coolpix AW110 camera, a tripod and white light box.
Here are some links for:
The camera:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26413/COOLPIX-AW110.html
Tripod:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/114356-best-compact-tripods-cameras-video/gallery?photo=2
White light box:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-40CM-Portable-Studio-Cube-Tent-Lighting-Kit-4-Backdrops-Tripod-Soft-Box-/121651954508?hash=item1c5305834c
The camera is setup to macro mode.
My best regards.
Merlin Marquardt
August 27, 2015 at 10:09 pm
Thanks for a very interesting, informative, and helpful article.
Robert Calk
August 27, 2015 at 11:41 pm
Nice photos, Chris. I don't mess with keypads. They are not very expensive, usually.
yogesh Panchal
August 28, 2015 at 12:35 am
Christian, Thanks for sharing .
yogesh Panchal
August 28, 2015 at 12:41 am
Christian, I am agree with you instead of wasting the time on this type of keyboard it is advisable to replace the new one if it is economical and easily available .
Gopal Shama
August 28, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Thanks for sharing, very clear picture you have taken. Fault is very clearly visible.
Allan
August 29, 2015 at 12:46 pm
I see no point in attempting repairs on this keyboard. You are so right Christian, discard the keyboard.Great info.
albert
August 29, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Great article; but as the other comments, there is conductive ink that can help to repair the keyboard. In my case i use the ink to repair tv remote controllers.
Thanks.
Chris
September 1, 2015 at 12:41 am
Thank all of you for supporting my article.
The main point of this article is to bring closer the technology how a keyboard is made and how much complicate it is to repair if you really wish to repair it.
I can see here are people who agree and disagree about, is it or not repairable.
I have that conductive silver too, and conductive pens too, but I would not mess up my repair time on a keyboard where the traces are too close each to other. The other big problem is, I cant know which trace are the next which would be broken and maybe in one or two months the laptop will be brought back with same problem.
I would use the painting technique only in a situation where are no other possibilities. I agree with that.
Conclusion, if I see a keyboard like this I would not wast my time with painting. I would order a new or used good keyboard, or I would say sorry to the customer.
This is only my opinion.
Humberto
September 1, 2015 at 2:17 am
Hi Chris, good tutorial and very quality your photos. In my country is very hard to get the conductive ink, so we use to sew the rails with a thin copper wire (with no varnish of course).
Henrique Jorge Guimarães Ulbrich - Brazil
September 1, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Ok, you can throw it away if there is no remedy. Nevertheless, in deference of ecology, in my view the maximum effort must be done in order to fix the product, instead of increasing technological trash production.
Chris
September 28, 2015 at 3:59 pm
I agree with you.
I brought that keyboard to a recycle center where I bring all my electronic trash.
Some time it is not worth or can not be repaired.
sivakumar
September 6, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Thank you sir your all posts are very supported
Dennis
December 26, 2015 at 10:34 pm
I only disliked some of the comments from a practical point of view. At some point items are not worth repair and should be replaced. Also the call backs because a patch doesn't hold are expensive in time and reputation. Thant you for this post and ALL comments whether I agreed or not.