After watching this video about using a PCB heating plate to reflow PCBs, I thought if 3D printer parts and firmware can be used to achieve something similar.
First, 3D printer control boards already come with a microcontroller and the required circuits for monitoring temperature and controlling heating elements. The firmware can already be used to set temperatures, and appropriate time delays. This means it should theoretically be possible to set a reflow profile using gcode.
All that remains is to find a heating element in a plate form that can reach the required temperatures (around 200 degC). A normal 3D printer heated bed probably won't work, especially the larger ones since they dissipate a lot of heat into the environment. Maybe if there is a small heated bed with an aluminum surface. Alternatively, maybe an aluminum plate, with a few heating cartridges connected in parallel. Each cartridge is rated for 40W. Connecting 5 of them, one in each corner and one in the center, should give a 200W heating plate.
Still, such a jury rigged setup can be potentially dangerous. Guess this will remain an idea since I don't want to burn the house down. I am looking forward to the video creator releasing his PCB heating plate design, since it looks like a good heating plate to connect to a 3D printer control board.
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