Removing and segregating components from printed circuit boards

1. A method for removing components from a printed circuit board comprising:

securing the printed circuit board;

directing a first air onto a first surface of the printed circuit board, the first surface being substantially a front side of the printed circuit board, with a first directed air source to remove a first component from the printed circuit board, wherein the first component is a wired component;

collecting the first component; and

directing a second air onto a second surface of the printed circuit board, the second surface being substantially a back side of the printed circuit board, with a second directed air source to remove a second component from the printed circuit board, wherein the second component is a surface mounted component, and directing the first air and directing the second air occur substantially simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first air is either cooled air or heated air.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a parameter for directing the first air onto the first surface, wherein the parameter is selected such that the first air removes the first component but does not remove a third component.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the parameter for directing the first air comprises at least one of an air velocity, an air temperature, a directed air source scan duration or a directed air source scan path.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first component is a surface mount device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the third component is a through hole device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting the second component, wherein the first component is collected in a first collector and the second component is collected in a second collector.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the first air onto the first surface of the printed circuit board includes providing the first air at a first velocity over a first part of the first surface and providing the first air at a second velocity over a second part of the first surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein securing the printed circuit board includes clamping the printed circuit board with a robotic gripper assembly.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first directed air source comprises an air knife.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an order of removal for the first component, the second component, a third component and a fourth component, wherein the determined order of removal is based at least in part on the energy required to remove the components.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determined order of removal includes removing components requiring less energy first.