I have a variety of MCPCBs that are populated with leds that I`d like to swap out, I have a reflow station but I`m just wondering what sort of temp I`ll need to remove these leds (and re-solder new ones later).
Depends entirely on the solder. Leaded solder melts at lower temps than lead-free solder.
I set mine at 200, no problems so far. Probably melts at slightly lower temps, but it works fine.
Thanks, I was thinking 200 as well but wasn`t sure as I`v never messed with MCPCBs before, just regular PCBs.
I’ve found it’s a happy medium. Have used it no probs from an Olight S1R PCB up to an MF01.
Interesting alternative method, Thanks.
But I think I`ll stick to 200, in the first vid at 3:36 he turns his up to 400! and there`s no way I`m doing that, I don`t even think my reflow station will go up that high! LOL
That’d probably be 400F, so 204C 
200C
I used the stove top and 8” cast iron skillet to remove 4 XHP70.2’s from 20mm mcpcb’s and rehlow them on a 32mm quad mcpcb.
I would advise NOT to use a cast iron skillet because it takes too long to heat up and cool down, use something with less mass or thickness. The copper plate should NOT be used either because it stayed 30 degrees cooler than the skillet. Also used a DMM with temp probe to monitor temp, but that was not really needed either, only used it once to find setting on stove knob position prior to actually doing the reflow.
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I tried the 170 to 180 c temp and it was a little too low, so 190 to 200 c was perfect.
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For single led reflows, I have successfully used a cigarette lighter and a heat gun with no problems.
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I`ll be doing mine on a special heat proof mat using a temp controled hot air reflow station, I think I may have a go at the hot plate method though, it kinda looks more fun 
you can direct hot air upwards, under the pcb
I find a hotplate much more relaxing, and it frees one of my hands, since I dont have to hold a hot air gun
lots of ways to skin a cat
Happy Reflowing :+1:
Don’t forget to move the led around to verify complete soldering, + / - position, and a very light tap to remove excess 
agree
those are good hotplate techniques
tbh
I really Do Not consider hot air the proper tool for reflowing multiple LEDs,
wiggling leds with one hand while holding a hot air gun with the other is very shaky at my age
I would much rather use a hotplate or frying pan, than hot air
While “start it cold, hit it fast, pop it off the heat when the solder melts” might work, it also induces stresses when LED and board are at too-different temps. Might work for a while, but at some point the substrate might crack, etc., and break when you least expect it.
For soldering wires that’s fine, but there’s a reason you can find heating profiles at Cree, etc., for reflowing their LEDs (or any surface-mount component).
Anyway, you do want to stretch it out over a few minutes and gradually heat up and cool down, to give the 2 pieces time to catch up and equalise temperatures at least most of the way.
Agree with Lightbringer. I have no reflow station, but I take out an old “reflow frying pan”, set it over my induction stove, and aid myself with an infrarred thermometer. Its resulting thermal inertia is nice without being excessive, although it requires me to play a bit up and down with the stove's power setting to keep the thing hovering around 200°. I usually employ at least 2 minutes to reach melting point. Once my reflow is finished I turn off the stove burner and let it cool down on its own. While it is cooling down but still hot enough to boil alcohol, I put a few drops of homemade liquid rosin flux made with it over the MCPCB; removes any copper oxidation and is easily cleaned with alcohol once finished.
@#$% with alcohol now is I cannot get super cheap 96° ethyl stuff now, can only get cleaning mixes which are higher in water content and this noticeably affects its ability to dissolve or clean rosin. 
My two Olight MCPCBs (S15 Ti and S1 Baton) waited until around 212C to reflow. Dunno what solder that was, but everything else I’ve done so far has moved by 190.
My preferred reflow method is to pop the MCPCBs on the hotplate cold, and turn it on. I start with it set to 180 and if they’re not moving by then, I slowly turn it up. Then once I swap the LEDs, I turn the hotplate off and let them cool on top of the hotplate (in other words, slowly). I should probably have the new LEDs sitting on the hotplate from the start to avoid the thermal stress, but I haven’t done that yet.
Yeah, I do the same. Let them heat up slowly then bring them down slowly. Agreed re: bringing new emitters up to heat slowly, not 100% sure how to do that though cause of the whole “the old ones have solder paste and an MCPCB between them and the pad”
I find Mats way really nice also especially the boing at the end.
How to reflow solder an LED emitter on a PCB or MCPCB
