Ionic Contamination Tester Concentration Monitoring

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We have an Ionic Contamination Testing system but short of h... - Sep 11, 2008 by smt_guy

Most ionic contamination testers prompt the operator for the... - Sep 11, 2008 by Michael

smt_guy

#56490

Ionic Contamination Tester Concentration Monitoring | 11 September, 2008

We have an Ionic Contamination Testing system but short of having a monitoring record for the chemical concentration. What we have is a monthly maintenance check of the concentration and annual check and calibration of the chemicals. We seldom use this equipment that's why we just check and verify the concentration whenever the equipment is used.

Now we have to use the machine in an almost daily basis and wonder if we need to have the record for monitoring the concentration be updated to daily. My queries are:

1. do I have to check daily the percentage of concentration? I am asking this because we do not have data available to justify the daily labor cost of doing it if it is not necessary.

2. For those who are using Ionograph and Omega Meter, how often do you inspect your concentration level? How fast does the alcohol evaporates so as to be out of range?

3. How do you monitor or control the concentration?

Thank you for your replies.

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Michael

#56491

Ionic Contamination Tester Concentration Monitoring | 11 September, 2008

Most ionic contamination testers prompt the operator for the current concentration at the start of each cycle. The normal concentration is 25% DI Water and 75% IPA. Although most machines ask for the current concentration, concentration adjustments are not routinely required. The machine simply wants to be sure that the concentration is within a range of 71% - 79%. If it is outside that range, the machine will not operate until the concentration is adjusted. Determining concentration is a fast and simple hydrometer reading and is not labor intensive.

That being said, the concentration will naturally drift toward low IPA due to the rapid evaporative nature of IPA. One can prevent unnecessary IPA loses by closing the test cell's lid immediately after an assembly is loaded or unloaded.

Mike Konrad Aqueous Technologies www.aqueoustech.com konrad@aqueoustech.com

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