Aqueous Technologies Cleaners

Please advsie what kind of the solder paste which you are using and we have experience when using Alpha WS609 and found a lot of foaming.

Beside, are you using the spray fluxer for your wave or not? If you have spray fluxer then you don't need to use the flux with foaming agent.

Also, you can try to use the de-foaming agent to reduce the foaming on your cleaner.

Good Luck! Dason

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I do not know which specific flux you are using, but here are some general guidelines.

If your wave soldering machine uses a foam fluxer, then there are foaming agents in the flux. Under �normal� conditions, the volatiles (including the foaming agents) are burned off in the preheat and soldering functions. As with all foam fluxers, some flux will be deposited onto the leading edge of the top of the board. This should cause no problem as long as your soldering machine has adequate top side preheaters capable of �burning off� the top side flux. Inadequate preheat can also lead to increased foam.

Other causes of foam are some high solids content fluxes and the lack of maintaining proper flux density (it will change throughout the day).

Foam also occurs in many hand-soldering applications. In many hand-soldering cases, flux in dispensed onto the board via a squeeze bottle. Components are soldered and the excess flux is left on the board without receiving any direct heat. For hand soldering applications, we recommend two things. First, use a non-foaming liquid flux. Second, only apply flux to areas where the soldering tip will be applied.

Please feel free to contact me for additional information.

Mike Konrad Aqueous Technologies Corporation (909) 944-7771

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