Cleaning No-Clean

All Y'll

How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash?

BACKGROUND

Our basic process goes like this:

1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash 2 Repeat 1 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean 5 Test and ship

Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface.

What do you think?

Dave F

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| All Y'll | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | BACKGROUND | | Our basic process goes like this: | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | 2 Repeat 1 | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | 5 Test and ship | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | What do you think? | | Dave F | Dave, what kind of no-clean are u using?

Yes, IPA will cause the residue.....try using distilled water.

Upinder ==========

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Upinder,

Using IPA does not cause the residue, it simply exposes it.

Given that all fluxes leave reisdues, it follows that these MUST be benign - but how do you know, and how do you control it.

You are using flux to remove oxides and give you a good solder joint. Given that even no-cleans leave residues, it follows that these must not compromise reliability. If you are having difficulty achieving good solder joints, you turn up the fluxer, apply more flux and hey presto - you get a good joint... BUT:

Do you also have a reliable product?

Getting this under proper control may be helped by referring to ANSI-IPC-J-STD001 Appendix D.

I have more info but please ask me rather than bore everyone here on the SMTNet.

See you in Providence RI?

Regards Graham

Graham.Naisbitt@concoat.co.uk

| | All Y'll | | | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | | | BACKGROUND | | | | Our basic process goes like this: | | | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | | 2 Repeat 1 | | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | | 5 Test and ship | | | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | | | What do you think? | | | | Dave F | | | Dave, what kind of no-clean are u using? | | Yes, IPA will cause the residue.....try using distilled water. | | Upinder | ========== |

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| All Y'll | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | BACKGROUND | | Our basic process goes like this: | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | 2 Repeat 1 | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | 5 Test and ship | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | What do you think? | | Dave F | Yes the IPA will turn the no clean res. white and spread it around the board. But if you use Alpha's no clean wire after it dries you can just brush of the res. with a esd brush. It will flake right off like a powder.

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Dave,

The first step would be to learn to accept the residue. IPC class 2 has no problem with it. If that is not possible, I am not sure why a no clean is necessary- but I will take your work for it. Alcohols will dry out the residue, and turn it white. The flux residue is most likely not water soluble, and thus water will also spread the flux around.

If the flux absolutely needs to be removed, then try a Kyzen product called "Ionox FCR". It is a water soluble alcohol cleaner. Kyzen can be reached at 603-622-2900.

Good luck. Steve A

| All Y'll | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | BACKGROUND | | Our basic process goes like this: | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | 2 Repeat 1 | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | 5 Test and ship | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | What do you think? | | Dave F |

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Steve: I thought Kyzen products were "additives" to either aqueous or semiaqueous inline or batch machine cleaning processes. I'm trying to clean the no-clean residue from a few components that can not bear to see water. Can you use Kyzen products for "spot" cleaning? Dave F

| Dave, | | The first step would be to learn to accept the residue. IPC class 2 has no problem with it. If that is not possible, I am not sure why a no clean is necessary- but I will take your work for it. | Alcohols will dry out the residue, and turn it white. The flux residue is most likely not water soluble, and thus water will also spread the flux around. | | If the flux absolutely needs to be removed, then try a Kyzen product called "Ionox FCR". It is a water soluble alcohol cleaner. Kyzen can be reached at 603-622-2900. | | Good luck. Steve A | | | All Y'll | | | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | | | BACKGROUND | | | | Our basic process goes like this: | | | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | | 2 Repeat 1 | | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | | 5 Test and ship | | | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | | | What do you think? | | | | Dave F | | | |

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| | All Y'll | | | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | | | BACKGROUND | | | | Our basic process goes like this: | | | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | | 2 Repeat 1 | | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | | 5 Test and ship | | | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | | | What do you think? | | | | Dave F | | | Yes the IPA will turn the no clean res. white and spread it around the board. But if you use Alpha's no clean wire after it dries you can just brush of the res. with a esd brush. It will flake right off like a powder. | Mike: That sound neat. Would you email me the Alpha designation so that I can talk to my local rep? Dave F

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The Kyzen product was brought to my attention from a chemist at Kester solders when I asked him what could remove no clean residue from a PCB that had been built weeks earlier. We soaked it in the Kyzen for 8 minutes and ran the board through the aqueous cleaner. We used the product more for rework, and not for spot cleaning. You might want to check with your solder paste company to find out what they recommend (unless you trust the Kyzen rep will give you an honest answer). Steve A

| Steve: I thought Kyzen products were "additives" to either aqueous or semiaqueous inline or batch machine cleaning processes. I'm trying to clean the no-clean residue from a few components that can not bear to see water. Can you use Kyzen products for "spot" cleaning? Dave F | | | Dave, | | | | The first step would be to learn to accept the residue. IPC class 2 has no problem with it. If that is not possible, I am not sure why a no clean is necessary- but I will take your work for it. | | Alcohols will dry out the residue, and turn it white. The flux residue is most likely not water soluble, and thus water will also spread the flux around. | | | | If the flux absolutely needs to be removed, then try a Kyzen product called "Ionox FCR". It is a water soluble alcohol cleaner. Kyzen can be reached at 603-622-2900. | | | | Good luck. Steve A | | | | | All Y'll | | | | | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | | | | | BACKGROUND | | | | | | Our basic process goes like this: | | | | | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | | | 2 Repeat 1 | | | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | | | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | | | 5 Test and ship | | | | | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | | | | | What do you think? | | | | | | Dave F | | | | | | | | |

reply »

| | | All Y'll | | | | | | How do you clean components that must be added to an assembled board after water wash? | | | | | | BACKGROUND | | | | | | Our basic process goes like this: | | | | | | 1 Print paste with OA flux, place, reflow, wash | | | 2 Repeat 1 | | | 3 Insert PTH, OA flux, wave, wash | | | 4 Insert PTH and hand solder with no-clean | | | 5 Test and ship | | | | | | Someone has decided that for certain products the third process using no-clean produces insightly product. The solution was to scrub the boards with isopropal alcohol using "ESD paint brushes." This did a great job of making the no-clean solder joints less obvious and spreading the no-clean residue over the board surface. | | | | | | What do you think? | | | | | | Dave F | | | | | Yes the IPA will turn the no clean res. white and spread it around the board. But if you use Alpha's no clean wire after it dries you can just brush of the res. with a esd brush. It will flake right off like a powder. | | | Mike: That sound neat. Would you email me the Alpha designation so that I can talk to my local rep? Dave F | | Dave, I belive the alpha # is 7000 no clean. If you need a good spot cleaner micro-care has several in spray cans www.microcare.com cool site too.

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