InterviewTitle
Q4. Why is it more efficient to clean with similar solvents pose safety issues and once disposed of in the same waste stream as the
ultrasonic versus spray technology? CFCs and now VOCs along with heavy users other waste solder paste.
metals create a negative environmental
The most important part of any clean-
impact. In addition to superior cleaning, Q10. What other applications does an
ing process is always the chemistry. Spray
440-R SMT Detergent eliminates the ultrasonic stencil cleaner clean?
technology requires the impingement of
vapor, flammability, VOC and odor con-
the sprays to deliver the chemistry to the With the advent of no-clean solder paste,
cerns of other chemistries and it is verified
contaminated area. Cleaning fine-pitch the stencil cleaner is often the only clean-
for specific parameters of environmental
apertures of an SMT stencil is like trying to ing system on the assembly floor and is
safety, user safety and cleaning efficiency
clean a keyhole with a fire hose. Ultrasonic often called upon for other applications
by the U.S. EPA. VOCs are a big issue with
cavitation, on the other hand, is a micro- such as cleaning misprinted PCBs, SMD
other stencil cleaning chemistries.
scopic cleaning action that can deliver the adhesive stencils, pallets, oven radia-
440-R SMT Detergent contains no
cleaning chemistry into the smallest aper- tors, and other tooling used in the SMT
VOCs, no hazardous ingredients or un-
tures. The smaller the aperture, the more printing process. The Smart Sonic Stencil
pleasant odors, and it is very cost efficient.
ultrasonic technology is needed to deliver Cleaning Process performs well in all of
The cleaning efficiency of 440-R SMT
the chemistry to contaminated areas. these applications. In fact, Permali, makers
Detergent also allows the use of low power
Spray systems can also damage a sten- of Durostone pallet material, recommends
density ultrasonics. Other cleaning chemis-
cil. Pressure from the sprays can bend the Smart Sonic as the only ultrasonic clean-
tries require the stronger scrubbing action
delicate land mass areas between fine-pitch ing process for safely cleaning Durostone
of high power density ultrasonics. The
apertures disrupting the co planarity and pallets.
IPC and published literature recommends
gasketing features of the stencil. Ultrasonic
the use of low power density for cleaning
cavitation does not pose this threat. Q11. What is your opinion of EU and
misprinted PCBs.
Asian environmental legislation?
As a result, our customers prefer to use
Q5. Why have you not moved out of Smart Sonic is an environmentally driven
440-R SMT Detergent over other available
ultrasonic cleaning into other types of company, the stricter the regulations
chemistries.
cleaning equipment and chemistries? become, the more our customers need us.
If it wasn’t for environmental regulation,
Smart Sonic is recognized as the best Q8. You introduced your new product,
everyone would still be using CFCs and
stencil cleaning process worldwide. 440-R EnviroGuard at APEX. How does Enviro-
Smart Sonic would not exist. The EU and
SMT Detergent and our ultrasonic clean- Guard work?
Asian countries all have environmental
ing machines have received numerous
EnviroGuard is our newest innovation for regulations. The big difference between the
awards and EPA Verification. By staying
the waste management of stencil cleaning USA and other countries is enforcement.
focused on stencil cleaning we are better
effluent. Until now, closed-loop aqueous The U.S. EPA can put a company out of
able to serve our customers, maintain our
stencil cleaners were only able to close-loop business. I don’t see that level of enforce-
market position and not dilute our R&D
the rinse cycle. The wash water chemistry ment in other countries. As enforcement
efforts on unrelated applications.
would quickly load the mixed-bed ion fil- is implemented or as companies decide
ters and make close-looping the wash water to eliminate VOCs on their own, Smart
Q6. Do you qualify all new pastes and
impractical. The EnviroGuard closed-loop Sonic stands to gain as 440-R SMT Deter-
fluxes as they enter the market?
system is designed to be compatible with gent is the only popular stencil cleaning
When we were first getting started, it was 440-R SMT Detergent by using a unique chemistry that is VOC-free and environ-
not uncommon for solder paste manu- mixed bed ion filter media combined with mentally verified.
facturers to send their products to us for carbon, micron filtration and ultraviolet
test cleaning. However, over the past light technology. Q12. What is the future for SMART
20 years we have yet to identify a solder Our wastewater evaporators have Sonic?
paste that we cannot clean. Solder paste always been able to close-loop the process We have introduced the EnviroGuard
manufacturers have built up a confidence from the environment by evaporating the Closed-loop System for our semi-automatic
in our process, and we see fewer and fewer non-hazardous water vapor to atmosphere stencil cleaners and we will soon be inte-
samples for test cleaning. With nearly 2000 and reducing the solder paste waste to a grating it into our fully automatic systems.
installations worldwide, we have been ex- solid for recycling. However, evaporator Just as the past 20 years has proven, I do
posed to every solder paste available. That maintenance, energy consumption and not expect the Smart Sonic Stencil Clean-
is why we can offer the guarantee that we capital cost can be issues. Now our users ing Process to change, just the machines
can clean any type of solder paste from any have another 100% closed-loop alterna- to evolve in design, automation and cost
fine-pitch stencil. tive with much less maintenance, minimal containment.
energy use and a much lower capital cost. Our mission is to provide an envi-
Q7. Smart Sonic recommends the use of ronmentally responsible and competitive
440-R SMT Detergent. Can other chemis- Q9. Can you reuse the filters? stencil cleaning process to assure stencil
tries be used? integrity and improves print yields and that
Yes, when the carbon and mixed bed filters
is where our R&D will continue to focus.
Yes, however stencil cleaning has been are spent, the user sends them back to
identified as the most hazardous process Smart Sonic in preaddressed mailers for
Thank you for your time, Bill.
with the greatest potential environmental regeneration. Each tank is serialized so the
impact associated with SMT assembly. Sol- customer always receives their own tank
Trevor Galbraith.
vent vapors and heavy metal exposure pose back to eliminate the possibility of outside
health concerns, flammability of IPA and contamination. The micron filters are
www.globalsmt.net Global SMT & Packaging – June 2009 – 27
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