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ManageMent www.us-tech.com Clean Air a Benefit to the Entire Electronics Value Chain By Stefan Meissner, Head of Corporate Communication, ULT AG F


umes. They’re everywhere, es- pecially on the manufacturing floor. Connection and separa-


tion technologies, surface processing, such as marking, drilling, sintering and milling, and the use of fluxes, as well as 3D printing or rapid prototyp- ing with laser equipment, soldering, welding, gluing, etc., all generate air- borne contaminants. There are many different pro -


cesses in electronics manufacturing that generate harmful substances and release them into the air. In or- der for employees to breathe only clean air and for manufacturers to keep the overall cost of production low, air quality must be recognized as a critical part of the value chain. “The idea of the value chain is


based on the process view of organiza- tions, the idea of seeing a manufactur- ing organization as a system, made up of subsystems each with inputs, trans- formational processes and outputs,” says Michael E. Porter, an economist at Harvard. Porter’s concise definition


of a value-added chain is one of many that can be found in reference books, other works and websites. In principle, it involves a sequence of activities, ex- ecuted by a company to develop, pro- duce, sell, ship, and maintain products or services. Three main parameters essen-


tially influence a value-added chain: direct activities — research, develop- ment, production, and shipment; in- direct activities — maintenance, op- eration, occupational safety, and the environment; and quality assurance — monitoring, test and inspection, and quality management. Generally, indirect activities and quality assur- ance generate a greater part of the costs of product manufacturing.


Influence of Air Quality The indirect activities within a


value-added chain include three sub- divisions. First, maintenance costs include production resources and rooms, as well as the entirety of all systems and plants. Next, product


quality costs comprise the precision of manufacturing, accuracy, func- tionality, and cleanliness. Finally, oc- cupational safety incurs costs related to work clothing, ESD protection, in- jury potential, and clean air. All indi- rect issues have a common denomi- nator; they depend on clean air in the production rooms. All airborne pollutants


have negative effects on em- ployee health, and because of this, will negatively affect production. Airborne pollu- tants are generally classified by particle size. This classifi- cation focuses on the influ- ence of emissions on the hu- man body. In addition to the possibility of brain damage, neurotoxic effects and airway injuries, they are differenti- ated by inhalation (E frac- tion) or alveolar absorption (A fraction). In many countries, the


The capturing of airborne pollu-


tants is a decisive aspect of air purifi- cation. Proximity to the source of pol- lution is of critical importance — the closer, the better. This is not only to capture the majority of all particles but to minimize cost. A general rule says that twice


September, 2017


capture of contaminants is regulated by law. These regulations determine categories of danger for specific hazardous substances, in terms of fire and explosion risks, or in types of health damaging effects (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction). Airborne contaminants may al-


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so have negative effects on produc- tion systems and products. They con- sist of various inorganic and organic substances, which might damage machinery through chemical reac- tions.


Soldering fumes, for instance,


mainly consist of fluxes, soldering material and detergent residues, which often join to adhesive aerosols. They also compromise machinery and products, as they create firmly attached dirt layers. Contamination of electronic assemblies with tacky dusts may lead to conductor track corrosion, which can lead to function- al failure.


Extraction and Filtration The early removal of airborne


pollutants prevents their impact. Ex- traction and filtration systems pro- vide an effective solution and there are a variety of types available. Ex- traction and filtration units are cho- sen according to the type, composi- tion and amount of pollutants. These systems have a wide range of au- tomation, from fully automated to manual, as well as varied mobility and versatility. Today’s extraction and filtra-


tion systems clean process air to such a high degree that the purified air can be moved back to the working area. This is based on innovative fil- tration concepts, which can be config- ured to meet special requirements.


Airborne contaminants, such as those from soldering, must be filtered out or they can affect the entire production process.


the distance between the emission source and capturing element re- quires four times the exhaust per- formance in the extraction and filter system. Capturing elements are noz- zles mounted on extraction arms. They guarantee the capture of air- borne contaminants. Depending on the pollution amount and type as well as airflow principles, they are available in many versions, up to complete housing solutions. The appropriate capturing ele-


ment can contribute substantially to the quality of the extraction and fil- tration device. The capture rate forms the basis for subsequent high- grade filtration, providing high over- all efficiency and low residue in the returned clean air.


Clean Air Dependent All three subdivisions of indi-


rect activities in the value-added chain are affected by air quality. Pro- duction resources and rooms must not be polluted. Product quality and cleanliness must be guaranteed un- der all circumstances. Employee pro- tection is the most important and regulatory bodies determine the de- mands to be met. Extraction and filtration in elec-


tronics production goes far beyond the vacuum cleaner. It is not simply a case of dirt removal. Proper extrac- tion and filtration eliminates sub- stances in the air that have negative effects on humans, machines and products — consequently affecting


the entire value-added chain. Contact: ULT AG, Am Gopelte-


ich 1, 02708 Löbau, Germany % +49-3585-4128-0 fax: +49-3585- 4128-11 E-mail: ult@ult.de Web: www.ult.de r


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