Industry Focus: Automotive
Businesses may opt to send their test boards to the cleaning fluid manufacturer for an in-lab cleaning assessment.
fluid manufacturer for an in-lab cleaning assessment. These experiments entail rigorous testing on their boards, targeting specific contaminants to ensure thorough cleaning with minimal risks to their circuit boards. Following these assessments, the lab typically provides the company with a comprehensive report, including detailed recommendations on the ideal cleaning fluid or flux remover. Additionally, they may suggest changes or upgrades to the cleaning processes, ensuring both PCBA cleanliness and worker safety. By partnering with a critical cleaning expert, you gain access to the knowledge needed to select the right flux remover or cleaning fluid. This ensures effective cleaning while maintaining compatibility with all PCBA materials. Furthermore, these experts can recommend process improvements that will lead to optimal cleaning results. Choose a knowledgeable partner to enhance your PCBA cleaning procedures.
Securing the future of automotive electronics
Cleaning is the linchpin in ensuring the reliability of PCBAs, but it must be done correctly and meet stringent standards, like those set by the Automotive Electronics Council.
PCBAs in the automotive sector need cleaning during production to remove contaminants like flux, dust, marking inks, oils, or inorganic residues from the manufacturing process. However, the shrinking size and increasing complexity of PCBAs, compounded by condensed assemblies and hard-to-reach areas, make cleaning increasingly challenging. Effective cleaning is not only essential for preventing contamination-related issues but also for preparing PCBAs for the application of conformal coatings. These coatings protect PCBs from harsh environmental conditions and insulate them. If cleaning is not thoroughly executed before applying a conformal coating, it can result in defects such as delamination, de-wetting, uneven coverage, pinholes, and air bubbles.
Understanding and managing PCBA contamination
In the quest for reliability and longevity in automotive PCBAs, it is essential to comprehend the types of contamination they can encounter: 1. Organics: These include substances like rosin solder pastes, fluxes, non-polar oils, and greases. Organic contaminants are best removed with mild to medium strength cleaning fluids or flux removers. 2. Inorganics: Inorganic contaminants often
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stem from lead-free and no-clean fluxes and solder pastes. They contain activators such as acids, bases, and halogens. Aggressive cleaning fluids may be needed to remove stubborn white residue. 3. Water: Water contamination can be particularly challenging to remove from PCBAs. Special drying methods, such as absorption or displacement drying in a vapor degreaser, are often required. 4. Particulate: Particulate contamination ranges from sub microscopic to visible particles like dust, dirt, cloth fibres, and metal chips. Electrostatic polar cleaning fluids, coupled with agitation, are effective in removing particulates.
Achieving critical cleanliness To ensure critical cleaning is conducted successfully, several factors must be considered, including reliability, sustainability, cost- effectiveness, and adaptability to changing requirements. Vapor degreasing emerges as a highly effective method for cleaning PCBAs. This process utilizes a closed-loop system with boiling and rinsing sumps, making it ideal for cleaning miniaturized electronic assemblies. The cleaning fluid is heated within the boil sump and the PCBAs are then immersed and cleaned in the fluid. Once cleaned, the boards are automatically transferred to the rinse sump for final cleaning in clean, uncontaminated fluid. Finally, the PCBAs are lifted and held inside the vapor blanket, allowing the parts to dry and cool.
Modern cleaning fluids used in vapor degreasers have low viscosity and surface
tension ratings, along with high volatility. These properties enable them to remove contaminants effectively, even from densely packed, small assemblies. Additionally, the fluids are easily removed from the PCBAs, ensuring a clean and residue-free surface.
Selecting and testing the right cleaning fluid
Choosing the right cleaner or flux remover for PCBAs is crucial. It should effectively remove contaminants, leave no residue, dry quickly, be materials-compatible, low odour, non-flammable, and budget-friendly. A reliable method for ensuring the chosen PCBA cleaner or flux remover’s effectiveness, while safeguarding the integrity of your PCBA, involves conducting a ‘cleaning trial’ on sacrificial or test boards. Commence the process with a mild cleaner and gradually progress to stronger options until you achieve the desired cleaning results. It’s essential to conduct tests in multiple areas on the PCBA to guarantee its safety for all materials the cleaner may encounter, either directly or indirectly.
Major suppliers of critical cleaning solutions often employ field engineers who can offer expert guidance on testing cleaning fluids and aid in selecting the most suitable one for the PCBA material and the specific contamination involved.
While many companies conduct in- house cleaning trials, there are instances where businesses may opt to send their sacrificial test boards to the cleaning
As the automotive industry continues to advance and rely increasingly on electronics, the reliability of PCBAs becomes even more critical. Manufacturers must proactively seek solutions to ensure reliability, and effective critical cleaning is a key component of this strategy.
Vapor degreasing, when combined with next-generation cleaning fluids, offers exceptional cleaning performance, even for the most complex assemblies and contaminants. The future of automobiles hinges on PCBAs, and maintaining their cleanliness and reliability will remain a crucial requirement in this rapidly evolving field.
Conclusion
The automotive industry’s evolution into the era of autonomous and electric vehicles places even greater importance on the reliability of PCBAs. Thorough cleaning is a critical aspect of ensuring these electronic components perform flawlessly throughout their lifespan. Vapor degreasing, coupled with advanced cleaning fluids, emerges as a reliable and sustainable solution. As the future of automobiles relies increasingly on PCBAs, maintaining their cleanliness and reliability will be a non-negotiable requirement in this dynamic field of technology.
References 1
https://www.businesswire.com/news/ home/20190815005334/en/Automotive-PCB- Market---Global-Outlook-Forecast
https://www.microcare.com/ Components in Electronics November 2023 19
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