When developing a cleaning process and/or specifying new equipment, it is important to understand the volume of effluent and the methods of handling.
The Aquastorm 50 was designed to allow flexibility between aqueous and saponified applications, minimize affluent discharge, and to accommodate process control for various applications. The Aquastorm 50 accomplishes these objectives without sacrificing cleaning performance and capability.
When evaluating Key considerations determining affluent volumes from a batch process include:
Complexity of product to clean
- Types of residues and contaminates to remove from product
- Desired cleanliness levels
- An aqueous or chemistry application and required chemistry concentration levels
- Efficiency of rinse and removing chemistry from the product
- Availability of DI water
The following graph are results taken from a cleaning trial performed on complex PCB’s that are used in a high reliability industrial application. The PCB’s that were tested included low stand-off SMT devises, large connectors, and large transformers. The customer was testing the Aquastorm 50 ability to clean and dry the complex assemblies.
Based on product testing across multiple types and complexities of PCB’s, the typical number of rinse cycles required is 4 to 5 cycles. It should be noted that this is highly dependent upon the complexity of the PCB assemblies, chemistry, and desired cleanliness level of the PCB’s. The Aquastorm 50 can be easily configured to accommodate multiple applications. The following matrix identifies the source and discharge of effluent for different applications.
Through efficient fluid management, the Aquastorm 50 delivers effective separation of wash and rinse fluids and minimizes the volumes of effluent that require handling. In conclusion, the performance of the Aquastorm 50 has proven to exceed cleaning and drying requirements for complex PCB assemblies in multiple applications.