German manufacturers switch to green cleaning

Tetronik and Nerb Elektronik have joined the growing number of electronics component manufacturers switching to a cleaning process system using Novec Engineered Fluids.

Tetronik and Nerb Elektronik have joined the growing number of electronics component manufacturers switching to a cleaning process system using Novec Engineered Fluids.

After experience with other green alternatives, both have discovered that these solvents, developed by 3M and based on hydrofluorethers (HFEs), provide the optimum solution - achieving superior cleaning performance without the need for investment in new facilities.

In manufacturing low-volume specialist electronics components for industrial use, including medical technology and optical applications, Tetronik has to remove the synthetic and collophonium contaminants from flux agents.

In 1992, when the use of CFCs was prohibited, the company had made a complete shift to no-clean flux agents but were limited by their field of use and sought an effective cleaning solution that would offer opportunities for enhanced product reliability.

Novec fluids provide this superior performance in a new, cosolvent cleaning process requiring only a minor retrofit to the company's two-chamber KLN-freon equipment.

The process is fast, flexible and has contributed quality improvements to the cleaned components with regard to electrical integrity.

Nerb Elektronik, which manufactures electronics components for aerospace and other high-performance applications, needs effective removal of solder pastes and fluxes.

The company had previously employed semi-aqueous cleaning but wanted to overcome problems with water compatibility and improve on the very long process times.

This was achieved using a Novec fluid in a simple cosolvent process and needed only a minor retrofit to its three-chamber freon facility, with separate precleaning chamber, boil sump and HFE rinsing chamber.

Additional benefits included the opportunity to automate the cleaning process and to obtain all the required cleaning media from one supplier.

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