Many PCBA assembly factories usually come across this same problem: Dirty stencils! What is the best way to clean these stencils! This a simple thing but currently this problem causes many headaches and down the line issues such as quality, cleaning consistency, and labor issues. Let us show you the 3 ways to approach SMT Stencil Cleaning.
Let’s cut the cackle, Today I will introduce three ways to clean SMT stencils:
1.Manually soak:
Tools and materials: Cleaning agent, Duster cloth, Special gloves, Container
Cleaning step:
1)Spray cleaning agent on the stencil or soak the stencil in a container for a while(if the solder have condensed into pieces).
2)Put on gloves and use duster cloth to swab down the dirty parts containing solder paste.
3)Drying by compressed air
4)Check/Confirm the following:
- Confirm the surface is now clean and solder residue has been removed
- Confirm the mesh without any clogging
- Confirm the Mark point has not been damaged
- Confirm stencil tension
2.Pneumatic spray cleaning
Tools and materials: Pneumatic stencil cleaning machine, Cleaning agent, Special gloves
Cleaning Step:
1)Start the air compressor
2)Set up the cleaning time, drying time
3)Put in stencil and leave to do other work (frees the operator)
4)Get stencil out after coming back and put in another one (fully automated process, just needs loading and unloading).
3.Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaning
Tools and materials: Ultrasonic stencil cleaner machine, Cleaning agent
Cleaning Step:
1)power on
2)Put in stencil and setting cleaning time and drying time
3)Get stencil out and put in another one
Compare the three ways:
Manually soak stencil cleaning:
Advantage:
1)Low-cost
2)Visualization
Disadvantage:
1)Long time to clean and dry, low-effectiveness
2)High salary cost, requires specialized worker cleaning for entire process
3)Cleaning effect is not very good and depends on worker cleaning ability (varies)
4)May damage stencil, human error can cause damage and man-handling
Pneumatic Spray Stencil Cleaning:
Advantage:
1)Pneumatic,Automatic,without power
2)High-effective
3)Cleaning effect is good
4)Economize manpower
Disadvantage:
1)Can’t clean oversized stencils
2)Cleaning effect is not good with thick stencils
3)Requires certain cost to make initial investment in machine
Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaning
Advantage:
1)Automatic
2)Highly effective
3)Cleaning effect is good
Disadvantage:
1)Need one stuff cooperate
2)High cost
3)Can’t clean oversized stencil