Quick answer: The SME800 from Southern Machinery is an electric stencil cleaning machine for SMT print rooms. It cleans stencils up to 750 × 750 × 40 mm with four fixed spray rods and aqueous cleaning liquid, rinses with DI water, filters both liquids in real time at 1 µm, and dries the stencil with four hot-air blades driven by a 5.5 HP blower. It suits EMS lines that need faster drying, DI rinsing and consistent results compared with hand cleaning or a pneumatic cleaner.
Why manual stencil cleaning costs more than it looks
Every stencil that goes back on the printer with residue in its apertures is a misprint waiting to happen. On lines that still scrub stencils by hand, or run older spray cleaners, the same problems keep coming back:
- Solder paste balls return. Without real-time filtration, paste balls wash back onto the stencil and re-contaminate the next boards.
- Blocked apertures. Residue left in fine-pitch apertures causes paste misprint and rework.
- Soft hoses wear out. Liquid and air hoses on moving spray heads bend, rub and leak.
- Long dry times. Weak drying slows stencil changeover between jobs.
- Plastic pipes contaminate. Plastic liquid lines risk contamination and corrosion in cleaning chemistry.
- Results vary by operator. Hand-cleaning quality depends on the person, the batch and the shift.
How does the SME800 clean a stencil?
The SME800 reverses the usual design: the spray rods and air knives stay fixed, and the stencil moves forwards and backwards by motor. That removes the bending hoses that wear out on moving-head cleaners. One cycle runs in four steps:
- Load. Place the stencil (up to 750 × 750 × 40 mm) in the chamber and set the cleaning parameters.
- Spray clean. Four fixed spray rods spray aqueous cleaning liquid while the stencil travels back and forth.
- DI rinse. Four fixed spray bars rinse with DI water. Real-time 1 µm filtration keeps solder paste balls out of the water.
- Hot-air dry. Four hot-air blades dry the stencil; the 5.5 HP blower shortens dry time between jobs.
SME800 specifications
Data below is taken from the SME800 brochure (2021). Final configuration is confirmed against your stencils and cleaning liquid.
| Stencil size | 750 mm (L) × 750 mm (W) × 40 mm (H) maximum |
| Cleaning agent | Aqueous cleaning liquid for cleaning; DI or DM water for rinsing |
| Tank capacity | 60 L maximum (liquid tank and water tank) |
| Way of cleaning | 4 fixed spraying rods; stencil moves forwards and backwards by motor |
| Way of rinsing | 4 fixed spraying bars spray DI water |
| Way of drying | 4 hot-air blades; 5.5 HP hot-air blower |
| Filter grade | 1 µm for cleaning liquid, 1 µm for DI water (real-time) |
| DI water supply | Open loop 30–60 L/min (≤ 0.4 MPa); closed-loop cyclic with conductivity-based discharge |
| Electric pump | 4 HP stainless steel pump |
| Fluid path | SUS304 liquid pipes with angle valves, no plastic hose |
| Electrics | Mitsui PLC, touch panel, inverter and breakers; Schneider relays and contactors; Omron switching power supply |
| Applications | Solder paste stencils, red glue stencils, resin / copper masks, misprint PCB cleaning |
Feature, advantage, benefit
- Stencil moves, rods stay fixed → no soft hoses that bend and wear → less downtime and fewer leaks.
- 1 µm dual real-time filtration → paste balls are caught in both cleaning liquid and DI water → they do not return to the stencil.
- DI water rinse → cleaning chemistry is rinsed off the stencil → a cleaner surface before the next print.
- 4 hot-air blades + 5.5 HP blower → high air rate → shorter dry time between jobs.
- SUS304 pipes, stainless pump → no plastic in the fluid path → lower contamination and corrosion risk.
SME800, S-1688 or SME-750II: which stencil cleaner fits your line?
Southern Machinery builds three stencil cleaners on the same sealed-chamber logic:
- SME800 (electric drive): 4 HP pump and 5.5 HP blower. Choose it when faster drying, DI rinsing and higher stencil volume matter.
- S-1688 (pneumatic, single chamber): runs on plant air with no electric power. Choose it when flammable solvents are involved or power is limited.
- SME-750II (pneumatic, dual stencil): cleans two stencils per cycle. Choose it for higher stencil volume on air alone.
What to send for a quotation
- Stencil details: size, and solder paste, red glue or resin mask type
- Cleaning liquid, and whether DI water is available for rinsing
- Volume: stencils per day and cleaning intervals
- Facility: power, DI water supply, drainage and floor space
FAQ
What does the SME800 clean?
Solder paste stencils, red glue stencils, resin and copper masks, and misprint PCBs, using aqueous cleaning liquid followed by a DI water rinse.
What size stencils fit the SME800?
Stencils up to 750 mm (L) × 750 mm (W) × 40 mm (H).
How does the SME800 stop contamination?
Real-time 1 µm filtration on both the cleaning liquid and the DI water keeps solder paste balls from returning to the stencil.
Why does the SME800 dry stencils quickly?
A 5.5 HP hot-air blower feeds four air blades, giving a high air rate that cuts dry time between jobs.
How do I get a price and delivery time?
Email info@smthelp.com or WhatsApp +86 136 0256 2576 with your stencil types, cleaning liquid and volume. Quotation and delivery schedule follow technical confirmation.
See the full SME800 product page
The SME800 product page has the 3D working-principle view, the gallery, cleaning videos and the installation guide: SME800 Electric Stencil Cleaning Machine – full product page.
Ready to stop scrubbing stencils by hand? Send your stencil and liquid details to info@smthelp.com or WhatsApp Jason Wu at +86 136 0256 2576 for a cleaning proposal.