From the stencil to the reflow oven, one place for cleaning an SMT line
An SMT line in Thailand still needs cleaning after print, placement, reflow, and inspection. Solder paste left in a stencil, a screen mask, the inside of a mounter nozzle, a squeegee, a pallet or fixture, and flux on a reflow oven or a board. Each soil needs its own machine and chemistry.
FIDEA is a cleaning specialist in Bangkok. We propose SAWA cleaning machines, major spare parts, and underside-wipe cleaner, together with Zestron VIGON and ATRON, for the parts on your floor. Chemicals, consumables, and major spare parts are stocked in Thailand. Machine bodies are made to order. Before you buy, we can run a free cleaning test on your parts, and we explain the result in Japanese or Thai.
What to clean, and the machine and chemistry we suggest
Metal stencils and screen masks
Solder paste and SMT adhesive left in the apertures spoil the next print. Pair a SAWA stencil or screen cleaner with Zestron VIGON SC 200. SAWA machine specs also list KAKEN TECH HA-2789 as the dedicated cleaner.
Underside wiping
This is the wipe under the stencil inside the printer. Reducing smear needs a cleaner that wets well. We suggest VIGON UC 160 and the underside-wipe cleaner URABUKIN-CHAN.
Mounter nozzles
Flux and solder inside a nozzle cause mis-picks. A nozzle cleaner clears the bore.
Squeegees, pallets, and fixtures
Baked flux on a squeegee, solder pallet, or carrier is fixture cleaning, separate from the stencil. Pair a squeegee with SC-145GAE, and pallets or fixtures with EZONE and FD-BM5, using the flux cleaners PCS-1015U, ATRON SP 200, and ATRON SP 300.
Flux residue on boards
Flux left on a board after reflow, on the oven, or on a pallet is removed with water-based ATRON and VIGON RC. VIGON EFM is for hand wiping.
Probe pins
Flux on a probe pin makes contact unreliable. Choose VIGON RC 101 or hand-wipe VIGON EFM for the pin shape.
| Target | Machine | Chemical | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal stencil | SC-AH150E / SC-AH100E-LV | HA-2789U / VIGON SC 200 and others | Water-based cleaner. High flash point, lighter fire control |
| Metal stencil | SC-ML736E and others | HA-1040 and others | Cleaner with a flash point. Watch open flame and storage |
| Underside wipe | — | VIGON UC 160 / URABUKIN-CHAN | Printer wiper |
| Mounter nozzle | SC-ENH / SC-ENX | — | Panasonic / Yamaha / FUJI / SONY / JUKI |
| Squeegee, pallet, fixture | SC-145GAE / EZONE / FD-BM5 | PCS-1015U / ATRON SP200 / ATRON SP300 | Flux cleaning |
| Board flux residue | — | ATRON SP200 / ATRON SP300 / VIGON RC303 | Chosen by solder type |
| Probe pin | — | VIGON RC101 / VIGON EFM | — |
| Reflow oven | — | VIGON RC303 / VIGON RC101 | Periodic cleaning |
Moving off IPA and thinner
FIDEA was founded in 2013 to replace organic solvents such as IPA and thinner with cleaning that is easier on people and the site. Many SMT floors still wipe with IPA. A low flash point means fire control around the machine and in storage. The odor is strong, and the amount operators breathe each day has to be watched.
The replacement depends on the job. Most stencil and flux cleaning uses a water-based cleaner with no flash point, in a machine that does not need explosion-proofing, while the bath concentration is checked. Where a fast-drying solvent is still needed, for underside wiping or hand wiping, we compare a cleaner that dissolves flux more readily than IPA. A free cleaning test on the parts in your Thailand factory decides which one fits.
How a free cleaning test works
A catalog photo does not choose the machine or the chemistry. We take the parts, run a free cleaning test, and then propose.
1. Send the part and the soil
Tell us whether it is a stencil, nozzle, board, or fixture, which solder or flux it is, and what you clean with now. Photos are enough to start.
2. We run a free cleaning test
We change the machine and the chemistry and look at how the soil lifts and how the material responds. The result comes back in Japanese or Thai.
3. Set the process and the stock
We agree the machine, the chemistry, and how Thailand stock is replenished. Chemicals and consumables stay in Thailand. Machine bodies are made to order.
Ask for a free cleaning test from the contact form, and attach a photo of the part.
Cleaning videos
Questions
- We use IPA for SMT cleaning. What is the problem?
- IPA has a flash point and a strong odor. Wiping with a cloth can leave undissolved flux as a white residue. A water-based cleaner, or a cleaner made for flux, reduces both the fire control and the residue. A free cleaning test shows which one fits.
- How do we choose a stencil cleaner?
- Look at the stencil size, how many panels a day, ultrasonic or spray, and whether drying finishes inside the machine. SAWA ranges from a compact general-purpose unit to higher-volume automatic machines. The chemistry is VIGON SC 200, or HA-2789 where the machine specifies it.
- Do you stock chemicals in Thailand, and what is the lead time?
- Chemicals, consumables such as filters, and major spare parts are stocked in Thailand. We confirm the replenishment timing from current stock. Machine bodies are made to order, and the lead time depends on the model.
- Can spare parts and consumables for the machine be bought in Thailand?
- Major spare parts and consumables for SAWA machines are kept in Thailand. Everyday replenishment does not wait on a shipment from Japan while the machine is down.
- Is the cleaning test free, and what should we send?
- The cleaning test is free. Send a soiled stencil, nozzle, board, or fixture, the solder or flux grade, and the cleaning method you use now. We agree how to return the parts when you ask.
Talk about SMT cleaning
We start from which machine and which chemistry fit the line in Thailand. A free cleaning test can be requested here.