Hello Billy,
You are correct when you say that you may want to look at the detergent (chemistry) you're adding to the stencil wash. However, "geared for epoxy removal" depends on how the chemistry is designed to remove the epoxy. If it is a "water-based" solvent, it is likely to not only clean the wet adhesive, but also breakdown the stencil adhesive and cause delamination. If it is a detergent (surfactant) it will remove the wet epoxy as a wetting agent (form a film between the wet epoxy and the stencil) and likely not attack the cured stencil epoxy.
Another cause of delamination (other than heat) is long exposure to moisture. The stencil adhesive will absorb moisture and swell if allowed to "soak" in the washer. When the stencil dries, the adhesive is weakened and delaminates under slight pressure.
At Smart Sonic, we have tested hundreds of stencils and have found three major causes of delamination: 1) Harsh chemistries that will dissolve wet and cured adhesives. 2) Hot wash solutions and/or hot drying air because the stencil adhesives are heat-cured. 3) Moisture absorption due to long cleaning cycles or soak times.
There is a good article by Richard Clouthier on our web site regarding these issues: http://www.smartsonic.com/article1.html If would like to discuss your application, please call or e-mail me. Tel: 1(800) 806-440R E-mail: bill@smartsonic.com
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