Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up

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Hi, I always caught our touch-up operators cleaning tou... - Aug 26, 2004 by

You're correct. Operators shouldn't be doing "touch-up". [... - Aug 26, 2004 by davef

I ran into this about 2 years ago. The Rework Operators (al... - Aug 26, 2004 by

Hey, We have introduced a Cleaning Pen from Chemtronics. I... - Aug 26, 2004 by

Indy, could you give me pls, the address of Chemtronics? ... - Aug 31, 2004 by

YAAAAAAAAAA! You guys from Chemtronics are saying that hand ... - Aug 31, 2004 by

Dreamsniper

#30248

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 26 August, 2004

Hi,

I always caught our touch-up operators cleaning touched up boards improperly. Either by just wiping with lint free clothe the solder joints of the components after touch up or by just going behind the aqeuous cleaner and scooping some water then use it to brush and wash the solder joint of connectors. I told them this is not acceptable as boards has to be washed and rinsed properly. This is their reply: "We've been doing this for long since you were not here".

I'd like to get inputs from you guys about this and what is your process after touch up when using Water Soluble Flux?

Thanks, Dreamy

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davef

#30251

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 26 August, 2004

You're correct. Operators shouldn't be doing "touch-up". [No value added] Take that as your clue for areas to improve process.

Babbling about touchup: * Left to itself, touchup feeds on itself, operators are parinoid that inspectors will "ding" them, so they do more and more. Inspectors try and find things to "inspect". * "Touched" solder connections "look different" than non-touched connections. Any contactor should be nervous about that because their customers could infer their process is out-of-control. [Ahem, your Dreamyness.] * Further, touching solder connections is poor practice from a reliability standpoint, because of the localized heating that the solder connections receive.

Finally, operators probably have been doing any number of poorly advised [but well meaning] things from "before you got there", but that does make them correct. At least they can say that they're TRYING to clean the OA from the boards [instead of just spreading it around the board, like the IPA-people are doing].

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KEN

#30252

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 26 August, 2004

I ran into this about 2 years ago. The Rework Operators (all 3 shifts) would rework a device, rince the board with tap water (yep, 50k / Cm^3) from a nearby sink, then send the PCB to test (which is really ironic as they had to walk past the DI wash to get to the sink). I talked to the team about this but discovered compliance only when I was "on the floor". Two weeks later we found a board that had the traces etched away (OA flux)from the via's (under a device that was replaced). I took great joy in personally removing the sink.

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Indy

#30255

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 26 August, 2004

Hey, We have introduced a Cleaning Pen from Chemtronics. It removes excess flux after touch up.. This way the operator doesn't have to go everytime to the cleaning room..

Indy

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#30309

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 31 August, 2004

Indy, could you give me pls, the address of Chemtronics?

Tnks

This message was posted via the Electronics Forum @

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Steve Gregory

#30325

Cleaning Water Soluble Flux After Touch-up | 31 August, 2004

YAAAAAAAAAA! You guys from Chemtronics are saying that hand cleaning water soluble flux residues are okay? YAAAAAAAA! that's complete MADNESS! Please clarify!

-Steve Gregory-

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