The Science Lab
A Case for Stencil Cleaning: KYZEN E5631J Sees Successes
Beyond producing award-winning electronics cleaning solutions, KYZEN takes pride in sharing the knowledge gained from our chemistries’ real-world applications. Case studies are one way we share that knowledge, with the hope that they will serve as a technical resource for those currently utilizing or considering KYZEN chemistry options.
KYZEN has recently completed a number of case studies based on technical application reports from cleaning evaluations conducted in the facilities of electronic assembly manufacturers in Mexico. Each case study showcases an instance where the stencil cleaning chemistry KYZEN E5631J improved cleaning for the manufacturers, each with their own unique application, printer equipment and variety of processes.
Though the manufacturers and their end products are kept anonymous, these case studies provide powerful proof regarding the cleaning capabilities of KYZEN E5631J. Selected highlights of the findings in these case studies include the following:
Print increases without defects:
– Contract Manufacturer with 5 SMT lines: After six hours of running boards, 498 boards were printed without defects.
– Contract Manufacturer with evaluation on one line: After one hour with 77 boards run using E5631J, zero defects were detected.
– Global EMS Provider with 12 SMT lines: Defects fell from 24 to 2 per production cycle while overall production yields increased from 98.77% to 99.93%.
– Manufacturer experiencing solder paste insufficiencies in IC and LED components on boards: After implementing KYZEN E5631J and running several boards, the solder paste insufficiencies in IC and LED components were no longer observed in the manufacturer’s printer.
Process Improvements:
– Contract Manufacturer with evaluation on one production line: By implementing KYZEN E5631J on their printer and in their offline stencil washer, the customer was able to eliminate the extra step of hand wiping stencils with IPA before returning to service.
– Contract Manufacturer with 5 SMT lines: KYZEN recommended to the contract manufacturer that machines could be further optimized by changing to a higher quality printer wipe paper and changing current delivery system speeds of the paper itself.
– Company that designs and manufactures advanced analytical and test instruments: With the implementation of KYZEN E5631J in the manufacturer’s process, one sequence was eliminated from the cleaning cycle going from WET-DRY-DRY-DRY to WET-DRY-DRY.
– In most evaluations, KYZEN advised manufacturers against recycling wipe paper in their process to avoid transferring solder residues to boards at a higher rate.
For more examples of real-world cleaning applications of KYZEN’s cleaning chemistries, visit our Technical Resources E-Library at KYZEN.com or click here to contact KYZEN to request a case study that reflects your cleaning challenges.
Dendrites, Tin Whiskers, Failures…Oh My! Avoiding ECM Scares
As Halloween approaches and the nights grow longer, it’s not just ghosts and ghouls that haunt the shadows. In the mysterious world of electronics, a sneaky specter lurks beneath the surface…Electrochemical Migration (ECM). This spooky phenomenon is the invisible force behind many malfunctioning devices. It involves the movement of metal ions between anode and cathode, influenced by humidity and ionic contamination. It is not just ECM you should be afraid of, but it also has friends called dendritic growth, parasitic leakage, and tin whiskers. Just like gremlins, these tiny structures can cause big trouble if you’re not careful!
The horror can start with dendritic growth! These tree-like branches appear when moisture is present between biased traces, creating a dendrite. The growth can create a path that results in a short circuit. These short circuits are nothing to take lightly; they can lead to a series of unfortunate events like temporary malfunctions, permanent failures, overheating, and even runaway thermal events.
But wait, the horrors don’t stop there! Enter tin whiskers, the eerie little cousins of dendrites. These thin, rod-like structures can spring up from solder joints. At first glance, they might be mistaken for dendrites, but these sinister whiskers emerge not from moisture, but from the internal stress of cooling solder. This phenomenon can lead to unexpected electrical shorts. Both dendrites and tin whiskers are like mischievous spirits, capable of wreaking havoc on unsuspecting circuit boards.
As we enter deeper into the haunted house of PCB boards, watch your step. You may find the unwanted current, known as parasitic leakage. This current may appear when electricity flows through incorrect paths in a circuit, even when devices are off or in low-power mode, leaving a trail of chaos in its wake. It can conjure a “noise” in measurements, awakening spirits of increased power consumption, component malfunctions, and phantom battery drainage. This chain reaction can lead to faulty components, degraded insulation, dirt, moisture, or design flaws. It threatens to drain your battery life, diminish efficiency, and may even spell potential failure on your beloved devices.
So, how can you protect your devices from these electronic nightmares?
A clean board is your best ally in the fight against these lurking dangers. Contaminated circuit boards can hinder the adhesion of conformal coatings, which are essential for protection against the humidity that feeds these monsters. By ensuring your boards are clean, you can reduce the risk of failures and improve the effectiveness of protective coatings.
So, this Halloween, when you’re having a PCB party and an uninvited guest appears at the door. You don’t have to call Ghostbusters or Mystery Incorporated, but you can call KYZEN! We have the solution to the horrors of electrochemical migration and its minions. Happy Halloween, and may your devices remain ghost-free!
The Care Corner
Logistics and Shipping Teams Make Transparoting KYZEN Chemistries a Breeze
KYZEN chemistries and process control products are known for their reliability and environmental responsibility. While those products take center stage in KYZEN’s work ensuring cleaning processes are effective and safe, they also undergo a significant journey before reaching their destination with KYZEN customers. The stewards of that journey are the dedicated individuals who comprise KYZEN’s shipping and logistics teams across the globe. They appropriately referred to as the “Blue Drum Team”!
“When a customer places an order,” explains KYZEN US operations manager John Garvin, “our excellent logistics and shipping team ensures all labels and safety data sheets, as well as regulatory items such as commercial invoices for international shipments and Bill of Ladings for the trucking companies, are properly affixed to the Blue Drum ordered.”
KYZEN’s Blue Drum Teams are managed by John Garvin in the US, Vincent Lim in Asia, and Tim Van Eenaeme in Europe. Together, they lead shipping and logistics teams with more than two dozen members across three continents.
Garvin manages the KYZEN US team at KYZEN’s Nashville Headquarters, which includes Global Logistics Manager LeAnne Langston, Assistant Operations Manager Quintin Roman, and Nashville Logistics Manager Samantha Dallas.
KYZEN’s Malaysia and China teams are led by Operations Manager Vincent Lim and Sean Huang, respectively, with Nick Goh serving as Assistant Operations Manager in Penang. Kent Gu serves as the Warehouse and Logistics Lead in China while Melody Zheng serves as Customer Specialist. They also receive assistance from Quality and Compliance Specialist Dana Wang, who works to resolve any challenges that arise in product quality and compliance with customs regulations. KYZEN’s Penang operations are supported by Logistics Specialist Esther Yeong and Customer Service Specialist Eva Leong.
KYZEN’s European operations team in Aalter, Belgium, is led by Tim Van Eenaeme, a jack-of-all-trades who also heads up the EU applications lab.
The hard-working members of KYZEN’s Blue Drum Team complete much of the groundwork. They produce, package, inventory, and prepare KYZEN chemistries for shipping worldwide.
The collective shipping and logistics team, paired with the customer service specialists devoted to guaranteeing all needs of KYZEN customers are met, navigates the challenges of making sure KYZEN chemistries reach their destinations on time across the globe. Regardless of the shipment size, and in the face of ever-changing international regulations that vary by country, the global Blue Drum Team takes pride in getting the job done well. While KYZEN’s award-winning chemistries are what they are known for, the KYZEN shipping and logistics teams are the unsung heroes responsible for getting those chemistries into the machines of our customers.
Beyond Chemicals: Understanding the Process Behind KYZEN’s Applications and Analytical Labs
With more than 35 years of experience, KYZEN does more than sell award-winning chemistries. KYZEN attracts the world’s most highly trained chemists to provide support to our customers worldwide. Our lab supports customer projects with hands-on process development, real-world sample testing, and expert analytical services like bath sample analysis and ion chromatography. Our lab is where science and care truly converge. This is why we are providing tips on getting the best results from our applications and analytical labs.
Tip #1: Real Products, Get Real Results.
– When sending samples, we want to take the time to give you the best. To achieve the best results, send samples for real-world scenarios. We can develop a process for cleaning difficult parts, but by being able to apply those results to real-world challenges, we can help you find the best solution.
Tip #2- Keep It Clean and Simple.
– We’re committed to providing you with the most insightful information possible! To do so, we gather some simple steps to follow for sending in samples. When sending the application lab samples, make sure to wear gloves. For our IC analysis, clean and bagged samples are best. When submitting bath samples, use a clean container, such as an unused water bottle. Alternatively, we sell water bottles for you to send your samples. By following these guidelines, you’ll help our lab team deliver high-quality and precise results.
Tip #3- Details, Details, DETAILS!
– Providing details about all samples is key for us to give you the best results. For bath solutions, the information we find most useful includes the hours of the bath and the target concentration. The main goal of our lab is to provide you with the best analysis possible, and understanding all the details can help us achieve this.
Tip #4- IC, Not I Touch.
– For our IC testing, we want to accurately help you at the start of your process and throughout it. That is why, when sending boards for IC testing, it is best to ensure the boards are untouched, with no writing, bagged, and clean.
By following these tips and best practices when submitting samples to KYZEN, you can significantly enhance the quality of the results and insights we provide. Our commitment to understanding your unique challenges and applying our expertise ensures that we develop effective cleaning processes tailored to your needs. Together, we can achieve optimal solutions.
From Beaker to Blue Drums, How KYZEN Chemistries are Born
An old adage says that champions aren’t born, they are made and KYZEN’s award-winning chemistries are the same. Before they are officially named and introduced to the market, our products must be formulated, tested internally at KYZEN, improved, and beta-tested outside of KYZEN.
The Need
When a customer needs a solution to a cleaning challenge that a current KYZEN chemistry can’t resolve, especially a challenge that other customers may experience, a new chemistry is born. When the cleaning challenge is identified, specifically the soil or contaminant and the substrate that needs to be cleaned, KYZEN’s expert chemists use their knowledge to formulate the correct solution at the appropriate proportions to fit the customer’s process.
In-House Testing and Analysis
After formulation, a new KYZEN chemistry is subjected to rigorous in-house testing in KYZEN’s applications lab at our Nashville headquarters. As a result of this testing, the new chemistry is fine-tuned and improved to do the job it was created to do.
Before a widescale introduction, the new chemistry goes through off-site “Beta” testing, allowing KYZEN’s chemists to see the results the new product produces in a “real-world” environment. Utilizing the feedback from this external testing, the new chemistry can be reformulated, if needed, and improved for introduction into its product line and wider usage.
Introduction to the Customer
Once any necessary adjustments have been made to the formulation of the chemistry and it performs effectively to meet the customer’s cleaning challenge in their process, it’s introduced for broader use.
Introduction to the Market
If the final chemistry solves the cleaning challenge of one customer, KYZEN often finds it will meet the need of others across the globe. When that’s the case, KYZEN give the product an official name in accordance with the product line it is part of (like AQUANOX for electronics or METALNOX for precision metal cleaning), creates documentation to tell customers all about the new chemistry offering, and then KYZEN’s global sales team works to put it into action with new customers who need it.
If you have a cleaning challenge and want more information about KYZEN’s chemistries, click here to contact our team today!
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