The Science Lab
Choosing the Correct Solvent
With how fast the world of cleaning is changing it can sometimes be hard to figure out which cleaning solution is the best for you. The EPA is continuously putting out new information regarding bans, health risks, and the most environmentally safe solutions. When looking at choosing a cleaning process, things like convenience, complexity, and compliance are all important points that you must look at when determining what works best for you.
Solvents are being made even better than ever which allows companies to be more environmentally safe and provide safer conditions. There are several important things to remember when looking at solvents, and why you may choose to use one:
- If the parts are too small, complex, or affected by water.
- If the soil being removed is prohibited in aqueous waste stream disposal or limitations to volume of waste stream is restricted.
- If cleanliness specs are very sensitive.
- Must meet current environmental requirements.
To figure out which solvent would be best for your operation, we recommend answering a series of questions:
- What is the soil(s) being removed?
- What type of cleaning equipment is available??
- What is the size of the part and the production volume?
- Are you looking for an HFE, HFC, or CFC-free solvent?
- What type of supply and production dependability are you needing?
The solvent world is changing and KYZEN is here to help. With all the bans and discontinuations, you don’t want to be left without a cleaning solution. It’s important to research now and find a better long-term solution before you no longer have access to your current solvent. The good news is that there are solvents that KYZEN can provide that are EPA compliant and will work in your existing or updated cleaning equipment. If you would like to learn more about choosing the right solvent click here. If you want to speak directly to a KYZEN Cleaning Expert contact us today!
Facts of Phosphating
Actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin is credited as saying, “Time is my only enemy.” Time is also an enemy of effective metal parts production, especially when the substrate is steel or iron where more time can equal more corrosion and rust.
Phosphate coatings are one way to fight the battle against both time and corrosion. But what exactly are phosphate coatings? And how do they make for an effective preventative cleaning process on parts?
Answers to both are covered in the KYZEN Tech 2 Tech video “What Do You Need to Know about Phosphating?” presented by Jason Schwartz and “Phosphating” from the Ask Dr. Adam series hosted by KYZEN’s Director of Science, Dr. Adam Klett, PhD. While both videos provide detailed overviews of phosphating, here are the basic facts:
- Iron Phosphating is a type of passivation. The phosphoric acid in a wash bath and iron extracted from the surface of the part being cleaned are combined creating an iron phosphate that is redeposited onto the surface of the part as a thin, protective layer.
- Phosphating helps protect the part from environmental resistance, can provide lubrication, and helps adhesion, especially in powder coating or painting.
- The reason and method of phosphating is dependent upon the end goal for the part, so it can occur as part of a spray-in-air or immersion process. For example, iron phosphating is typically done in 4-5 stages in a monorail system, beginning with a wash phase. The selection of the specific coating, whether manganese, iron or zinc-based, is also dependent on the end goal for the part.
- Flash rusting can be an issue in the monorail spray cleaning systems used by manufacturers but can easily be remedied by treating the parts with a sodium nitrite rust inhibitor that not only helps prevent rusting but also helps speed up the phosphating process.
If you’re fighting time via rust on metal parts, phosphating may be an effective method to prevent corrosion and protect those parts in the long run. For the full videos, click here to watch “What Do You Need to Know About Phosphating?” and here to watch “Ask Dr. Adam: Phosphating.”
The Care Corner
Scott Cain –Segment Specialist Advanced Packaging North America/Europe
Scott Cain joined KYZEN as Western Regional Manager in July 2019, bringing with him more than a decade of experience serving customers in the electronics assembly industry. In February 2024, KYZEN proudly named Scott as Advanced Packaging Key Account Manager – North America/Europe.
Within this new role, Scott utilizes his years of expertise to work with advanced packaging/semiconductor manufacturers to resolve the cleaning challenges arising in their production processes.
Expressing his excitement regarding his added responsibilities, Scott said, “The combination of our outstanding technical team creating new products to meet the demands of advanced packaging customers and the ‘KYZEN way’ those customers experience when entrusting us as a supplier will make for a winning partnership for everyone involved.”
Scott often collaborates with Jason Chan, KYZEN Global Product Line Manager-Semiconductor. Their work has been published as technical articles as well as technical papers.These works have been presented internationally at conferences and forums.
In addition to several KYZEN Tech 2 Tech presentations he has served on several boards, at both the regional and national levels, within SMTA. Prior to joining KYZEN, Scott served as Global Sales Manager for Aqueous Technologies in addition to working with Bishop-Wisecarver and InsulFab PCB tooling.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Furman University. He and his wife Gwen call Napa, California home with their koi pond and a cat named Uekie in honor of Milwaukee Brewers radio announcer Bob Uecker. Scott and Gwen spend their free time traveling, attending concerts, and watching baseball games.
Don’t hesitate to contact Scott with any of your cleaning questions.
Jeff Deering – Regional Manager – Pacific Northwest
Jeff Deering joined KYZEN in the first quarter of 2024 and is currently serving as Regional Manager for the Pacific Northwest. He attended Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY where he majored in Engineering and Management. He grew up in Rome, NY where his parents still live today in his childhood home! Jeff has an older sister who lives in Rhode Island with her two sons and husband…he likes to think of himself as the fun uncle! His oldest nephew just enrolled at the University of Denver which means he will get to stop in to check on him while traveling!
As a child, Jeff was heavily involved in Taekwondo as well as community theatre. In high school, he played soccer, ran track & field, and tennis for Rome Free Academy…and was the annual Ping-Pong Champion. As an adult, he has been volunteering on the Board of Directors of the Portland Rose Festival for 20 years, which is a Non-Profit that helps promote the arts, education and floral heritage of the City of Roses! Jeff says, “It’s been a wonderful experience that has kept me involved in my community and beyond.”
Some of Jeff’s favorite hobbies include spending time outdoors with friends in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. Most of his 20’s & 30’s was spent skiing mountains out west. He also enjoys playing tennis, ping pong, pool and any sort of “leisure/bar” sport that’s available.
Jeff also has an affinity for all things BBQ…with more than a decade of experience smoking all kinds of creations on his Traeger Smoker. He hopes one of these days he can help contribute something delicious to a KYZEN feast! Jeff says, “I ultimately hope that one day this location will serve as KYZEN by the Sea…when Scott Cain, myself, and any other of our KYZEN family decide to have strategic planning meetings with our feet in the sand!”
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to Jeff!
Industry Associations – The Importance of Joining In
Look at your day today. Is it a light meeting day or one packed with important conversations? Some days feel like there isn’t possibly anymore that we can add, but I am here to convince you why you should be actively participating in the industry associations around you!
No matter what industry you fall into, I can almost guarantee that there is an association for you to join. Joining an association opens you up to so many benefits like, networking, professional development, education, advocacy, and so much more. A role in an association doesn’t have to be a major time-consuming commitment. You can become a member and attend meetings without having to become president!
Some of the associations that KYZEN is actively involved in that we recommend include:
PMA: Our mission is to shape the environment of the metal forming industry, leading innovative member companies toward superior competitiveness and profitability.
SMTA: For electronics engineering and manufacturing professionals seeking to improve processes through best practices and real-world solutions, SMTA offers exclusive access to local and global communities of experts as well as accumulated research and training materials from thousands of companies dedicated to advancing the electronics industry.
IPC: IPC is the global association that helps OEMs, EMS, PCB manufacturers, cable and wire harness manufacturers and electronics industry suppliers build electronics better.
SME: SME is a nonprofit association of professionals, educators and students committed to promoting and supporting the manufacturing industry. SME helps manufacturers innovate, grow and prosper by promoting manufacturing technology, developing a skilled workforce and connecting the manufacturing industry.
PMPA: The PMPA is an international trade association representing the interests of the precision machined products industry.
ATRA: Founded in 1954, the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association (ATRA) is an international trade association for the professional automatic transmission repair industry.
MEMA: MEMA represents the largest manufacturing sector in the United States — the vehicle supplier industry — with more than 4.8 million jobs.
If you have any questions about the above organizations, please reach out to them! At KYZEN we are always looking for new ways to get involved and associations are just the start! If you have any questions for our KYZEN clean team, please contact one of our team members today!
Care Corner – Checked and Double-Checked: KYZEN Compliance with Industry Regulations and Standards
Bragging may not be polite, but what if the bragging is about safety and complying with national and international industry regulations?
KYZEN is “Where Science and Care Converge.” Part of our care is ensuring the cleaning chemistries our science helps produce are:
- Environmentally responsible.
- Clean only what they are designed to clean.
- Protect the people who manufacture and use KYZEN products on a daily basis.
- Do all the above while adhering to national and international industry and government standards and regulations.
In terms of meeting the highest manufacturing standards, in August 2024, KYZEN’s Quality Management System across facilities in the US, Europe, Malaysia and China received an annual certification of compliance with the ISO 9001:2015 quality standard. An ISO certification affirms that all KYZEN products are produced per our standardized and certified procedures and controlled to the highest quality at all four of our manufacturing locations.
Regarding the protection of the people who clean with KYZEN products daily, the GreenScreen certification for cleaners and degreasers has been applied to six KYZEN products used in electronics cleaning. The GreenScreen certification means those products are third-party certified to be free of thousands of chemicals that are considered of high concern and are protective of both workers and environmental health.
With the safety of the global environment in mind, KYZEN products and the manufacturing processes used to produce them, are certified free from Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in accordance with regulations set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montreal Protocol.
But these are just a few of the many examples of the ways in which KYZEN strives to produce the most effective cleaning chemistries while ensuring the safety of their manufacturing and use on a global scale. Click here to learn more about the full range of KYZEN’s compliance and safety certifications.
Where's KYZEN
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