Stencil Cleaning Series – Part 4

Q: How can you save money by using more expensive paper?

A: If you use a more expensive paper and the right engineered chemistry, you will use a lot less paper. It is a huge cost savings, when you are not having to wipe every 3-4 boards.

Q: Can you reuse paper when you get to the end of the roll?

A: Absolutely not. It will cause recontamination, sometimes in the holding tank, or it will cause lump hard solder between the stencil and the board itself.

Q: How does glue-bound paper affect stencil cleaning?

A: This is a cheaper paper that does not have pockets. Glue mainly fills those pockets, so it does not do a satisfactory job of cleaning the stencils.

Q: Does chemistry saturate paper differently than IPA?

A: Absolutely. Each chemical that you are going to use has different densities; in addition to this, if you use expensive or cheap paper, you will have more or less chemical absorption.