AJ
Andreas Jahn
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 10:03 PM
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
RS
Randy Scott
Sat, Sep 25, 2010 11:39 PM
A data point: The Fluke 5440B service manual contains a module cleaning description in section 3-11 on page 66 of the PDF. The final note in the section reads:
A satisfactory cleaning method consists of holding the PCAs
under running hot water until they are clean.
Their procedure really has more to due with getting "dirt" off of the boards rather than cleaning off flux residue and other things that affect the circuit performance, but...
Randy.
--- On Sat, 9/25/10, Andreas Jahn Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de wrote:
From: Andreas Jahn Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de
Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" volt-nuts@febo.com
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 5:03 PM
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference
board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering
with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing
procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to
get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a
repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
A data point: The Fluke 5440B service manual contains a module cleaning description in section 3-11 on page 66 of the PDF. The final note in the section reads:
A satisfactory cleaning method consists of holding the PCAs
under running hot water until they are clean.
Their procedure really has more to due with getting "dirt" off of the boards rather than cleaning off flux residue and other things that affect the circuit performance, but...
Randy.
--- On Sat, 9/25/10, Andreas Jahn <Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de> wrote:
> From: Andreas Jahn <Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de>
> Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
> To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts@febo.com>
> Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 5:03 PM
> Hello all,
>
> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference
> board.
>
> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering
> with
> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing
> procedure.
>
> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to
> get rid of the
> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>
> What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a
> repair manual of any precision instrument?
> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>
> best regards
>
> Andreas
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
>
CH
Chuck Harris
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 2:50 AM
Hi Andreas,
In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
alcohol.
After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
boards with compressed air.
When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
a residue.
-Chuck Harris
Andreas Jahn wrote:
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
Hi Andreas,
In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
alcohol.
After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
boards with compressed air.
When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
a residue.
-Chuck Harris
Andreas Jahn wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
>
> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
>
> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>
> What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
> any precision instrument?
> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>
> best regards
>
> Andreas
JF
J. Forster
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 2:53 AM
Acetone will remove the white haze.
-John
===============
Hi Andreas,
In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
alcohol.
After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
boards with compressed air.
When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
a residue.
-Chuck Harris
Andreas Jahn wrote:
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
Acetone will remove the white haze.
-John
===============
> Hi Andreas,
>
> In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
> ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
>
> I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
> One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
> alcohol.
>
> After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
> dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
> mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
> 99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
> boards with compressed air.
>
> When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
> alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
> I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
> alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
> a residue.
>
> -Chuck Harris
>
> Andreas Jahn wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
>>
>> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
>> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
>>
>> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
>> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>>
>> What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
>> any precision instrument?
>> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
>> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>>
>> best regards
>>
>> Andreas
>
> _______________________________________________
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
>
>
GB
Greg Burnett
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 3:53 AM
By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin, leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it improperly in the environment.)
I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to use...
See:
Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of Health & Senior Services)
http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar with any of them?
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Jahn" Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" volt-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin, leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it improperly in the environment.)
I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to use...
See:
Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of Health & Senior Services)
http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar with any of them?
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Jahn" <Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de>
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts@febo.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
_______________________________________________
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
JF
J. Forster
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 4:09 AM
Alpha also sold a "saponifier" used with hot water, Alpha 2001, which
removed rosin very well.
I did not mention it because it's an industrial chemical and comes in 5
gallon pails.
-John
===========
By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I
remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB
manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the
boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were
skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin,
leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always
aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not
to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it
improperly in the environment.)
I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read
about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately
cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to
use...
See:
Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of
Health & Senior Services)
http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar
with any of them?
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Jahn" Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" volt-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
Alpha also sold a "saponifier" used with hot water, Alpha 2001, which
removed rosin very well.
I did not mention it because it's an industrial chemical and comes in 5
gallon pails.
-John
===========
> By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I
> remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB
> manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the
> boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were
> skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin,
> leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always
> aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not
> to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it
> improperly in the environment.)
>
> I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
> http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
>
> Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read
> about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately
> cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to
> use...
>
> See:
> Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of
> Health & Senior Services)
> http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
>
> Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
> http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
>
>
> Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
> http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
> Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar
> with any of them?
>
> Greg
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andreas Jahn" <Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de>
> To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts@febo.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
> Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
>
> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
>
> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>
> What is the best cleaning procedure?
> Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>
> best regards
>
> Andreas
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
> _______________________________________________
> volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to
> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
> and follow the instructions there.
>
>
AS
Alan Scrimgeour
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 6:50 AM
The precision instrument production line where I used to work used old style
fluorocarbon solvent. The cold boards are lowered into vapour above a
boiling tank of solvent so they are washed with pure condensing solvent. The
tank has a water cooled collar to prevent excessive loss of solvent to the
atmosphere. The room has a very powerful extraction system to keep vapour
levels safe to breath. After a while the boards heat up and no further
condensation takes place so the boards are removed and allowed to cool. The
process is repeated several times. The tank has a secondary smaller
compartment which is also heated but doesn't receive the distillate from the
condensing collar. All the solvent from the main tank is transferred to this
secondary tank by hand occasionally to repurify the main tank solvent. The
result is that flux and other crud collects in the secondary tank and boards
are washed only in self condensed very pure solvent with a minimum of impure
spray (from boiling bubbles) mixed in. This was found to be essential for
instrument to give the highest accuracy. Presumably that was down to leakage
at op amp inputs. Less polluting water based board cleaners where tried but
the boards took ages to stabalise afterwards even if baked in ovens.
I don't know if such care is necessary for a reference, but I'd choose to
use it anyway if I could.
Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Forster" jfor@quik.com
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" volt-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 5:09 AM
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Alpha also sold a "saponifier" used with hot water, Alpha 2001, which
removed rosin very well.
I did not mention it because it's an industrial chemical and comes in 5
gallon pails.
-John
===========
By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I
remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB
manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the
boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were
skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin,
leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always
aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not
to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it
improperly in the environment.)
I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read
about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately
cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to
use...
See:
Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of
Health & Senior Services)
http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar
with any of them?
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andreas Jahn" Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" volt-nuts@febo.com
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure?
Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to
https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
The precision instrument production line where I used to work used old style
fluorocarbon solvent. The cold boards are lowered into vapour above a
boiling tank of solvent so they are washed with pure condensing solvent. The
tank has a water cooled collar to prevent excessive loss of solvent to the
atmosphere. The room has a very powerful extraction system to keep vapour
levels safe to breath. After a while the boards heat up and no further
condensation takes place so the boards are removed and allowed to cool. The
process is repeated several times. The tank has a secondary smaller
compartment which is also heated but doesn't receive the distillate from the
condensing collar. All the solvent from the main tank is transferred to this
secondary tank by hand occasionally to repurify the main tank solvent. The
result is that flux and other crud collects in the secondary tank and boards
are washed only in self condensed very pure solvent with a minimum of impure
spray (from boiling bubbles) mixed in. This was found to be essential for
instrument to give the highest accuracy. Presumably that was down to leakage
at op amp inputs. Less polluting water based board cleaners where tried but
the boards took ages to stabalise afterwards even if baked in ovens.
I don't know if such care is necessary for a reference, but I'd choose to
use it anyway if I could.
Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: "J. Forster" <jfor@quik.com>
To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts@febo.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 5:09 AM
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
> Alpha also sold a "saponifier" used with hot water, Alpha 2001, which
> removed rosin very well.
>
> I did not mention it because it's an industrial chemical and comes in 5
> gallon pails.
>
> -John
>
> ===========
>
>
>> By far the most effective board cleaner I ever used was Alpha 564. I
>> remember back in the eighties Alpha 564 was used by major PCB
>> manufacturers as part of their solder bath assembly line processes - the
>> boards were automatically skimmed across a Alpha 564 bath after they were
>> skimmed across the solder bath. The Alpha 564 bath removed all resin,
>> leaving the boards looking factory perfect and new. However I was always
>> aware that Alpha 564 is a hazardous chemical. (So you must be careful not
>> to get it on your hands, nor breath the fumes, nor dispose of it
>> improperly in the environment.)
>>
>> I did find that the Solder Connection, in the UK, still sells Alpha 564:
>> http://www.solderconnection.com/prod_detail.php?product_id=39&PHPSESSID=a8b961ca4cab940fd51e1a1875fe2ce0
>>
>> Although Alpha 564 does a great job of cleaning boards, the more I read
>> about its composition, for safety and health reasons I unfortunately
>> cannot recommend it to most of us in this group. ...just too hazardous to
>> use...
>>
>> See:
>> Tetrachloroethylene Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet (New Jersey Dept. of
>> Health & Senior Services)
>> http://www.newjersey.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1810.pdf
>>
>> Alpha 564 datasheet and Safety are at:
>> http://www.solderconnection.com/specsheets/21427.pdf
>>
>>
>> Current Alpha Board Cleaners are listed at:
>> http://alpha.cooksonelectronics.com/products/cleaners/alpha-cleaners.asp
>> Maybe some of them are highly effective? Anybody in this group familiar
>> with any of them?
>>
>> Greg
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Andreas Jahn" <Andreas_-_Jahn@t-online.de>
>> To: "Discussion of precise voltage measurement" <volt-nuts@febo.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2010 4:03 PM
>> Subject: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
>>
>>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
>>
>> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
>> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
>>
>> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
>> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>>
>> What is the best cleaning procedure?
>> Is there one in a repair manual of any precision instrument?
>> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
>> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>>
>> best regards
>>
>> Andreas
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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S
shalimr9@gmail.com
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 12:04 PM
That's a good process. When compressed air is not available, rinsing the board under the water faucet to remove dirty alcohol before it evaporates works too since alcohol is water soluble (even though the flux is not).
Its good to use both water and alcohol cleaning (in succession) since some contaminants are only soluble in one of the two but not both. However, the most common contaminants like flux and fingerprints will be cleaned with just alcohol.
Didier
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris cfharris@erols.com
Sender: volt-nuts-bounces@febo.com
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:50:11
To: Discussion of precise voltage measurementvolt-nuts@febo.com
Reply-To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement volt-nuts@febo.com
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hi Andreas,
In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
alcohol.
After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
boards with compressed air.
When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
a residue.
-Chuck Harris
Andreas Jahn wrote:
Hello all,
currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
white haze from the denatured alcohol.
What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
any precision instrument?
Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
What are You doing to clean the boards?
best regards
Andreas
That's a good process. When compressed air is not available, rinsing the board under the water faucet to remove dirty alcohol before it evaporates works too since alcohol is water soluble (even though the flux is not).
Its good to use both water and alcohol cleaning (in succession) since some contaminants are only soluble in one of the two but not both. However, the most common contaminants like flux and fingerprints will be cleaned with just alcohol.
Didier
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Harris <cfharris@erols.com>
Sender: volt-nuts-bounces@febo.com
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2010 22:50:11
To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement<volt-nuts@febo.com>
Reply-To: Discussion of precise voltage measurement <volt-nuts@febo.com>
Subject: Re: [volt-nuts] Best cleaning procedure for precision cirquits
Hi Andreas,
In my opinion, 99% (or 91%) isopropyl alcohol is the most
ideal PCB cleaning solvent available to us today.
I keep three bottles of isopropyl alcohol in my shop.
One dirty with rosin, one mostly clean, and one fresh 99%
alcohol.
After I assemble new boards, I soak and scrub them with the
dirty alcohol, then after shaking dry, I wash them with the
mostly clean alcohol, shake dry, and then wash with the fresh
99% alcohol. After shaking the alcohol off, I blow dry the
boards with compressed air.
When I rework a previously built board, I use fresh 99%
alcohol for the first wash and scrub, and for the last rinse.
I always blow dry with compressed air as it blows away the
alcohol rather than letting it evaporate and leave behind
a residue.
-Chuck Harris
Andreas Jahn wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> currently I am soldering my first LTZ1000A reference board.
>
> Up to now I am cleaning my precision boards after soldering with
> denatured alcohol in a pre-washing and a main washing procedure.
>
> After this the last washing stage is with clean water to get rid of the
> white haze from the denatured alcohol.
>
> What is the best cleaning procedure? Is there one in a repair manual of
> any precision instrument?
> Which of the near best procedure can be done at a home?
> What are You doing to clean the boards?
>
> best regards
>
> Andreas
_______________________________________________
volt-nuts mailing list -- volt-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volt-nuts
and follow the instructions there.
CH
Chuck Harris
Sun, Sep 26, 2010 2:22 PM
Vapor degreasing with trichlor was definitely a nice way to clean most
everything, but alas, you can't buy trichlor in bottles bigger than about
8 oz anymore. Sales of bulk quantities has been banned in the US for
over 30 years.
-Chuck Harris
Alan Scrimgeour wrote:
The precision instrument production line where I used to work used old
style fluorocarbon solvent. The cold boards are lowered into vapour
above a boiling tank of solvent so they are washed with pure condensing
solvent. The tank has a water cooled collar to prevent excessive loss of
solvent to the atmosphere. The room has a very powerful extraction
system to keep vapour levels safe to breath. After a while the boards
heat up and no further condensation takes place so the boards are
removed and allowed to cool. The process is repeated several times. The
tank has a secondary smaller compartment which is also heated but
doesn't receive the distillate from the condensing collar. All the
solvent from the main tank is transferred to this secondary tank by hand
occasionally to repurify the main tank solvent. The result is that flux
and other crud collects in the secondary tank and boards are washed only
in self condensed very pure solvent with a minimum of impure spray (from
boiling bubbles) mixed in. This was found to be essential for instrument
to give the highest accuracy. Presumably that was down to leakage at op
amp inputs. Less polluting water based board cleaners where tried but
the boards took ages to stabalise afterwards even if baked in ovens.
I don't know if such care is necessary for a reference, but I'd choose
to use it anyway if I could.
Alan
Vapor degreasing with trichlor was definitely a nice way to clean most
everything, but alas, you can't buy trichlor in bottles bigger than about
8 oz anymore. Sales of bulk quantities has been banned in the US for
over 30 years.
-Chuck Harris
Alan Scrimgeour wrote:
> The precision instrument production line where I used to work used old
> style fluorocarbon solvent. The cold boards are lowered into vapour
> above a boiling tank of solvent so they are washed with pure condensing
> solvent. The tank has a water cooled collar to prevent excessive loss of
> solvent to the atmosphere. The room has a very powerful extraction
> system to keep vapour levels safe to breath. After a while the boards
> heat up and no further condensation takes place so the boards are
> removed and allowed to cool. The process is repeated several times. The
> tank has a secondary smaller compartment which is also heated but
> doesn't receive the distillate from the condensing collar. All the
> solvent from the main tank is transferred to this secondary tank by hand
> occasionally to repurify the main tank solvent. The result is that flux
> and other crud collects in the secondary tank and boards are washed only
> in self condensed very pure solvent with a minimum of impure spray (from
> boiling bubbles) mixed in. This was found to be essential for instrument
> to give the highest accuracy. Presumably that was down to leakage at op
> amp inputs. Less polluting water based board cleaners where tried but
> the boards took ages to stabalise afterwards even if baked in ovens.
> I don't know if such care is necessary for a reference, but I'd choose
> to use it anyway if I could.
>
> Alan
AJ
Andreas Jahn
Mon, Sep 27, 2010 9:21 PM
Hello all,
thanks for the many informations and proposals.
From Your proposals I think the most interesting for my capabilites are:
- the isopropylene alcohol
- and the "Kontakt LR" cleaner
both for the last (3rd?) cleaning stage since the
denatured alcohol is much cheaper.
And I have learned that I should get some aerosol cans with
compressed air for drying the cirquit.
with best regards
Andreas
Hello all,
thanks for the many informations and proposals.
>From Your proposals I think the most interesting for my capabilites are:
- the isopropylene alcohol
- and the "Kontakt LR" cleaner
both for the last (3rd?) cleaning stage since the
denatured alcohol is much cheaper.
And I have learned that I should get some aerosol cans with
compressed air for drying the cirquit.
with best regards
Andreas
