PCB Washing and Coilcraft PartsCoilcraft products are compatible with a wide range of commercial cleaning systems. Many of our customers use water-based cleaning systems without reporting problems. Because of the large number of variables in cleaning operations (pressure, number of cycles, etc.), Coilcraft does not perform tests using cleaning systems. Solvents may include neutralizers, surfactants, saponifiers, dispersants and anti-foaming agents. For so many possible variations of cleaning agents, it is not practical for Coilcraft to test or to make recommendations. For this reason, we have standardized our testing on pure water and alcohol. Coilcraft tests for resistance to solvents per the following specification:Resistance to solvents Specification Concerns regarding the use of water-soluble flux. Water soluble fluxes can leave weak organic acid (WOA) residues that must be thoroughly removed from all pc board components. All fine wire components, like many inductors, should be considered potentially susceptible. Thorough rinsing and drying is required to remove water-soluble flux residue from all pc board areas, especially irregular component surfaces where contaminants can easily collect. If not removed completely, water-soluble flux residue can cause immediate or latent corrosion. Coilcraft strongly recommends consulting both the solder and water-soluble flux manufacturer for complete application information. For further reference: Kester, Inc. Knowledge Base Article |