Smart Sonic will unveil the EnviroGuard™ 100% Closed-loop Stencil Cleaner at APEX 2008. EnviroGuard is the first and only aqueous stencil cleaner able to clean all types of solder paste with a 100% closed-loop process - wash and rinse! Smart Sonic matched the unique properties of its 440-R® SMT Detergent to a specifically designed filtration/UV system that facilitates 100% closed-looping and zero VOCs of both the wash and rinse solutions. Normal operation requires the filters to be changed only twice annually at a cost of approximately $300 per maintenance cycle. The liquid hazardous waste never exits the system! 99% of the waste solder paste from stencils and misprinted PCBs is captured for easy recycling. The remaining 1% is removed by the EnviroGuard filtration system for a completely contained and environmentally benign cleaning process! Users simply return the spent filters to Smart Sonic for regeneration and reuse. Like a wastewater evaporator, the EnviroGuard filtration system is "zero discharge" but at a fraction of the cost, no venting requirements, much easier maintenance and all water is reused rather than released to atmosphere as vapor. The EnviroGuard 100% Closed-loop Filtration system is also retrofit able to all existing Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaners and will eliminate the need of a wastewater evaporator.

Prior to EnviroGuard, aqueous stencil cleaner systems, claiming to be closed-loop, could only clean water washable solder pastes or only recycle the rinse water. The chemical additives necessary to clean no-clean, RMA and other non water washable solder pastes required periodic changing due to chemical exhaustion or premature filter loading. This resulted in large amounts of liquid hazardous waste disposal. The EnviroGuard 100% Closed-loop Stencil Cleaner eliminates liquid hazardous waste disposal while significantly reducing cleaning chemical consumption.

In 1990, Smart Sonic introduced the original ultrasonic stencil cleaner and the first stencil cleaner to be verified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific parameters of environmental safety, user safety and cleaning efficiency. Continuing its mission to provide the best stencil-cleaning process with zero environmental impact, Smart Sonic will unveil the EnviroGuard line of stencil cleaners at Apex 2008, Booth #1664.

The Multi-tech Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaner technology allows the assembler to select the use of no-rinse chemistries or fresh water rinse chemistries for cleaning SMT stencils, misprinted PCBs, pallets, oven radiators and other related tooling without the purchase of separate capital equipment.

Smart Sonic has designed a unique plumbing and programming network (patent pending) which facilitates the use of no-rinse chemistries or fresh water rinse chemistries in the same machine without significantly increasing the overall cost or size of the machine. Both modes of operation allow for environmentally safe "closed-loop" operation without discharge to drain.

Before the introduction of the Multi-tech Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaner, assemblers selecting a machine to use a 'no-rinse' chemistry were locked-in to using only that chemistry. If the no-rinse chemistry failed to perform in future applications or if VOC emissions became an issue, the purchase of completely different equipment was necessary. The Multi-tech Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaners provide the assembler complete flexibility to use either no-rinse or fresh water rinse technology without additional cost or floor space dedication.

By integrating the necessary equipment and tooling for using both technologies into one machine, the Multi-tech Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaners provide the user with unlimited flexibility in choosing the proper chemistry for the ever-changing cleaning and environmental applications.

440-R SMT Detergent is now available in ready-to-use spray bottles for safe and effective manual cleaning of SMT stencils and related tooling. 440-R SMT Detergent is the most widely used and only stencil-cleaning chemistry verified for specific parameters of environmental safety, user safety and cleaning efficiency by the U.S. EPA's Environmental Technology Verification Program. While ultrasonic technology is the most effective methodology for removing solder paste from SMT stencils, manual cleaning continues to be the most common methodology worldwide.

Stencil cleaning has been identified as the most hazardous process with the greatest potential environmental impact associated with SMT assembly. Flammable and VOC solvents such as alcohol and acetone have been commonly used. Ready-to-use 440-R SMT Detergent replaces these hazardous solvents with a safe water soluble detergent that cleans more effectively to improve print production and eliminates the noxious odors and hazards associated with solvent cleaning.

• The next best thing to using a Smart Sonic stencil cleaner
• Non-Hazardous
• Non-Flammable
• No VOCs
• RoHS Compliant
• Eliminates the hazards and noxious odors of solvent cleaners
• Safe on all metals and plastics
• Economical
• Just spray on and wipe off
• Cleans all types of solder paste & even in the apertures!

440-R SMT Detergent was winner of this year's Global Technology Award for Best Cleaning Material presented at the 2005 Productronica Show in Munich Germany. The Global Technology Award celebrates the very best innovations in the printed circuit assembly and packaging industries.

Stencil cleaning has been identified as the most hazardous process associated with SMT assembly; heavy metal exposure, noxious / flammable chemistries and vapors all pose hazards to the operator. 440-R SMT Detergent eliminates these hazards with a mildly alkaline non-hazardous and environmentally safe aqueous detergent.

440-R SMT Detergent was formulated specifically to clean all types of solder paste from fine-pitch stencils while eliminating the health, safety and environmental hazards of VOC solvents such as alcohol and terpenes and hot corrosive saponifier chemistries commonly used in stencil-cleaning applications.

440-R SMT Detergent is the only cleaning chemistry verified for specific parameters of environmental safety, user safety and cleaning efficiency by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Technology Verification Program yet, when used in a Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaner, it is guaranteed to clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch stencil which is important if the assembler needs to use multiple solder pastes or plans to change solder pastes in the future as 440-R SMT Detergent will support the change and not require a change of chemistry, equipment or waste management protocol.

440-R SMT Detergent effectively cleans all types of solder paste without heat. Stencils are heat-sensitive and most stencil manufacturers recommend their stencils not be exposed to temperatures higher than 43° C (110° F) as the glue that bonds the screen to the frame and metal-etched foil is heat-cured. Hot wash water or hot drying air can breakdown the glue causing detachment, distortion or misregistration of the etched image due to expansion and contraction. 440-R SMT Detergent eliminates these concerns and conserves energy.

Because 440-R SMT Detergent contains no hazardous ingredients or VOCs, the wastewater qualifies for routine liquid evaporation in standard evaporation equipment. The non-hazardous liquid can be evaporated to atmosphere reducing everything back to the original solid solder paste for recycling. When using an evaporator, there's absolutely no liquid hazardous waste for disposal.

Most applications require less than 3 gallons (12 litres) per month at a total cost of less than only $70.00! 440-R SMT Detergent also cleans post solder flux residues from pallets & oven radiators and safely removes wet SMD adhesives from stencils and misprinted PCBs. 440-R SMT Detergent is distributed worldwide by SMT Detergent Corp. from facilities in California and the U.K.

Smart Sonic Corporation of Canoga Park, CA developed the original ultrasonic stencil cleaning process in 1989. During the development phase it was realized that the new ultrasonic process was revolutionary for cleaning stencils, but their initial customers showed reservations about using the system for cleaning misprinted PCBs as the Mil Spec disallowed the use of ultrasonics for cleaning printed circuit boards.

As a result, Smart Sonic designed their ultrasonic stencil cleaning process to clean at very low power density (ultrasonic watts / liter of wash solution) as early research by GEC Marconi and the EMPF Laboratory indicated that lower power density equals higher safety.

Recent studies by GEC Marconi Ltd. ("A Study on the effect of Ultrasonic Cleaning on Component Quality") and the report by William G. Kenyon in the October 2004 issue of SMT magazine ("Why Not Ultrasonic Cleaning") indicate that ultrasonic power densities of 10 watts per liter or less are desirable for the safe cleaning of populated PCBs. Smart Sonic stencil cleaners have always been rated at 10 watts per liter or less yet are still guaranteed to clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch stencil.

Other ultrasonic stencil cleaners have taken the traditional approach of "the more power, the better" (15 - 25 watts per liter) without regard to potential damage caused to populated misprinted PCBs that are often cleaned in other brands of ultrasonic stencil cleaners.

Smart Sonic has been able to successfully clean all types of solder paste at low power densities due to the cleaning efficiency of their proprietary 440-R SMT Detergent and the mechanical efficiency of the ultrasonic transducers used in all Smart Sonic stencil cleaners. Smart Sonic designs their cleaning machines for use with 440-R SMT Detergent and therefore can assure proper cleaning at low power densities. Other stencil cleaners are designed for use with generic cleaning chemistries (some requiring heat) that need higher power densities to compensate for the less efficient cleaning chemistries.

Smart Sonic has more experience with ultrasonic stencil cleaning than all other stencil cleaning companies combined. Smart Sonic, the original ultrasonic stencil cleaning process... and still the best!

For a copy of the October 2004 article by William Kenyon, click here.

Smart Sonic introduces the first Tabletop Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaner! The Model 500 Tabletop Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaner is designed to clean 20-inch (510 mm) stencils, but can also effectively clean 29-inch (740 mm) stencils by simply using two cleaning cycles. The Model 500 will wash and rinse with the same precision and quality as other larger ultrasonic stencil cleaners without the added cost of automated features.

The Model 500 is ideal for the SMT Assembler that is cleaning small stencils or low volume large stencils and desires improved and consistent cleaning of fine-pitch stencil apertures and reduced damage caused by manual cleaning. It can be easily installed into an existing countertop to conserve valuable floor space or may be used as a standalone unit with a footprint of only 21 x 35 inches (534 x 890 mm).

Smart Sonic will demonstrate the Model 500 at APEX 2004 in booth #1385. As with all Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Systems, when using 440-R SMT Detergent, the Model 500 is guaranteed to clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch stencil!

Smart Sonic Corporation (Canoga Park, CA) has developed a unique Defoamer product that allows 440-R SMT Detergent to be used effectively in spray-in-air type stencil cleaner machines. Smart Sonic introduced 440-R SMT Detergent in 1990 for use with ultrasonics, which lead to ultrasonic technology replacing spray-in-air systems as the preferred method for cleaning SMT solder paste stencils. Until now, excessive foaming prohibited the use of 440-R SMT Detergent in spray machines. Smart Sonic's new Defoamer product eliminates the foaming concerns without diminishing cleaning efficiency. A single capful of Smart Sonic's Defoamer is all that is needed each time the chemistry is change for routine maintenance.

The stencil cleaning process has been identified as the most hazardous and with the greatest potential environmental impact of any process associated with SMT assembly. The lead from the solder paste is poisonous. The cleaning chemistries used are often flammable, contain hazardous ingredients, require elevated temperatures and release vapors into the workspace and VOCs into the atmosphere.

Aside from the environmental and safety benefits of no VOCs and no hazardous ingredients, assemblers using spray-in-air stencil-cleaning equipment can now obtain many of the other benefits that heretofore was only available if using 440-R SMT Detergent is ultrasonic cleaning systems such as: 1) Low temperature cleaning that reduces operating cost and protects heat-sensitive stencils, 2) Shorter and more effective cleaning cycles, 3) Elimination of vapors and foul odors, 4) Flexible waste management by either filtration, evaporation or hauling and 5) Elimination of many of the costly permits required for using other less friendly chemistries. Free samples of 440-R SMT Detergent and Defoamer are available by calling toll free: 1(800) 806-440R.

Smart Sonic introduces the first ergonomically designed front-loading ultrasonic stencil cleaner. The new model ErgoSonic Stencil Cleaner combines the cleaning efficiency of ultrasonics with the convenience of front-loading!

The unique design of the ErgoSonic Stencil Cleaner facilitates front-loading of the stencil at a safe and comfortable height and does not require a stencil basket. The ErgoSonic is fully automatic, programmable, compatible with many closed-looped cleaning chemistries and completely self-contained not requiring a drain. The operator simply places the stencil into an empty process chamber and presses the start button. The ultrasonic wash, rinse and optional dry cycle is completed in just minutes. The user never comes in contact with cleaning chemistries, vapors or contaminated waste streams.

Until now, ultrasonic stencil cleaners required the stencil to be immersed vertically into the ultrasonic tank from above the machine. Large 29-inch stencils required the operator to lift the stencil and stencil basket over tall wash tanks, causing a conflict with OSHA safety regulations. Step platforms used to reduce the lifting height often required handicap ramp access and would occupy more floor space than the stencil-cleaning machine. Unconventional lifting, awkward loading platforms, heavy stencil baskets and drain disposal are completely eliminated by the ErgoSonic Stencil Cleaner.

Smart Sonic Corporation (Canoga Park, CA) will make their 440-R^® SMT Detergent available to SMT assemblers wishing to clean solder paste and glue stencils by hand. 440-R SMT Detergent is the most widely used and only stencil cleaning chemistry, as part of the Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Process, to pass Cal/EPA Certification and complete the U.S. EPA's ETV Program*. Until now, Smart Sonic only provided the unique chemistry to customers using Smart Sonic ultrasonic stencil cleaners. Bill Schreiber, President and CEO of Smart Sonic, explains:

"In 1999, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) certified the Smart Sonic stencil cleaning process when using 440-R SMT Detergent. The data was subsequently verified by the U.S. EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program*. Smart Sonic ultrasonic stencil cleaners remain the only stencil cleaners to pass the rigid standards of Cal/EPA and complete the US EPA's ETV Program, therefore we only provided this unique chemistry to users of Smart Sonic equipment. However, with today's economic environment, several smaller companies have indicated that funds for stencil-cleaning equipment, while important, would not be available for the foreseeable future and that stencil cleaning would need to continue manually using hazardous solvents.

While the use of 440-R SMT Detergent alone will not qualify the process under the ETV Program*, users need only concern themselves with the lead from the solder paste. Potential solvent related health and fire hazards and solvent odors are completely eliminated when using 440-R SMT Detergent. If companies are unable to budget for a Smart Sonic ultrasonic stencil cleaner, at least they can help improve their work environment by using a safer and more effective chemistry."

Because 440-R SMT Detergent is a surfactant (wetting agent) and not a saponifier, it is long lasting and safely cleans using cold water. Light brushing with a 10% solution in plain water will easily and safely clean any type of solder paste.

Permali Composites S.A., manufacturer of Durostone^® pallet materials has approved Smart Sonic^® Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaners and 440-R^® SMT Detergent for cleaning flux residues from reflow and wave solder pallets.

Kenny Munro, Product Manager for Durostone solder pallet materials, explains:

It was previously advised not to clean Durostone solder pallets using ultrasonic equipment as it seriously degraded the material and left it susceptible to flux attack, reducing the life-span of the pallets. Two cases had been reported but a manufacturer supplying the PCB industry did not produce the ultrasonic machines used in both instances.

As many end-users were having problems with cleaning and did not have a budget to invest in a dedicated system just for pallets, enquiries were received from customers if they could use the ultrasonic stencil / pallet cleaners available for this purpose.

Tests were carried out in conjunction with a major ultrasonic cleaner manufacturer, Smart Sonic Corporation of Canoga Park, California, U.S.A. A batch of pallets covered in a no-clean flux were submitted to Smart Sonic for cleaning and returned to the customers' production line. Following cleaning of the pallets, no degradation occurred so it was concluded that given the correct equipment and process settings, ultrasonics does not affect Durostone.

The pallets cleaned at Smart Sonic were,

At a frequency of 40 kHz or higher
With an ultrasonic power input of 11 watts per liter or less of wash solution (12-15 watts would be OK)
In a wash cycle of 10 minutes or less

It was finally concluded that the past problems occurred due to the material being subjected to a low frequency, i.e. below 40kHz. The lower the frequency the more aggressive the ultrasonic cavitation.

Ultrasonic cleaning can be compared to manual cleaning.

• Using high frequency / low power ultrasonics is like using a soft brush with little scrubbing force.
• Using low frequency / high power ultrasonics is like using a stiff wire brush with lots of scrubbing force.

However, when employing high frequency / low power ultrasonics, an effective cleaning chemistry must be used to break down the flux contaminants on the pallets. The tests at Smart Sonic were successful using their 440-R SMT Detergent.

Smart Sonic is pleased to announce the new Model 6000-LC, Large Capacity Stencil Cleaner for cleaning stencils used in backplane, motherboard and other large stencil printing applications.

The Standard Model 6000-LC is capable of cleaning stencils up to 30" x 60" (770mm x 1530mm). Stencils as large as 40" x 72" (1020mm x 1830mm) may also be cleaned with minor modifications to the standard design.

The Model 6000-LC uses the basic Model 6000 design, which has been available since 1999 for cleaning stencil sizes up to 29-inches (740mm). The tanks and ultrasonic power are increased to accommodate the larger stencils.

Standard features of the Model 6000-LC include a low profile and adjustable loading height to facilitate easy loading and unloading of large stencils, a touch-screen programmable controller that stores multiple cleaning profiles, ultrasonic technology and a performance guarantee to clean any type of solder paste from any fine-pitch aperture.

Smart Sonic Corporation is pleased to announce StencilScan^™, the first stencil and screen inspection system designed for SMT assembly.

StencilScan is a fully integrated, off-line inspection workstation using a PC Windows based software package integrated with a high-resolution, calibrated, A3 size flatbed scanner. This combination allows inspection of both stencils and screens for accuracy and blockage after cleaning or after fabrication, and the ability to inspect 100% for absence/presence and correct size of apertures, stencil damage, distortion and stretch. StencilScan then automatically steps the user through all discrepancies of the verification results.

With extreme flexibility, StencilScan inputs stencils, screens, silver or diazo film, mylar images, technical drawings, actual PCBs or original hand-taped designs. With these inputs and StencilScan's "check functions" the user is able to verify quality and accuracy of stencils, screens or Gerber files or supply production with required Gerber data. The LMA (Local Micro Alignment) feature allows aperture error detection down to 0.0003" (0.008mm) at 3200 dpi on apertures as small as 0.002" diameter (0.050 mm).

StencilScan improves print yields, quality and accuracy with 100% automatic inspection of stencils and screens for production errors, accuracy, size, stretch, damage, cleanliness and blockage. StencilScan also creates Gerber files and permits fast and accurate comparison of stencils and screens to bare PCBs.

Smart Sonic Corporation is pleased to announce the new Assembly Module upgrade to our StencilScan^™ stencil and board inspection system. For only $3,000.00 the new Assembly Module upgrade integrates a powerful off-line programming, measurement and data creation capability to StencilScan's unique inspection functions.

The Assembly Module improves productivity and saves time and money by replacing cumbersome and complex CAM software packages and inaccurate, time-consuming manual inspection and programming methods with a sophisticated and user friendly Windows^™-based system.

StencilScan's Assembly Module produces assembly programs and process documentation for pick and place, insertion, test, inspection and dispensing machines with automatic centroid extraction. Or, scan components to generate measurement data for component libraries and vision files - no more calipers!

The Assembly Module also allows inspection and measurement of wet solder paste, adhesive and thick film materials. Even small material coverage for micro BGAs, wafer bumps and flip chips are easily imaged.

StencilScan's Assembly Module allows the operator to create stencil fabrication data, compare stencil to PCB, create assembly programs off-line, inspect and measure stencils, components, bare boards, loaded boards, and adhesive/solder paste/thick film deposition all in one user-friendly software package!

The Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Process may have yet another accolade to add to its list of prestigious distinctions. The 440-R SMT Detergent that is used in the process has been nominated to receive the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

President Clinton announced the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge in 1995. The program was established to recognize and promote fundamental and innovative chemical methods that accomplish pollution prevention through source reduction and that have broad applicability in industry.

Smart Sonic's 440-R SMT Detergent is a non-hazardous aqueous detergent designed to replace hazardous solvents used in SMT assembly of printed circuit boards. Previously used solvents included CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) that deplete the earth's protective ozone layer and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as alcohol and terpene-based solvents that contribute to smog production and pose a fire and explosion hazard to the user.

Stencil cleaning has been identified as the most hazardous process with the greatest potential environmental impact associated with printed circuit board assembly. The lead contained in the solder paste to be cleaned from the stencils is poisonous; the chemistries used for cleaning pose concerns for fire, explosion, high alkalinity, fetal disorders, scalding water and CFC / VOC emissions.

Since its introduction, 440-R SMT Detergent, as an integral part of the Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Process, is the only cleaning chemistry to become a Certified Technology of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Verified by the U.S. EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program*.

Industry experts have evaluated 440-R SMT Detergent resulting in two SMT Vision Awards, the Canadian High Technology Award and finalist in the NEPCON West Milton S. Kiver Award for Excellence. The Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Process is used by hundreds of printed circuit board manufacturers such as Motorola, Intel, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Lucent Technologies, Sony, Jabil, Ford, Delco, Flextronics... and is directly responsible for the reduction of millions of pounds of CFC and VOC emissions and the elimination of associated health, fire, explosion and safety hazards inherent to systems using CFC, VOC and low flash point solvents.

In addition, 440-R SMT Detergent is formulated to clean all types of solder paste at ambient temperature, which serves to conserve energy and maintain stencil integrity over chemistries requiring elevated cleaning temperatures.