DISCOVER THE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY'S PREMIER EVENT
SMTA International will be co-located with The Assembly Show - bringing together one of the largest audiences of engineering and manufacturing professionals to the Midwest.
Aqueous Technologies’ Founder and CEO will be teaching a three-and-a-half-hour professional development course at Surface Mount Technology International in Rosemont Illinois. This course is designed to answer one of the most critical questions in electronics assembly: How clean is clean enough? He’ll explore topics including:
The history of cleaning and the rise of no-clean flux.
Electrochemical migration — what it is, why it happens, and how to prevent it.
Beyond ECM — additional reasons why cleaning is vital for reliability.
The role of reflow profiles, harsh environments, and ionic contamination. • Real-world case studies of ECM-related failures.
Equipment and chemical selection best practices.
The “Dirty Dozen” — twelve common mistakes made when cleaning circuit assemblies.
Environmental considerations for today’s processes.
And how to apply IPC J-STD-001J and ROSE testing, not just for compliance, but for effective process monitoring.
Whether you’re an engineer, manager, or quality professional, this course will give you the knowledge to make better cleaning decisions, improve reliability, and avoid costly failures. This professional development course is 3 ½ hours long, so we have ample time to dive deep into the world of cleaning and reliability. I’ll also have time to answer any cleaning related questions you have.
So, don’t miss out, join Mike at SMTAI on October 20th at 8:30 AM. Pre-registration is required to ensure your seat at this very topical course and set your sites on higher reliability. You can register at SMTAI.ORG
Aqueous Technologies’ Founder & CEO will also be presenting:
Spray Pattern Considerations for Cleaning Densely Populated Assemblies With Low Standoff Components
Abstract :
As electronic assemblies become increasingly miniaturized and densely populated, effectively removing post-reflow residues from under low-standoff components presents a growing challenge. Residual ionic contamination—even in trace amounts—can lead to electrochemical migration, reduced performance, and early field failure, making thorough cleaning more critical than ever.
One of the most influential yet often overlooked factors in cleaning effectiveness is the spray pattern produced by cleaning system nozzles. While coherent (non-diffused) nozzles deliver high-impact streams, much of their fluid rebounds upon impact, limiting their ability to reach and clean tight spaces under components. In contrast, diffused spray nozzles generate smaller fluid particles with lower inertia, resulting in better wetting, reduced bounce, and significantly improved fluid penetration in low-clearance environments.
This presentation explores the physics behind spray behavior, the impact of fluid particle size and surface tension, and how spray nozzle selection influences contamination removal. Special emphasis is placed on how diffused nozzles outperform coherent designs—particularly during the rinse cycle when fluid surface tension is highest. Attendees will gain practical insights into optimizing cleaning system performance and ensuring reliability in today’s complex, fine-pitch circuit assemblies.