Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545206
46 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2026 The Problem With Cleaning Components and Equipment During the manufacturing process, byproducts are created that must be removed or cleaned up from the products before they can be delivered. Some of the most troublesome byproducts include flux and conformal coating. Also, equipment used in the manufacturing and testing phases of produc- tion requires cleaning to remain functional and accurate, reducing downtime and unnecessary product scrapping. Flux Removal Flux, the surface preparation, deoxidizer, and even a cleaning agent used during the soldering of components to circuit boards, is necessary to ensure products function adequately. Addition- ally, the production equipment used for solder- ing (especially wave soldering equipment) can be notoriously difficult to clean. Solder buildup over time requires thorough cleaning after every production cycle, and hand-cleaning with chemi- cals can be harmful to employees, products, and equipment. Conformal Coating Conformal coatings, such as acrylic, silicone, or polyurethane, are the protective layer applied to finished circuit boards and are necessary to keep electronics safe from the elements and heat. However, overspray on critical components must be removed to restore functionality. Additionally, faulty components that require replacement during QA testing necessitate conformal coating removal. If the coating cannot be successfully removed, the entire board is scrapped, which raises production costs. Automated Testing Equipment The circuit testing process can also get fouled up by leftover soldering flux and other contaminants, rendering probes, pogo pins, and test sockets less accurate when testing functionality. Less accurate testing can lead to more false positives for failure and increased rates of unnecessary product scrapping. How Dry Ice Blasting Works Dry ice blasting is an industrial cleaning solu- tion utilized by multiple industries due to its inherent advantages over traditional cleaning methods, such as abra- sive blasting techniques, hand tool cleaning, and chemical solvents. This technique cleans by accelerating dry ice (i.e., solid carbon dioxide) pellets at high velocity from an applicator device and impacting surfaces, weakening the bonds that anchor contaminants and removing them. Dry ice blasting works through three distinct steps, which we have named ICE: