Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545206
48 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2026 1. Impact of dry ice pellets creates a kinetic energy effect: Blaster machines use com- pressed air to accelerate the dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds through an insulated hose and out through specially designed nozzles that impact the top layer of contami- nants, weakening their integrity. 2. Cold temperature creates a thermal effect: Dry ice has a resting temperature of -109°F (-78.5°C), and its contact with contaminants causes them to instantly shrink and embrittle to further break the bond. 3. Expansion of carbon dioxide through sub- limation: When dry ice pellets strike the surface, they instantly sublimate, or transform from a solid into a gas; this transformation causes a rapid expansion of the gas to 800x its original volume, causing microscopic ex- plosions that dislodge contaminant particles from surfaces. These steps all occur in milliseconds, using the power of physics to remove contaminants rather than brute force or corrosion. The results of dry ice blasting can be seen instantaneously, leaving behind clean surfaces with no residue or waste. Using the process described above, dry ice blasting can quickly remove flux, conformal coating, and other contami- nants from electronic compo- nents through adjustability of cleaning power and special- ized nozzles. Advanced blast- ers can adjust blast settings on the fly, such as pellet size (3 mm down to 0.3 mm), air pres- sure, and dry ice consumption rate, to find the right balance for cleaning even the most sensitive parts. Smaller pellet sizes at lower pressures can quickly and effectively remove flux and coating from circuit boards and other components, even in hard-to-clean spots. Additionally, precision nozzles can be used to clean only the areas you need so desired coatings are not accidentally removed. Use Cases in Electronics Manufacturing The following are examples of practical use cases for dry ice cleaning in electronics manufacturing: • Remove solder flux from circuit boards and soldering equipment as part of production • Remove conformal coating overspray when needed, particularly in tight areas where failed-component reworks are required to reduce scrap • Remove fouling from automated testing equipment (ATE) such as probes, pogo pins, and test sockets to improve accuracy and reduce scrap • Decontaminate CVD reactors for polysilicon production • Remove contaminants from wafer fabrication equipment, including wafer chambers, depo- sition tools, and polishing tools • Decontaminate plasma-coated surfaces and fixtures to prevent defects from forming in microchips