Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545206
N O L A N 'S N OT ES 6 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2026 C leaning is an under-appreciated, possibly under-considered step in the PCB assem- bly process. Smaller geometries, combined with increasingly larger bottom-terminated pack- ages for complex components, using ever-smaller pitch sizes, mean that cleaning solutions must drive deeper and rinse out more easily than ever before, and must extract all flux residue and other contaminants. This idea caught my attention during a Profes- sional Development Course at APEX EXPO 2026, where presentations from Mike Bixenman of Magnalytix, Vladimir Sitko of PBT-works, and Adam Klett of KYZEN addressed the challenges BY N O L A N J O H N S O N , I - C O N N ECT 0 07 CLEANING WITH Smaller Geometries