HIGH-EFFICIENCY, LOW MAINTENANCE FLUX REMOVAL METHOD FOR REFLOW FURNACES

摘要

The accumulation of residual flux in solder reflow furnaces is known to result in product yield losses and maintenance down time. This is a significant industry problem. Various techniques are currently used to trap and remove flux residues from the furnace environment, but the efficiency and maintenance burden of these methods is not optimal. Described in this work, is a novel method of capture which separates flux from the recirculating furnace gas using an aqueous gas/liquid sequestration process. This system operates automatically and does not require production line shut-down for routine maintenance which consists of periodically emptying a small liquid waste container. This method is compatible with both Clean and No-Clean type fluxes. Capture efficiency of different fluxes were tested and will be reported in this study.