"greasy" PCB's

A

Alexander

Guest
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all this did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you clean the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But I
haven't found one.

Alexander
 
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all this did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you clean the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But I
haven't found one.
Click to expand...
Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen
 
"Jasen Betts" <jasen-b@free.net.nospam.nz> schreef in bericht
news:0prfv2-81h.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But I
haven't found one.

Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen
Click to expand...
Nice suggestion, but not all PCB's can be done in a dishwasher.
Even if I use less agressive tabs.

I have succesfull used a "proffessional" ultrasonic cleaner, but it also
uses water and not all parts like water.
The grease is only on the solderside so I can use cleaners on that site.
 
? Denatured Alcohol ? Flux Remover Sprays ? Etc.
"Alexander" <electricdummy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dg472t$q48$1@news5.zwoll1.ov.home.nl...
"Jasen Betts" <jasen-b@free.net.nospam.nz> schreef in bericht
news:0prfv2-81h.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But
I
haven't found one.

Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen

Nice suggestion, but not all PCB's can be done in a dishwasher.
Even if I use less agressive tabs.

I have succesfull used a "proffessional" ultrasonic cleaner, but it also
uses water and not all parts like water.
The grease is only on the solderside so I can use cleaners on that site.
Click to expand...
 
"Art" <arthurgernberg@comcast.net> schreef in bericht
news:xPydnS3nqfTpLqveRVn-iQ@comcast.com...
? Denatured Alcohol ? Flux Remover Sprays ? Etc.
"Alexander" <electricdummy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dg472t$q48$1@news5.zwoll1.ov.home.nl...

"Jasen Betts" <jasen-b@free.net.nospam.nz> schreef in bericht
news:0prfv2-81h.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all
this did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you
clean the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But
I
haven't found one.

Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen

Nice suggestion, but not all PCB's can be done in a dishwasher.
Even if I use less agressive tabs.

I have succesfull used a "proffessional" ultrasonic cleaner, but it also
uses water and not all parts like water.
The grease is only on the solderside so I can use cleaners on that site.




Tried them all of them need wiping with cloth, or leave stripes.
Click to expand...
 
Years ago I got a can from dick smith that came with a tube like a pen tube
with the ink in it, when i sprayed it on the PCB it disolved the greas and
was heard of no more but the problem with it was that if I sprayed some
types of components they would slightly melt because of the agent and the
cold pressure great stuff though try and ask someone at dick smith. sorry I
dont remember the name


"Alexander" <electricdummy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl...
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's can be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder. But I
haven't found one.

Alexander
Click to expand...
 
There are a couple of things that I am wondering about:

1. How is the "grease getting on the boards in the first place.
2. What kind of "grease" is it.

I had set up a soldering machine some years ago that used peanut oil as a
means of protecting the solder in the reservoir from oxidization. The oil
usually didn't touch the boards, but if it had isopropyl alcohol would have
cleaned it off.

Albert

"Art" <arthurgernberg@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:xPydnS3nqfTpLqveRVn-iQ@comcast.com...
? Denatured Alcohol ? Flux Remover Sprays ? Etc.
"Alexander" <electricdummy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dg472t$q48$1@news5.zwoll1.ov.home.nl...

"Jasen Betts" <jasen-b@free.net.nospam.nz> schreef in bericht
news:0prfv2-81h.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all
this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you
clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's
can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder.
But
I
haven't found one.

Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen

Nice suggestion, but not all PCB's can be done in a dishwasher.
Even if I use less agressive tabs.

I have succesfull used a "proffessional" ultrasonic cleaner, but it also
uses water and not all parts like water.
The grease is only on the solderside so I can use cleaners on that site.
Click to expand...
 
Albert,

You were right about the soldering machine.
I (normally don't use it myself) cleaned the whole machine in the vacation
of out soldering man.
And the problem was gone (for a while).
When it returned I got very angry, we now have antoher person at the
machine.
To prefent the solder from oxidating we use nitrogen, which is won out of
air.
We use it both in wave soldering and reflow and the results of this are very
good.

And yes isopropyl alcohol is our primary mean of cleaning PCB's.

Alexander
"ALBERT C. GOOD JR." <retirement@pa.net> schreef in bericht
news:3ofcf.1571$ZA3.325721@monger.newsread.com...
There are a couple of things that I am wondering about:

1. How is the "grease getting on the boards in the first place.
2. What kind of "grease" is it.

I had set up a soldering machine some years ago that used peanut oil as a
means of protecting the solder in the reservoir from oxidization. The oil
usually didn't touch the boards, but if it had isopropyl alcohol would
have
cleaned it off.

Albert

"Art" <arthurgernberg@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:xPydnS3nqfTpLqveRVn-iQ@comcast.com...
? Denatured Alcohol ? Flux Remover Sprays ? Etc.
"Alexander" <electricdummy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dg472t$q48$1@news5.zwoll1.ov.home.nl...

"Jasen Betts" <jasen-b@free.net.nospam.nz> schreef in bericht
news:0prfv2-81h.ln1@news.compass.net.nz...
In article <dfppcd$b8u$1@news4.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>, Alexander wrote:
I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all
this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you
clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's
can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder.
But
I
haven't found one.

Have you tried a dishwasher ?

most electronic parts store safely at 100C and are in waterproof
encapsulations....

Bye.
Jasen

Nice suggestion, but not all PCB's can be done in a dishwasher.
Even if I use less agressive tabs.

I have succesfull used a "proffessional" ultrasonic cleaner, but it
also
uses water and not all parts like water.
The grease is only on the solderside so I can use cleaners on that
site.
Click to expand...
 
Alexander wrote:

I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but all
this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if you
clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb PCB's
can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in powder.
But
I
haven't found one.
Click to expand...

I gather you want a cleaning fluid, yet say youve tried everything:
either they arent both true, or else youre out of luck.

Re drying cleaners, I guess you could make your own with clay and
solvent. The solvent mobilises the grease, the clay soaks it up, the
solvent dries out, and the clay falls or brushes off.
Clay: use heavyweight cat litter, crushed. Chalk might also work.
Solvent: whatevers working with your particular grease. It might help
if you told us what this grease was like, and where specifically it was
deposited.


Re the dishwashing option, in principle its possible to leave out the
water sensitive parts such as relays, covering their pads by hand, wave
solder, clean, then solder the remaining parts in by hand. I did this
years ago, though I can understand wanting a faster method.

I would first look for the source of the grease. Is it heatsink
compound? Goo from the ends of reeled component wires? How its
distributed on the PCB would give some clues.


NT
 
I agree about finding out what the grease is.

Without knowing and from what you have told me, some one maybe taking
liberties with the process, possibly using a flux such as No-Corrode. That
is a stearite / stearate and not necessarily soluble in solvents such as
alcohol. Also it is not considered appropriate for fine electronic work
since it is somewhat corrosive. In that case the work may come back to
haunt you down the line.

If you wish to discus this further please feel free to contact me via email
to arrange for a phone call.

Albert

<meow2222@care2.com> wrote in message
news:1131709196.472751.48120@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Alexander wrote:

I solder (wave) reguraly some PCB's.
After soldering the PCB's are "greasy".
I have tried brushing this off with a clean ESD-safe brush. but
all
this
did
was putting the grease on another spot off the PCB and leave some
brushstripes.
The same with all PCB-cleaners I have tried, some work well if
you
clean
the
PCB afterwards with some cloth. Unfortunatly not all produceb
PCB's
can
be
cleaned with cloth.

Does anyone have a solution for this problem.

I thought of a cleaner which cleans the PCB and dries up in
powder.
But
I
haven't found one.


I gather you want a cleaning fluid, yet say youve tried everything:
either they arent both true, or else youre out of luck.

Re drying cleaners, I guess you could make your own with clay and
solvent. The solvent mobilises the grease, the clay soaks it up, the
solvent dries out, and the clay falls or brushes off.
Clay: use heavyweight cat litter, crushed. Chalk might also work.
Solvent: whatevers working with your particular grease. It might help
if you told us what this grease was like, and where specifically it was
deposited.


Re the dishwashing option, in principle its possible to leave out the
water sensitive parts such as relays, covering their pads by hand, wave
solder, clean, then solder the remaining parts in by hand. I did this
years ago, though I can understand wanting a faster method.

I would first look for the source of the grease. Is it heatsink
compound? Goo from the ends of reeled component wires? How its
distributed on the PCB would give some clues.


NT
Click to expand...
 
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