What Makes PCB and PCBA Cleaning Essential in Prototype Manufacturing？

Firstly, we need to understand why PCB and PCBA need to be cleaned during the production process.Cleaning PCB and PCBA is to remove soldering residues such as flux, solder paste, dust and grease and other contaminants, which can ensure the electrical reliability (to prevent short-circuiting, leakage, or corrosion), to enhance the long-term stability (to avoid oxidation or moisture absorption), to meet the appearance of the inspection and subsequent process (such as three-proof paint coating) requirements, and to meet the industry environmental and safety standards (e.g., IPC, ISO, etc.). At the same time, PCBs and PCBAs can also comply with industry environmental and safety standards (e.g. IPC, ISO).

The importance of cleaning PCBs and PCBAs

Importance of cleaning PCB and PCBA
*Electrical reliability: Removing residual ionic contaminants (such as flux) can avoid problems such as short circuits, leakage or circuit corrosion, and ensure pcba signal integrity. At the same time, for the long-term stability of the product, cleaning PCB and PCBA can prevent organic residues (such as rosin) from absorbing moisture or oxidation, which can cause circuit aging or insulation performance degradation.
*Appearance and welding quality: Cleaning PCB and PCBA is also convenient for visual inspection or AOI (automatic optical inspection), which can ensure the quality of solder joints.
*Subsequent process requirements: If the customer needs to apply three-proof paint (moisture-proof, mildew-proof, and salt spray-proof), the surface of PCB and PCBA must be cleaned to ensure adhesion.
*Environmental protection and safety: For some special industries (such as medical and automotive electronics), there are mandatory standards for cleanliness internationally (such as IPC-A-610, ISO 14644).

There are three main methods for cleaning PCBs and PCBAs

Chemical cleaning
Solvent cleaning: Use alcohol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), acetone or special cleaning agents (such as aqueous or semi-aqueous solvents).

Ultrasonic cleaning: Use high-frequency vibration with solvent to remove tiny particles, suitable for high-density PCBs. Since some PCBA boards cannot accept shaking, this method is not suitable for cleaning precision products.

Physical cleaning
Spray cleaning: High-pressure spray equipment (such as online cleaning machines) removes stubborn residues.
Manual wiping: Use dust-free cloth to dip in solvent for local cleaning, suitable for small batches or rework.

Environmental protection method
Water-based cleaning: Deionized water + surfactant, suitable for lead-free soldering process.
Plasma cleaning: Remove organic pollutants through ionized gas, suitable for high-precision PCBs.

Things operators need to pay attention to when cleaning PCBs and PCBAs

Material compatibility: Different materials use different cleaning methods to avoid solvent corrosion of components (such as electrolytic capacitors, labels) or substrates (such as flexible PCBs).
Because too high ultrasonic power may damage fragile components (such as crystal oscillators).
Process control: Operators must control the cleaning time and temperature (such as ultrasonic cleaning is usually ≤5 minutes, temperature 40-60℃). Residual cleaning agents need to be rinsed thoroughly (especially after water-based cleaning, they need to be dried).
Safety and environmental protection: Organic solvents need to be ventilated and explosion-proof (such as IPA is flammable), and waste liquids need to be classified and processed.
Standard compliance: The cleanliness of PCBs and PCBAs can be tested through surface insulation resistance (SIR) testing or ion contamination testing (such as IPC-J-STD-001).

PCB and PCBA cleaning in other industries

For automotive and medical-grade PCB/PCBA, cleaning is particularly important. It is not only part of the production process, but also a core link that directly affects safety, reliability and compliance.
  1. Automotive-grade PCB/PCBA: the key to safety and durability
Adaptability to extreme environments: Automotive electronics need to work for a long time under harsh conditions such as high temperature (engine compartment), low temperature (-40℃), vibration, and humidity. Pollutants (such as flux residue) may cause circuit corrosion, short circuit or signal interference, affecting the reliability of key systems (such as ECU, ADAS sensors).
Functional safety requirements: Comply with AEC-Q100 (automotive chip standard), ISO 26262 (functional safety) and other specifications.
Long-term durability: The life of a car is usually more than 10 years. Ion residue will cause electrochemical migration (CAF), resulting in reduced PCB insulation performance and even fire hazards (such as high-voltage battery management systems).
  1. Medical-grade PCB/PCBA
Biosafety: Equipment that comes into direct contact with the human body (such as monitors and implantable devices) must be completely free of toxic residues (such as lead and halogens), otherwise it may cause tissue inflammation or toxic reactions.

Sterilization compatibility: After cleaning, it must withstand high temperature and high pressure, ethylene oxide or gamma ray sterilization. Residual contaminants may reduce the sterilization effect or release harmful byproducts.

Regulatory compliance: It must meet ISO 13485 (medical device quality management), FDA 21 CFR (US Food and Drug Administration standards), etc.

Conclusion

Cleaning - A key step in creating a high-reliability PCBA prototype

In the process of PCBA manufacturing and prototype development, thorough cleaning is the basis for ensuring the long-term stability and excellent performance of the circuit board. It can effectively remove pollutants such as flux residue and dust, prevent problems such as short circuits, corrosion and signal interference, and let your design perform at its best.

Follow industry standards such as IPC and ISO, and use advanced cleaning processes such as ultrasonic and plasma to not only improve product reliability, but also pave the way for subsequent mass production.

If you are looking for a trusted PCBA prototype partner, HRPCBA will help you turn your ideas into stable and reliable products with its rich industry experience, strict cleaning standards and advanced manufacturing technology.

 

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