About this episode

This episode discusses the evolving standards of cleanliness in electronics manufacturing and the importance of modern cleaning processes.

This is part two of a two-part series.In Part One, we explored how the electronics industry transitioned from a clean-everything approach to one where cleaning became optional. But what happens when the assumptions behind “no-clean” collide with modern electronics design?In this episode of Reliability Matters, Mike Konrad examines how the definition of cleanliness has fundamentally changed.As assemblies became smaller, denser, and increasingly deployed into harsh environments, the industry discovered that historical cleanliness standards were no longer sufficient to predict real-world reliability. Modern low stand-off components like QFNs, BGAs, and CSPs create tight geometries where residues can become trapped and difficult to remove, while thermal cycling and internal condensation can create localized harsh environments inside the product itself.This episode explores:• Why IPC moved away from fixed cleanliness limits• The growing importance of SIR and ROSE testing• Why “cleanliness” is now tied to risk, not a number• How internal condensation can trigger electrochemical migration• Why no-clean flux has become the most commonly cleaned flux type in the industry• The return of…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Konrad

Topics covered

• post-reflow cleaning
• electronics reliability
• cleanliness standards
• modern cleaning technologies
• electrochemical migration
• SIR testing
• no-clean flux

Keywords

• cleanliness
• reliability
• cleaning technologies
• thermal cycling
• internal condensation
• electrochemical migration
• SIR testing
• no-clean flux

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: IPC

Products: QFNs, BGAs, CSPs

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