Zero Ion - Video

StencilWasher - Video

Trident - Video

All About Aqueous Technologies - Video

The Mission of Aqueous Technologies...

StencilWasher Installation Guide - Technical Article

Model StencilWasher LD-CLR-ZD Series Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaning Systems Installation and Utility Requirements. The following information will help you prepare for the installation of the system...

Installation Guide Trident Series - Technical Article

Installation Requirements for Aqueous Technologies' Trident Series Aqueous Automatic Defluxing Systems...

Glassware Cleaners - Technical Article

In the world of defluxing equipment, there are two types of machines. There are defluxing machines that are designed and manufactured from the ground-up to remove flux from post-reflow circuit assemblies and there are modified dishwashers/glassware washers. The question is what is best for your application?...

Cleaning at the Speed of Sound The Ultrasonic Advantage - Technical Article

High pressure spray systems have become the dominant technology when it comes to cleaning post-reflow circuit assemblies. Over the past decade, reliance on immersion cleaning methods utilizing CFC-based solvents have virtually disappeared from the electronic manufacturing industry...

SMT Today's Lin Ramsay Interview - Video

SMT Today's Lin Ramsay interview with Mike Konrad (Aqueous Technologies) APEX 2014...

Productronica 2013 - Video

With the IPC standard for clueing still unchanged since the 1970s Mike Konrad, President, Aqueous Technologies talks us through the industry changes that mean that a single number to define clean is probably not satisfactory...

Productronica 2013 Aqueous: How Clean is Clean? - Video

Michael Konrad of Aqueous sits down to talk about the difficulty of establishing cleaning standards in the industry today, as well as the importance of cleaning "no-clean."...

Mike Konrad, Aqueous Technologies at SMTAI 2013 - Video

Over the last year Aqueous Technologies have presented more than 15 technology days reaching close to 1,000 people educating and informing on cleaning technology. Mike Konrad, Aqueous Technologies' President & CEO sat down with Philip Stoten and explained the strategy along with his views on what's driving the industries cleaning needs...

Aqueous Cleans up With Batch Cleaning Process - Video

For years, batch cleaning was the butt of jokes. But environmental and budgetary concerns have led to batch eclipsing the in-line cleaning process. Aqueous CEO Mike Konrad explains how the batch cleaning equipment they sold in 2012 saved millions of gallons of water, and he discusses the company's popular cleaning workshops....

Zero-Ion G3 Tester - Video

A presentation on the Zero Ion Ionic Contamination Tester...

Technical Advice Foam - User Support

Foam is a common issue in the aqueous cleaning world. Fortunately, it is among the easiest problems to correct. There are several causes for foam. They include equipment parameters, flux selection, chemical selection, and process control...

Clearing SBC Data On A Trident - User Support

Before Clearing the SBD data, it is wise to export the data for future records...

DI Water Generation Options - User Support

DI water generation systems are available from several local sources on a rental basis from companies such as Culligan and US Filter (now Siemens Water). Normally, there are no purchase requirements...

Federal Hazardous Waste Regulations Ion Exchange Resins - User Support

Under the federal regulations, determining whether a material is a hazardous waste is a two-step process. First, determine whether the material meets the definition of "solid waste." If material is not a "solid waste," it cannot be a "hazardous waste." When a material is a "solid waste," a second determination must be made for hazardous character and/or listing...

Changing Pre-drain Filter In Trident - User Support

It is recommended that the pre-drain filter is changed on a monthly basis. Actual replacement interval is greatly dependant upon the actual usage conditions. The following procedure outlines how to change the pre-drain filter in a Trident series machine...

Batch Cleaning Optimization & Effluent Management - Video

Zestron, and Aqueous Technologies are pleased to announce the fifth installment of ZESTRON @cademy's 2013 free-of-charge 10-part cleaning webinar series, "Batch Cleaning Optimization & Effluent Management"...

Mike Konrad, President of Aqueous Technology at APEX 2013 - Video

Mike Konrad, President of Aqueous Technology joins Philip Stoten on the EMSNow studio at APEX 2013 to talk about all things cleaning. They explore the latest trends, particularly in the US and the sustainable approach they take, including a cleaning system in use at the event that has no water or waste connection...

How Clean is Clean - Video

As published cleanliness testing specifications have become obsolete, results from cleanliness testing processes must be interpreted carefully. This presentation reviews the need for cleanliness on circuit assemblies and how to best determine "how clean is clean"...

SMT Feb-2013 Environmentally Responsible Defluxing - Technical Article

Cleaning is on the rise and today it is possible to improve assembly reliability via cleaning-all while maintaining an environmentally-friendly configuration. Michael Konrad explains how...

A Winning Scenario for Cleaned Circuit Assemblies - Technical Article

Much can be learned from 28 years involvement in the electronics assembly cleaning industry. This almost three-decade period can be separated into three distinct periods...

Never to be Featured on "Dirty Jobs" - Video

Like Real Time's Guest Editor Kelly Dack, if you've believed that cleaning board assemblies is as easy as loading a dishwasher and pressing the start button, you've got a lot to learn! Mike Konrad, President and CEO of Aqueous Technologies Corporation, discusses with Kelly how PCB board assemblies are cleaned in ways previously unknown to mankind! Have they coined a new "DF" acronym--DFC? Tune in to find out what DFC means!...

Modern Cleaning Challenges - Video

Kyzen Chief Technology Officer Dr. Mike Bixenman discusses modern challenges in post-reflow cleaning/defluxing applications. Low stand-off heights, increased reflow temperatures, and increased assembly densities contribute to the challenges of cleaning assemblies. Dr. Bixenman discusses cleaning standards and the challenges associated with a lack of clearly defined cleanliness standards...

Best Cleaning Practices - Video

Mike Konrad (Aqueous), Eric Camden (Foresite), Barbara "The Cleaning Lady" Kanegsberg (BFK Solutions) and Umut Tosun (Zestron) weigh in on what best cleaning practices entail, how clean is "clean enough," and just what the cost of cleaning really is...

Cleaning for Reliability Post QFN Rework - Technical Article

Mike Bixenman, Kyzen Corporation and Michael Konrad, Aqueous Technologies Corporation make an argument for removing flux residue under the quad flat pack no lead (QFN) post-rework, and present cleaning process options for meeting this cleaning challenge...

Let's Talk about Trident - Video

The newest in the "Let's Talk About" series. Trident's design criteria is reviewed and Trident's features are presented...

The Rush To Clean No-Clean - Technical Article

The concept of personal hygiene was greatly enhanced by the Romans in 312 BC with the invention and introduction of public baths. This was further enhanced by the end of the second century AD with the introduction of soap, invented by the Greek Physician Galen...

Global SMT Mike Konrad Interview - Technical Article

Mike Konrad is probably one of the best-known faces in the cleaning industry. As president and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, he has steered the company through years of double-digit growth and pioneered a range of batch washers that have become the "industry standard" in many facilities around the world. Trevor Galbraith spoke to Mike about the next milestones for Aqueous Tech...

Trident Spray Pump Rebuild Procedure - Video

Using aSPC Functions - Video

Trident Pump Rebuild Procedure - Video

Trident Chamber Maintenance - Video

Searching aSPC Data - Video

Trident Board Loading Procedure - Video

Changing The Filter - Video

Adjusting The Dosatron - Video

Defluxing Process Roadmap - Technical Article

So, You Need to Clean? A Defluxing Process Roadmap We have witnessed the perfect storm to compel OEMs and contract assemblers to reinstate flux residue removal from circuit assemblies. I have written at length about the forces that combined to mandate a defluxing process...

Ultrasonic Cleaning for Military PWB's - Industry Article

The growth in surface mount technology (SMT) has increasingly brought new post-solder problems into focus. Among these post-solder problems is the issue of printed wiring board (PWB) cleanliness. This issue has gained considerable attention because of limitations imposed on the cleaning process to meet military specifications...

Its all about Rinse - Technical Article

What is the most important aspect of de-fluxing? If I had a nickel for every time someone called their de-fluxing system a "board washer" I would buy my own island! The fact is, "washing" is the easy part. The real test of a machine is its ability to rinse...

StencilWasher Demo - Video

Aqueous Technologies' StencilWasher Series Ultrasonic Stencil Cleaning Systems...

A New Generation in Ionic Contamination Testing - Video

APEX 2012 Roundtable Cleaning Under Low Standoff Components - Video

Cleaning challenges continue to evolve as miniaturisation drives the use of finer pitch components like microBGAs and QFNs with low standoff heights, typically less than 2 mils. This makes cleaning flux residues underneath these components a very difficult task, thereby increasing reliability risks. Adding to this challenge is the use of lead-free solder paste at higher process temperatures as well as newer flux compositions that have been developed with different thermal properties. In some cases, these have led to hard residues being produced which are more difficult to remove...

Aqueous Technologies at APEX IPC Expo 2012 - Video

Trevor Galbraith interviews Michael Konrad, President/CEO of Aqueous Technologies about the new Typhoon inline defluxing machine . The Typhoon has one pre-wash zone, one wash zone, two rinse zones and a rotating air knife in the drying chamber...

Do I Need to Segregate Lead Free - Technical Article

Cross Contamination in Stencil Cleaning Applications Question: Can solder paste redeposit onto my boards if I clean them in a stencil cleaner?...

Cross Contamination in Stencil Cleaning Applications - Technical Article

Separate wash systems for leaded and non-lead boards? We have a aqueous non saponifier wash system. Do we need separate wash systems for leaded boards and non-lead boards?...

Cleanliness Equivalency Value - Technical Article

The benchmark standard for evaluating board cleanliness is the Resistivity of Solvent Extract (R.O.S.E.) test developed in the early 1970's. Over time, several manufacturers developed machines to automate the cleanliness testing procedure...

Trident Learning - Video

"How clean is clean? The Cleaning Debate" at Productronica 2011 - Video

Trevor Galbraith interviews a distinguished panel of cleaning experts on some of the key challenges facing engineers with regard to cleaning equipment and chemistries. Joining him on the panel is Mike Konrad, President/CEO, Aqueous Technologies; Mike Bixenman, Technical Director, Kyzen Corporation and Ralph Hoeckle, Managing Director, Zestron Europe at productronica 2011 in Munich...

An In-Depth Look At Ionic Cleanliness Testing - Industry Article

Testing performed at the Electronics Manufacturing Productivity Facility has shown that as technology advances and printed wiring assembly (PWA) surface areas get smaller, surface residues will become harder to measure accurately...

Value Needed - Technical Article

We've all seen it: that ad on TV depicting a warm, English-speaking smiling face standing behind a stainless steel counter clean enough to be in an operating room...

The Environmental Cost of Green - Technical Article

Being involved in the electronics assembly industry for more than 23 years, specifically in the field of defluxing and cleanliness testing, I have seen my share of environmental regulations. Long before the debate over lead-free alloys, there was the Montreal Protocol...

Aqueous Technology at Productronica 2011 - Video

Trevor Galbraith interviews Michael Konrad, President/CEO of Aqueous Technologies at productronica 2011 in Munich...

Step 8: Cleaning - Technical Article

One must first decide whether or not to clean. Is the flux left on the board after reflow inert? Will reliability be an issue? This article focuses on batch-format cleaning technology and its use to deflux high-reliability applications...

Ultrasonic Advantage - Industry Article

Cleaning is a problem we are all faced with every day in both our personal lives and our professional lives. In its broadest sense it is the removal of undesirable material from a particular place...

Aqueous Technologies, Mike Konrad SMTAI 2011 - Video

Aqueous Technologies President Mike Konrad has been teaching numerous cleaning courses lately. He explains why cleaning was out of fashion for so long, and why a perfect storm has led to a need to clean...

Stencil Cleaning Handbook - Technical Article

IPC-7526 Stencil and Misprinted Board Cleaning Handbook - Back in the "good old days," stencil cleaning was effortless and effective. CFC-based solvents were sprayed or wiped onto a stencil with apertures hundreds of times larger than modern-day components...

Roman Shakespeare and Cleaning - Technical Article

The first Roman baths were built around 312 B.C. Bathing became very popular, and a normal part of society. By the end of the 2nd Century A.D., Greek physician Galen began recommending the use of soap for cleansing and medicinal purposes. Rome fell in 467 A.D., as did personal bathing habits...

Trident... More than a Defluxing System - Video

Aqueous Technologies Trident Defluxing Systems - Video

Predicted Cleanliness Defluxing for High-Yield Applications - Technical Article

The overused phrase, "How clean is clean?" most frequently refers to cleanliness in the past tense. Literally, it would be more accurate to ask "How clean was clean?" In the world of surface mount assembly, cleanliness normally is determined after the cleaning process has been completed...

Aqueous Technologies at IPC APEX Expo 2011 - Video

Michael Konrad for Aqueous Technologies shows off quite a few things at the show, including the #1 attraction at their booth, the Trident XLD, a completely zero-discharge automatic defluxing machine that removes flux from circuit assemblies after reflow...

Improving Reliability One Batch at a Time - Technical Article

The decision to remove flux and other residues from post-reflowed circuit assemblies has been the subject of debate for years. While some assemblers are satisfied with leaving residues on assemblies, growing numbers of others have decided to implement or maintain a post-reflow cleaning program to remove flux from boards...

SMT Stencil Cleaning: A Decision That Could Impact Production - Industry Article

Ultrasonics, coupled with an aqueous detergent process that cleans at below 43°C, may be best suited for fine-pitch SMT screens and stencils. Aqueous detergents clean more effectively than solvents, with little or no environmental impact...

How Clean is Clean? - Technical Article

Over the past several years, post-reflow defluxing of circuit assemblies has gained in popularity. Microminiaturization of components and boards, combined with higher expected reliability and increased product liability, have contributed to the prominence of defluxing...

Michael Konrad Interview - Video

Defluxing Eases 'Sticky Situations' - Technical Article

Using a contract assembler offers several benefits. However, when outsourcing a no-clean process, the challenge for contract assemblers lies with the multiple applications, processes, materials and expatiations that customers set...

The Rush to Clean No-Clean - Video

Defluxing Deja-vu - Technical Article

While the origin of the phrase "may you live in interesting times" is widely disputed, the fact that we indeed live in an interesting time is certainly not. While record bank failures and declines in stock values, only rivaled by the Depression era, wreak havoc on consumer confidence, the economic trickle-down effect translates to reductions in production output and ultimately the consolidation of many industries, including electronic assembly...

Ultrasonic Cleaning Primer - Industry Article

Ultrasonic cleaning depends upon cavitation, the rapid formation and violent collapse of minute bubbles or cavities in a cleaning liquid...

Conventional Wisdom Defluxing Processes and Chemicals - Technical Article

Today, military and other high reliability manufacturers use aqueous-based defluxing methods. Aqueous processes remove all flux types including RMA, No-Clean, and Water Soluble (OA) fluxes. There are no flammability issues associated with the majority of aqueous-based processes...

Clean Matters - Technical Article

In almost every context, clean is good and not clean is bad. In almost every industry, internal components are cleaned before installation. At times, the electronics assembly industry is an exception to the rule...

Dendrite Growth from our colleagues at Foresite - Video

Michael Konrad for Aqueous Technologies shows off quite a few things at the show, including the #1 attraction at their booth, the Trident XLD, a completely zero-discharge automatic defluxing machine that removes flux from circuit assemblies after reflow...

Why Not Ultrasonic Cleaning? - Industry Article

Many assemblers still shy away from using ultrasonic agitation to augment the cleaning power of various cleaning agents...

Advantages of an Automated Stencil Cleaning System - Technical Article

We are frequently asked to quantify the financial advantages of an automated stencil cleaning system over a manual stencil cleaning operation. The fact is, based on time (labor) alone, there are no financial benefits associated with an automated stencil cleaning process...

Approved Cleanliness Testing Methods - Technical Article

Many batch-format aqueous cleaning systems are equipped with a built-in resistivity controller that allows an operator to preset a resistivity level...

Zero-Ion Customer Test - Video

Aqueous Technologies' John Hall operates the Zero-Ion G3 for a customer...

Stencil and Misprint Cleaning and Rinsing - Technical Article

In almost every single application, the removal of contamination from an object consists of three basic steps; Wash - Rinse - Dry. Each stage in the cleaning process provides a vital component to successful contamination removal...

Aqueous Technologies Q&A - Video

Aqueous Technologies' Mike Konrad answers defluxing-related questions...