Are all ultrasonic stencil cleaning machines the same?
Yes and no. They are similar in that they all use ultrasonic cavitation as the mechanical scrubbing action. However, some require very high ultrasonic power because of the poor cleaning characteristics of the chemistry used. It has been demonstrated that high power ultrasonics can damage populated PCBs. The cleaning efficiency of 440-R SMT Detergent allows Smart Sonic to use the lowest effective ultrasonic power in the industry, assuring safety when cleaning populated misprints yet effectively cleaning stencils better than any other process. Without the proper chemistry, all ultrasonic stencil cleaners are similar. Some may have a few more “bells and whistles”, some may be better engineered ergonomically or for ease of use, but they all use ultrasonic cavitation as the mechanical scrubbing action.
