Kathie,

We are also a low volume high mix production facility.  We have our cleaners
set up at the end of our lines with a conveyor and sensors in between to
assure adequate spacing and cooling times.  Our cycle time through the line
is a bit longer than yours as we do many very large complex boards, but we
have had no problems here with that set-up.

Good Luck.

Nick Ghareeb
Manufacturing Engineering
CCA Center of Excellence
Raytheon A/MDS
Andover, MA


>From: "Lambert, Katherine A." <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "TechNet E-Mail Forum." <[log in to unmask]>,   "Lambert, Katherine
>A." <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [TN] Where's your cleaning equipment?
>Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 09:11:08 -0500
>
>Hi folks,
>
>We are in the process of rethinking the configuration of our automated
>lines.  Currently, after reflow, boards are loaded into magazines and onto
>carts and transported to the cleaning room, which houses our cleaning
>equipment including an in-line cleaner.  Although no one wants to admit it,
>it may be several hours or several days before the boards get cleaned (big
>shudder).  Several of us are giving thought to putting small footprint
>in-line cleaners at the end of the reflow ovens.  We are fairly small
>volume, but high mix house.  On a good day, boards come out of the reflow
>ovens once every 2-3 minutes.  We know that there are some technical issues
>to resolve - making sure boards aren't too hot going into the cleaner,
>aligning them after cleaning & before the magazine loader, etc.
>
>The questions I have are:
>1.  Does anyone out there actually have this sort of cleaning configuration
>& how has it worked?
>2.  Is this totally crazy?
>3.  Is there anything else I need to consider (other than the safety &
>industrial hygiene sorts of things)?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Kathie Lambert
>SMT Process Engineer
>Northrop Grumman
>Baltimore, MD
>
>
>






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