Nitrogen is not required for low solids no clean flux. We have been doing this in open air for several years, including surface mount. We have retrofitted one machine with nitrogen (short tunnel) and have one long tunnel. The main benefit has been maintenance and up time from dross reduction. I am not sure if I will even retrofit our remaining machines, although all new machines will have factory installed nitrogen (which is significantly more efficient than retrofits designed by a gas supplier). Our biggest problems with test fixtures and probes were solved with flux application process changes, not by nitrogen. We have almost no false rejects due to flux residues. Most past problems were due to stuck probes (no spring) and/or flux attacking the fixture, not electrical contact failure. [log in to unmask] ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: ASSY: BOUNDARY VS. FULL TUNNEL WAVE SOLDER NITROGEN INERTING Author: [log in to unmask] at internet Date: 8/16/96 12:30 AM DOES ANYONE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN COMPARING INERTING THE WAVE SOLDERING OPERATION ONLY AT THE WAVE AS OPPOSED TO FULL TUNNEL INERTING? CAN YOU GO TO VERY LOW SOLIDS FLUXES (0.5-1.0%) WITH BOUNDARY INERTING OR DO YOU NEED THE FULL TUNNEL? IF YOU CAN GET BY WITH BOUNDARY INERTING: 1. CAN YOU GAIN A BENEFIT BY BEING ABLE TO USE LESS EXPENSIVE, LOW FORCE PROBE, TEST FIXTURES? 2. CAN YOU DECREASE THE FALSE REJECTS IN TEST WHICH ARE DUE TO FLUX RESIDUES? VIC BELDAVS (414) 362-2797 [log in to unmask] *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To unsubscribe from this list at any time, send a message to: * * [log in to unmask] with <subject: unsubscribe> and no text. * *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To unsubscribe from this list at any time, send a message to: * * [log in to unmask] with <subject: unsubscribe> and no text. * ***************************************************************************