BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC has released the B revision of IPC-CH-65, Guidelines for Cleaning of Printed Boards & Assemblies.

With guidance from industry experts, the cleaning guidelines have been completely rewritten and address all facets of cleaning, including material selection, process considerations, equipment selection, and the environmental impact of cleaning.

The 200-page document brings cleaning requirements up to date and combines multiple documents into a single guideline. IPC-CH-65B explains the interactions between materials and processes and outlines the sources and types of contamination found on today's circuit card assemblies.

“Years ago, a large portion of the electronics industry moved from solvent-based cleaning to water-based cleaning. Over the past few years, we have seen another shift to the use of lead-free materials and processes. The combination of these events led to the development of the new guideline," explains Dave Torp, vice president of standards and technology at IPC. With the shift to lead-free solder, "reflow temperatures increased, which has impacted the character of residues that remain on the assemblies."

IPC-CH-65B's developers are continuing to expand the document's focus to address cleaning for rework and repair.

On Aug. 17, IPC will host a 30-minute webinar: "How Clean is Clean Enough? Overview of the IPC-CH-65B Cleaning Handbook." To register, visit https://portal.ipc.org/Events/ViewEventDetail.aspx?code=638e21fc-1cb2-e011-ac66-00155d056826.