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too much foam in our Speedline TechnologiesELEOCTROVERT/Aquastorm 200

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#72429

too much foam in our Speedline TechnologiesELEOCTROVERT/Aquastorm 200 | 16 July, 2014

Hi all, we have a Speedline Technologies ELEOCTROVERT/Aquastorm 200. In January we stared supplying it with pre-filterd to the DI cabinet next to machine so our large media would last longer. All was fine for about 4 months and then we started getting high level alarms in the rinse tank and found an excessive amount of foam there. We add anti-foam agents but my question is why was it fine for so long, and now daily alarms due to the foam. I have washed down the zones and the sumps and We have not changed any chemicals in the process(i.e. flux or paste)Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

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#72442

too much foam in our Speedline TechnologiesELEOCTROVERT/Aquastorm 200 | 18 July, 2014

I had the same situation at a facility a few years ago. We moved our wash from one building to another and it was fine for months and then we had the foaming issue similar to yours. We tried everything from adding anti foam agents to even having the flux tested that we were washing off the boards. It turned out to be the plumbing was not going through all the beds. It had been incorrect since the time we moved into the building but it took months for the issue to start up. Triple check your plumbing. That seems like the only thing you've changed as well.

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#72443

too much foam in our Speedline TechnologiesELEOCTROVERT/Aquastorm 200 | 18 July, 2014

The presence of agitation at an air / solution interface and a foaming agent causes foaming. Most water soluble fluxes contain surficants. Surficants are foaming agents. First, it's likely this foaming is caused by poor control of the temperature of the rinse water. Even a drop of 5*C may instigate massive foaming. Contact your flux supplier for a recommended temperature. In the meantime, I suggest a 50*C control point. Next, as boards are cleaned, it forms water soluble soaps in the wash solution. These soaps appear as foam. This foaming may be suppressed, but only in moderation. If the soap concentration becomes too high, rinsing becomes difficult. In that case, excessive foaming is a useful warning to change the wash solution.

BR ... davef

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