about Ultrasonic cleaner

LOLAS

New member
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Location
DHERYNIA, none, Cyprus
I will like to know if i can use a Ultrasonic Cleaner for arcade games boards.Is it safe for the boards that has many ROM,ram,pal ics and crystal Oscillator ?
Can i use any Ultrasonic Cleaner or it has to be special Ultrasonic Cleaner for PCB?And what Khz i have to use 20Khz,40Khz,45Khz?Any special Liquid for PCB?
Any help it will be helpful
 
I wouldn't use one personally. To me it sounds like something that would take a marginally cracked or imperfect solder joint and finish it off.
 
Some places use it... but I wonder where you'd get an ultrasonic cleaner big enough to fit your average gameboard (8.5"x11" up to 11"x17"). The cheap ultrasonic cleaners I've seen are only big enough to fit some jewelry.
 
If you're using a cleaner that requires the work to be bathed in liquid, suck it up, take any batteries off the board, and stick it in the frickin' dishwasher already.

Really though, I smack my boards around with canned air and then finish them off with a dusting from a clean paintbrush. I don't have the balls to use any liquids in cleaning electronics.
 
If you're using a cleaner that requires the work to be bathed in liquid, suck it up, take any batteries off the board, and stick it in the frickin' dishwasher already.
Nothing wrong with a dishwasher, we use one at work, but it's not really comparable. An ultrasonic cleaner is supposed to do a way, way better job cleaning items. Dishwasher is not going to remove flux. From what I've read an ultrasonic cleaner probably would.
 
Strikes me as a very bad idea, would think the chances of fracturing the insanely fine wires inside chips would be fairly high.

inside-a-chip_5105_c.jpg
 
That is an awesome pic Womble. It looks like my eye when I've been starring at a board just trying to read the IC chip numbers.
 
So what is the best way to clean this arcade games boards ?
Ultrasonic cleaner is not a good ideal,is not safe?
 
We use Ultrasonics at work to clean board without problem. Generally though I just stick them in the dishwasher, or give them a quick wash in the sink with a soft nylon brush and 409, followed by 100% isopropal alcohol rinse
 
I would use one if I had one big enough to fit a board. I'm thinking about getting a jewelry cleaner for IC's.
 
Yeah a small one for those tarnished ic's would be great. A little mixture of TarnX should clean those up in seconds.
 
Back
Top Bottom