445 Water Based, 2.0% Solids

BOW ELECTRONIC SOLDER
TECHNICAL BULLETIN
BOW #445
VOC-FREE, NO CLEAN FLUX

Description :

BOW #445 VOC-Free, No-Clean flux is a halide-free, rosin-free, no-residue flux specifically developed for spray fluxing in wave soldering applications for surface mount, mixed technology, and through-hole electronics assembly. BOW #445 is a water-based, non-flammable formulation that eliminates the need for special storage requirements, while dramatically reducing VOC emissions from plants engaged in wave soldering.

Benefits :

VOC-Free, water-based formulation.
Excellent wetting characteristics on HASL or OSP printed circuit boards (PCBs).
No residue formulation eliminates post-solder cleaning of boards.
Will work in any type of spray fluxer.
Increased activity level.
Conforms to IPC ANSI-J-STD-004, Type ORL0.

Process Recommendations :

WAVE SOLDERING

BOW #445 VOC-Free, No-Clean flux is formulated for spray fluxing application in a wave soldering system. The optimum topside PCB preheat temperature recommendation is 200-240°F/93-115°C. Too low a preheat setting is indicated by post-solder residues on PCBs that look like water stains.

The following items are critical when setting the conveyor speeds for VOC-Free fluxes:

Conveyor speed and preheat settings should be adjusted to ensure complete
water removal from the PCBs before contact is made with the solder wave.

In most machines, a conveyor speed of 4-6 ft./min is acceptable, where the
     preheat section is a 4 ft. minimum. However, conveyor settings must be
     established by operators to meet the process needs of PCBs requiring special
     attention.

The following procedures are recommended for optimum performance.

Make certain that the PCB surfaces are free of any oil, grease, or other
impurities.

Replace the flux daily unless it is in a sealed, self-contained system.

Regularly clean the fluxing equipment.