The Science Lab
Spring Cleaning Isn’t Just for Your Home
Spring is in the air! The season brings mid-afternoon rain, beautiful flowers, and, most important of all, spring cleaning.
The machines used daily in your home such as an oven or even a coffee maker require routine maintenance and cleaning, not only so they will work properly, but also to provide you with the best end result. This holds true in regard to your reflow ovens, wave solders, and cleaning systems as well. It is crucial to implement strategic and accurate maintenance procedures to ensure that your production line is running and cleaning properly. To put it simply, proper care equals top-notch quality which equals a successful business. Faulty equipment could result in unnecessary cost additions, production mishaps, or pose a threat to customer retention and growth.
When it comes to finding the right cleaning chemistry for your maintenance needs, you can’t settle for just any chemistry. Luckily, we know a thing or two about what fits best with your process. Download our cutsheet below to gain access to more in-depth information and find what works best for you!
Download our Maintenance Cutsheet now!
It’s What’s on the Inside (of Your Cleaning Process) That Matters
You’ve probably heard it before but understanding what goes on inside of your cleaning equipment can be crucial. While it would be nice to simply add cleaning chemistry to your application and let the process run, this could end up costing you in more ways than one in the long run that one. The reality is your cleaning process requires monitoring, measuring, and controlling, especially when it comes to concentration levels. All of this is necessary to ensure the quality and reliability of your final product is not compromised.
There are various reliable manual methods to measure your chemistry concentration levels. For example, split measurement method, titration, and refractive index are three of the most common methods available for a PCB cleaning process. There are also automated methods that will save time and money to measure not only your concentration but monitor and control your wash bath. Finding the right fit for you simply depends on what works best for your cleaning chemistry and process.
Recently, one of KYZEN’s cleaning experts, Luis Fernando Gazcón, gave an overview of these concentration monitoring methods in his Tech 2 Tech session. Go to the Tech 2 Tech website where you can watch the video and also read the accompanying tech article posted. If you have any additional questions or need assistance monitoring your cleaning process, please reach out to your local KYZEN representative!
Download the paper here or Watch Luis Fernando’s Tech 2 Tech event on this topic here
Meet Your Regional Manager
Jack Reinke – Southeast Regional Manager
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Jack currently resides in Atlanta with his wife of 39 years while his three daughters are in various states either working on their education or settled in their careers. He has been with KYZEN for 24 years in April with an additional 12 years at other companies meaning he has over 35 years of experience in the cleaning industry! He states of all the companies he has worked at, KYZEN has been the best company he has ever worked for. Jack graduated from Michigan State University with a science degree in Resource Development/Environmental Science. In his spare time, you can find Jack fishing. He’s actually the Secretary of the SMT Space Coast Chapter and helps coordinate the annual Offshore Fishing Adventure! Some fun facts about Jack: 1) He worked with KYZEN’s Vice President Tom Forsythe before they both worked together at KYZEN. 2) He makes sure to keep in touch with his siblings no matter where they are. 3) He was once addicted to Hooters wings but says his grease tolerance has dropped. Be sure to reach out to Jack if you have any questions! He is more than happy to help.
Will Sweet – Midwest Regional Manager
Originally from Lexington, KY, Will has been with KYZEN for almost three years representing the Ohio Valley area. He received his undergrad degree from Hanover College and graduate degree from the University of Kentucky. In his free time, he enjoys being active outdoors and taking up new hobbies such as golf and pool. He also enjoys watching movies and considers himself a “superhero nerd.” His love for the outdoors does not fall far from the tree! He comes from a very active family and has many memories of his parents hauling him, his brother, and teammates to various sporting events in their minivan. Will actually played in the 12-Year-Old Cal Ripken World Series. He has also been to Disney World 18 times and his favorite food is chocolate chip cookies. His dedication to his customers does not go unnoticed. If you ever have any questions for Will, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Our Lab Is Your Lab
One thing you can count on when operating a production line, is that challenges will present themselves at inopportune times. At KYZEN, we are equipped with experts and tools to help you through those challenges and tend to your process care needs. As our slogan suggests, we truly believe that science and care go hand in hand. We would love to take this opportunity to share and offer the many different lab services that could assist with your product testing and cleaning needs.
Our analytical and application lab services contain many resources that you can utilize to improve your process or determine if there is a potential mishap that needs attention, should you be experiencing inaccurate results or activity. Take a look below at what our labs can offer today so that they may help you tomorrow.
- Analytical Lab Services
- Our services include wash bath analysis and wash bath profiling, FTIR analysis, gas chromatography analysis, Ion Chromatography testing, SIR testing, Millipore testing, scanning electron microscope inspection and SEM/EDS analysis, as well as R.O.S.E testing.
- Atmospheric chamber testing
- During this testing each metal part is checked for rust or corrosion, and electronic circuit boards are checked for failures related to moisture and extreme conditions. This testing option creates tightly controlled, programmable hot/cold and humid atmospheres that may induce corrosion, rust and/or failure for clean parts for any end-use.
- Process development and validation
- We help you develop a cleaning process that fits your floor space, your budget, and your end result requirements. We work with you at no charge to design the best cleaning method, beginning from process development through validation of outcome. This allows you to evaluate solutions without interrupting your production or generating new waste at your site.
- Wash tank conditioning/maintenance
- Delivering the right amount of chemistry at the right time and properly conditioning the wash tank is key. It reduces the cost of ownership while increasing production by providing consistent, reliable performance, and is also good for the environment.
We can also come to you to help with…
- Your Process Start Up
- Ensures you gain the knowledge and training you need to effectively utilize your purchase. Our technically trained salespeople and/or engineers will help you with your initial fill, optimize the process parameters of the machine, show you how to check and maintain the concentration, and remain with you until the first batch of clean parts come off the line
- Perform an On-site Process Audit
- KYZEN’s engineering and field support team will come to your facility and review chemistry usage, rinse water quality, nozzle pressures and alignment, exhaust balancing, amperage draw for motors and blowers and more. If you would prefer an alternative option to our onsite services, we offer a free cleaning process health checkup conference call to deliver specific process improvement recommendations.
Whatever your cleaning process goals are, we are here to help! Please reach out to any of our cleaning experts for more information on how you can take advantage of these services and more. You may also learn more about these services in greater detail here.
Quality: A Prevailing Attitude
Tom Forsythe, Executive VP
KYZEN Corporation Nashville, TN, USA
Quality is personal. Each of us has a personal definition for the meaning of quality. After all, regardless of our profession, every day we encounter food, services, goods and people all of whom we hope are of good quality. Of course, we in the business of making things often have a more focused definition. Does this good or service meet the needs and expectations of a customer who will be willing to pay for it?
30 or so years ago when our company KYZEN was founded, one of the goals was to be a “quality shop.” I don’t think KYZEN was unique in choosing that as one of its goals, some others being survival as well as being a fun place to work were on that list as well. As we went about defining and meeting that “quality shop” standard, we encountered many opportunities and challenges. At first, our thoughts focused on the challenges: quality testing, manufacturing procedures, safety of our supply chain and product development focused on creating products that meet the needs and expectations of our customers.
This strikes me as the norm for most companies pursuing a quality reputation, especially in their early days. The challenge of course is defining the standards of performance and behavior that will be accepted as quality by the marketplace. Once you define quality, how does a company embrace that quality standard? How high should one set the bar for quality: is “good enough” acceptable, or should one aspire for something more?
It is easy to write concepts and goals down on paper. At least it is easier to write them down than to follow through with the actions required for a commitment to quality. What happens when achieving that aspirational standard has a cost, or even more telling what happens when a product or service is OK but, in all honesty not quite good enough. What choice gets made? Ship it or try again? Go to market now, or go back to the lab bench and continue inventing? It is often said quality is about getting the little things right. Colin Powell, a former Secretary of State and Army General here in America said it more eloquently:
“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception; it is a prevailing attitude.”
-Colin Powell
No wonder General Powell has been so successful. Excellence is a prevailing attitude, and most certainly excellence embodies the concept of quality ~ exceptional quality. Looking back over our now 30 plus years in business, I can clearly see where a handful of decisions long ago created the prevailing attitude that set KYZEN on its never-ending journey seeking excellence focused on the convergence of science and care.
One event stands out clearly in my mind as both validating our core self-image, id for the psychology majors in the audience, and for helping us realize that the journey to excellence is not a solitary one but rather the wisdom, effort and care of many, both inside and outside your organization that helps you persevere on the quest.
Back in the 90s, the early 90s, the forward-thinking companies could see the writing on the wall about chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and their imminent demise. They had been used for many things due to their high safety ratings for we the human species. However, we learned that while safe for humans, they were not so good for the ozone layer, which was itself pretty important for humans never mind the rest of the flora and fauna of planet earth. So, the world changed how it did many things, and one of those things was how we accomplished cleaning processes in the industrial, non-consumer part of the global economy.
To read the full article, click here.
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