Inline Effluent Filtration for Electronic Substrate Rinse Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning apparatuses struggle to efficiently manage and filter contaminated effluent from electronic substrate cleaning processes, particularly with the increased challenges posed by lead-free soldering processes and smaller substrate designs, leading to inefficient water reuse and disposal issues.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage effluent management and filtration system with a pump, ceramic water filter, and organics filter using UV light to break down organics, coupled with a controller for managing effluent flow and recycling, ensuring efficient filtration and reuse of water within the cleaning apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lead-free soldering processes with higher flux content are used, then soldering quality and reliability are improved, but effluent contamination and cleaning difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful contaminated effluent into a reusable resource by implementing a closed-loop filtration system. The effluent is filtered through particulate filters and organics filters, then returned to the rinse tank for repeated use, transforming waste into a beneficial circulating fluid that reduces water consumption and environmental impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers and reuses effluent that would otherwise be discarded. By implementing filtration stages that remove particulates and organics, the system enables multiple reuse cycles of the same effluent, recovering valuable water and reducing the need for fresh water intake and wastewater disposal.
2Device complexity
If traditional effluent disposal methods are used, then system complexity is minimized, but water waste and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes continuous circulation and reuse of effluent through an automated filtration and return system. The pump continuously draws effluent from the rinse tank, filters it through multiple stages, and returns the cleaned effluent to the tank, creating an ongoing cycle that eliminates water waste without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The effluent management system operates autonomously to manage its own waste stream. The pump, filters, and return mechanism work automatically to filter and recirculate effluent without external intervention, enabling the system to self-manage its water resources and minimize waste.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively recycles nearly all water used in the rinse module, reducing waste and enhancing the cleaning process efficiency by maintaining cleanliness standards while minimizing water discharge.
Implementation Method 1
a first filter in fluid communication with the pump, the first filter being configured to remove larger particles from the effluent
Implementation Method 2
a second filter in fluid communication with the first filter and the rinse tank, the second filter being configured to break down organics matter from the effluent
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning apparatus for cleaning electronic substrates includes a rinse module having a rinse station configured to perform a rinse of electronic substrates and a rinse tank in fluid communication with the rinse station and configured to receive effluent from the rinse station. The cleaning apparatus further includes an effluent management and filtration system in fluid communication with the rinse tank. The effluent management and filtration system includes a pump in fluid communication with the rinse tank, the pump being configured to pump effluent from the rinse tank, a first filter in fluid communication with the pump, the first filter being configured to remove larger particles from the effluent, and a second filter in fluid communication with the first filter and the rinse tank, the second filter being configured to break down organics matter from the effluent.