More than just surface-clean

Cleaning parts and components is an extremely quality-critical production stage, especially in micro-technology. CO₂ snow-jet cleaning is a dry, environmentally-friendly process which has proved itself over a wide range of applications. Use of the inline-capable snow-jet technology means that reproducibly high cleanliness levels up to the sub-micron range can be achieved.

Whether dealing with microchips, molded interconnect devices (MIDs), or mechanical micro parts and components such as cogwheels, gears, and pumps—cleanliness is key to the success of micro manufacturing. Even the tiniest particles and/or filmy residue can cause malfunctions and product failures. Due to this, a very thorough cleaning process is required. The CO₂ snow-jet cleaning process can be achieved in a reproducible and efficient way. The fine carbon dioxide snow removes both particulate contaminations such as particles, swarf, dust, and filmy residue (e.g. oils, fats, and processing media) from almost all materials.

DRY, RESIDUE-FREE, AND GENTLE
In contrast to CO₂ dry ice jets, CO₂ snow-jet uses liquid carbon dioxide as a medium. It is fed from bottles or tanks and can be stored for an unlimited period, which means separate manufacture and storage of dry ice pellets is no longer necessary. The softness of the fine snow crystals also ensures that sensitive components and fine structures are cleaned without damaging the substrate.

The “heart” of the snow-jet technology is a patented cleaning head designed as a supersonic two-component ring nozzle. As the fluid carbon dioxide exits the nozzle, it expands to form a snow/gas mixture, which forms the core jet. In addition, compressed air is forced in as an air-jacket jet which accelerates the CO₂ snow to supersonic speeds. By combining thermal, mechanical, and sublimation functions an excellent cleaning result is achieved.