Visualization and control of the 5-stage automatic flux cleaning system at Nexperia China

Headquartered in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, Nexperia is a global semiconductor manufacturer employing more than 14,000 people in its facilities spread across Europe, Asia, and the United States.

The company is committed to serving diverse markets and customers worldwide. Their focus on developing and producing essential semiconductors speaks to their role in powering various electronic devices and applications, from automotive and industrial systems to mobile devices and consumer electronics.

In 2023, Nexperia implemented a 5-stage automatic flux cleaning system for its assembly and testing facility in the Chinese province of Guangdong. The cleaning system is designed to handle various sizes of lead frame magazines, with a maximum of up to eight magazines per basket. The Motion-H G2 arm design concept can carry loads up to 30 kgs. The system is equipped with a Mitsubishi Electric PLC and the Reliance SCADA/HMI system.

Purpose of the application

The cleaning process is divided into five stages including washing, rinsing, and drying. In the first stage, a dual-frequency ultrasonic cleaner (equipped with an agitator) removes flux residues. It involves using ultrasonic waves at two different frequencies to effectively dislodge and remove flux residues from the surface of the components. The agitator may provide additional mechanical action to assist in the cleaning process. During stages 2 to 4, air bubbling (using an agitator) is used to rinse any remaining chemical residues or particles. Air bubbling helps dislodge and carry away these residues from the surface of the components. Stage 5 includes using a hybrid air-blow system to dry off the lead frame. Once the components are clean, they are dried efficiently. The hybrid air-blow system combines techniques (using heated air and high-pressure air blasts) to quickly and effectively remove water from the lead frame without causing any damage.

The Reliance 4 SCADA/HMI system is used to monitor:

• Process and dripping timers
• States of each piece of equipment (ON/OFF)
• States of the shutter (OPEN/CLOSED)
• Arm basket set
• Servo pulse
• Gas detector
• Loading and unloading states

Examples of visualization windows