Humidity Control for Electronics Manufacturing

Q: Can controlled humidity improve soldering and bonding?

Yes. Optimal humidity ensures that solder pastes and adhesives maintain the correct viscosity, which guarantees precision and safety.

Q: What is the ideal humidity level for ESD protection?

40–60% RH is the ideal range, as it prevents static build-up, protecting electronics from ESD failures. A minimum humidity of 45% RH prevents static charge developing.

Q: Why is humidity control so important in electronics manufacturing?

Controlled humidity reduces electrostatic discharge, stabilizes processes and protects materials. This ensures consistent product quality.

Q: Does additional air humidification reduce dust formation?

Yes. Moisture binds fine particles preventing dust in the air from contaminating and impairing circuits and circuit boards.

Q: Why are dehumidifiers used in electronics manufacturing?

Dehumidifiers protect moisture-sensitive devices (MSDs) from corrosion, condensation and short circuits.

Q: Can humidifiers help to reduce process heat?

Yes. Adiabatic humidifiers provide evaporative cooling to reduce heat load and energy consumption from other cooling technologies.

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Benefits

Condair humidifiers and dehumidifiers ensure ideal humidity in electronics manufacturing, preventing ESD damage, protecting product quality, reducing dust and improving employee health.

Reduce Electrostatics (ESD)

Humidification reduces electrostatic charges and protects sensitive components.

Standardized Soldering

Controlled humidity protects against faulty soldering processes and solder joints.

Moisture Damage Protection (MSD)

Protection of moisture-sensitive components (MSD) during storage and in the manufacturing process.

Humidity Control for Electronics Manufacturing

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Humidification Protects the Electronics Industry

Humidification protects electronic components from electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can cause up to 25% of all malfunctions. A controlled humidity between 40% and 60% relative humidity are optimal, as they increase the conductivity of air and surfaces, thus allowing the static charge to leak to earth and preventing ESD damage.

Optimal humidity also ensures the quality of printing of the PCB, bonding and soldering processes in electronics manufacturing and guarantees reliable test results. If the humidity is too low, for example, the solder paste can dry too quickly, which impairs the strength of the solder joint and jeopardizes the quality of the end product. In addition, optimum air humidity binds dust, improves the indoor climate, increases well-being and protects the health of employees from mucous membrane irritation and infections. Precise humidification therefore makes a significant contribution to process reliability, product quality and health protection.

Dehumidification for Electronic Manufacturing

Condair dehumidifiers also protect sensitive components, circuit boards and machines in the electronics industry from moisture damage. Moisture-sensitive components (MSDs) in particular place special demands on air humidity control. Even slight deviations from the optimum humidity level can lead to internal condensation, corrosion or short circuits.

Dehumidification protects MSDs from these risks and maintains their functionality. In the manufacture of printed circuit boards. The viscosity of the photoresist is crucial for the precise placement of the conductor tracks. Excessive humidity reduces viscosity, thereby affecting the thickness of the applied coating and potentially leading to faulty conductor tracks. In soldering processes, excessive humidity can also reduce the viscosity of the solder paste to such an extent that it flows away from its intended position.

Energy-Efficient Cooling in the Electronics Industry

In the electronics industry, machine waste heat and high process densities generate considerable heat loads that alter the indoor climate and jeopardize process stability. Adiabatic evaporative cooling offers an effective way of cooling production areas efficiently and in an energy-saving manner. Controlled evaporation of water removes heat from the air without sensitive components or materials being affected by direct moisture.

Evaporative cooling improves thermal stability in production rooms and prevents temperature-related quality fluctuations in the processing of solder pastes, photoresists and adhesives. The technology supports a constant ambient temperature, reduces thermal stress and at the same time improves the indoor climate for employees – a benefit for productivity, well-being and health.

Risk of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

Dry air with a relative humidity of less than 45% can lead to electrical charges during physical contact and within machines. Uncontrolled discharges can damage sensitive components.

ESD Protection

At a relative humidity of between 40 and 60%, electrostatic charges can dissipate without causing damage due to the increased conductivity of the air and materials.

Use Cases

Precise humidity control protects against ESD, prevents condensation and ensures an optimal, healthy indoor climate in electronics manufacturing through evaporative cooling.

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Projects and References

Krypton Solutions

Krypton Solutions provides full service product development, rapid prototyping and low/medium volume turn-key contract manufacturing services. They provide innovative solutions to major customers in the semiconductor, medical, defense/security/aerospace, energy, telecommunications and industrial market segments. They are AS9100D, ISO9001:2015, ISO13485:2016 certified and ITAR registered.

Benchmark Electronics

Benchmark Electronics is located in Nashua, New Hampshire. This organization primarily operates in the Printed Circuit Boards business / industry within the Electronic Other Electrical Equipment Components sector. Benchmark Electronics employs approximately 350 people at this branch location. This organization is engaged in manufacturing activities at this facility.

Kimball Electronics

Kimball Electronics is a global, multifaceted manufacturing solutions provider recognized for its reputation of excellence. They are committed to a high-performance culture that values personal and organizational commitment to quality, reliability, value, speed, and ethical behavior. Kimball Electronics provides end-to-end engineering, design and manufacturing solutions, including contract Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS), Diversified Contract Manufacturing Services (DCMS), and Automation, Test Measurement services to customers in the automotive, medical, industrial, and public safety end markets. We deliver award-winning service through our highly integrated global footprint, stringent quality systems, customer relationship management model, and supply chain support.

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Benchmark

Benchmark Electronics Inc is an EMS, ODM, and OEM company based in Angleton, TX in Greater Houston. It provides contract manufacturing services. Benchmark Electronics' customers have included Sun Microsystems, Medtronic, EMC Corporation, iRobot, and Silicon Graphics.

Entrust Datacard

Entrust Datacard provides solutions for financial institutions, retailers other consumer businesses. They empower their customers to create and deliver robust end-user experiences that build loyalty, trust and profitability. With flexible solutions for card issuance, mobile banking, secure online identity and transaction authentication that can be integrated to create powerful omnichannel experiences.

Flex Ltd.

Flex Ltd. (previously known as Flextronics International Ltd. or Flextronics) is an American multinational technological manufacturer. It is the second largest global electronics manufacturing services (EMS), original design manufacturer (ODM) company by revenue, behind only Taiwan's Foxconnto original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Hybrid Design Associates

Since 1980, Hybrid Design Associates and Surface Mount Company (HDA SMC) has been a leader in providing design and contract manufacturing services to customers requiring high reliability, high temperature, and extreme environment electronic and electro-mechanical product solutions.

First Solar Inc

First Solar, Inc. is an American photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer of rigid thin film modules, or solar panels, and a provider of utility-scale PV power plants and supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling.

Space Systems Loral

SSL is the leading provider of geostationary commercial satellites, with experience building and integrating some of the world's most powerful and complex satellites and spacecraft systems. The company has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world and currently has more geostationary commercial capacity on orbit than any other manufacturer.

Avago

Avago's product portfolio serves multiple applications within four primary end markets: wired infrastructure, wireless communications, enterprise storage and industrial others.

Glenair Aerospace

Glenair is a privately-held company whose strengths include ISO 9001 process quality, full-spectrum product lines, fast "turnaround" on quotes and custom orders, unsurpassed sales and technical support in every major market in the world, and the industry's largest standing inventory of commercial and Mil-Spec electrical connector accessories.

Cascade Microtech Inc

Cascade Microtech is a worldwide leader in the design, development and manufacture of advanced wafer probing solutions for the electrical measurement and test of semiconductor integrated circuits and chips.

Zollner Elektronik AG, Zandt (Germany)

Zollner Elektronik AG is Europe's leading EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) service provider with a wide range of services from electronic assemblies to modules and complete systems. A DRAABE in-room humidification system has been in use in production at the Zandt site since 2009.

Bischof+Klein SE & Co. KG, Konzell (Germany)

Less electrostatic charge, a targeted cooling effect, and additional protection against virus transmission are the most important advantages of in-room humidification with high-pressure nozzles for the packaging specialist.