Nozzle Manufacturer: How Often Should Nozzles Be Cleaned?

Generally, there is no definite rule on how often nozzles should be cleaned—clean them only when they are contaminated; no cleaning is needed if they remain clean. As we all know, SMT nozzle sizes vary according to the dimensions of the components being placed (with the smallest size available for electronic components currently). Therefore, the smaller the SMT component, the smaller the required nozzle tip (and inner hole), and the higher the precision of nozzles such as the YMHYV100II. Smaller nozzle sizes are more prone to clogging; once the air holes on the nozzle tip become blocked or unsmooth, it will cause a series of issues during placement, such as component loss (throwaway) or misplacement.

The solution is to perform regular cleaning. The recommended cleaning cycle is as follows: clean once a day for nozzles used to place small-sized components, and once every 3 days for those used for larger components. Alternatively, test the vacuum pressure during shift handover before placement—use the vacuum value as the inspection standard. If the vacuum value is normal, the nozzle is clean and no cleaning is required. As is well known, excessive nozzle cleaning is not advisable. Cleaning the nozzle tip requires removing the nozzle from the pick-and-place machine; frequent disassembly and assembly will ultimately affect placement accuracy and may shorten the nozzle's service life, which is counterproductive. Therefore, nozzle manufacturers suggest that the cleaning frequency of nozzle tips should be determined based on specific conditions, preferably tailored to the cleanliness of the production environment. This is the most suitable approach for the normal operation of the equipment—to ensure unobstructed air holes on the nozzle tip while avoiding adverse impacts on the equipment.