How to choose oil-water-free lubricated air compressor for electronic component production
In the global electronic component manufacturing industry, compressed air is a key process medium, and its purity and stability directly affect product yield, equipment life and environmental compliance. Oil-Free Water-Injected Air Compressors have become the core equipment in high-end manufacturing fields such as semiconductors, PCBs, and microelectronic components due to their zero oil pollution risks, high energy efficiency and low maintenance characteristics. Based on international standards (ISO, IEC, SEMI, etc.) and combined with production process requirements, this paper systematically expounds the technical parameter selection logic and the core values of oil-free lubricated air compressors.
1. Why does the production of electronic components require oil-free lubricated air compressors?
The manufacturing of electronic components involves multiple precision processes, and the requirements for compressed air quality far exceed those in general industrial scenarios. The following is an analysis of key process requirements:
1. Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and Welding
- demand: Compressed air must be free of oil, moisture and particulate matter (ISO 8573-1 Class 0).
- risk: Oil vapor can contaminate the solder paste and PCB board, causing false soldering or oxidation; moisture residue causes a short circuit in the circuit.
2. Lithography and etching processes
- demand: Air purity must meet ISO 8573-1 Class 1 particulate matter standard, and oil content ≤0.01 mg/m³.
- risk: Oil mist adheres to the photomask or wafer surface, causing pattern defects and reducing chip yield.
3. Cleaning and drying processes
- demand: The compressed air must be completely dry (dew point ≤-40 ° C, ISO 8573-1 Class 2) and free of oil residue.
- risk: Oil pollution mixed with cleaning agents will contaminate precision parts and cause subsequent packaging failure.
4. Packaging and test environment
- demand: Air cleanliness must comply with IEC61249 – 2 – 21 halogen-free standards.
- risk: Oil is carbonized during high temperature testing, contaminating test probes or packaging materials.
2. Selection criteria for core parameters of oil-water-lubricated air compressors
According to international standards (ISO 1217, ISO 8573 – 1) and production process requirements, the following technical parameters need to be focused on:
| parameter categories | technical standards | description |
|---|---|---|
| pressure range | 0.7 – 1.0 MPa (adjustable) | Adapt to the needs of SMT mounters, pneumatic valves and other equipment, pressure fluctuations need to be ≤ ± 1%(ISO 1217) |
| Flow (FAD) | According to the total equipment air consumption × 1.2 safety factor (m ³/min) | Need to match peak gas demand to avoid process interruptions due to insufficient flow |
| exhaust temperature | ≤ ambient temperature +10 °C (ISO 5389) | High temperatures can accelerate the aging of water lubrication systems and affect stability |
| energy consumption index | Specific power ≤5.5 kW/(m³/min)(ISO 1217 Annex C) | Water lubrication technology reduces energy consumption by reducing friction and complies with IEC 60034-30 energy efficiency standards |
| noise level | ≤75 dB(A)（ISO 2151） | Meets ISO 4871 factory noise control requirements |
| material compatibility | The flow parts are made of 316L stainless steel or titanium alloy (compliant with SEMI F72) | Prevent metal ion pollution and adapt to acidic/alkaline process environments |
| authentication level | ISO 8573-1 Class 0 (oil content), Class 1 (particulate matter), Class 2 (humidity) | Ensure air purity meets semiconductor-grade manufacturing requirements |
3. Potential risks of using oily air compressors
- Reduction in yield: Oil pollution causes a 5 – 15% increase in PCB soldering defects (according to IPC-A-610 standard).
- Shorten equipment life: Oil stains accumulate in precision pneumatic components (such as mounter nozzles), shortening maintenance cycles by 30 – 50%.
- Environmental Protection violation: Oil condensate treatment costs increase and may violate ISO 14001 environmental management system requirements.
- Product reliability risks: The carbonization of oil causes micro-cracks in the chip packaging layer and reduces the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) of the product.
4. Comprehensive benefits of oil-water lubricated air compressors
- Improved yield: Eliminating oil pollution can increase SMT yield by 0.5 – 2%(taking a 100,000-level clean workshop as an example).
- Operational cost optimization：
- Reduced energy consumption by 15 – 25%(water lubrication reduces mechanical loss)
- Reduced maintenance costs by 40%(no need to replace oil filters, oil-gas separators)
- Environmental compliance：
- Wastewater emissions comply with ISO 14044 Life Cycle Assessment requirements
- Zero oil mist emissions and comply with EU RoHS/REACH regulations
- device compatibility: Adapt to the gas source requirements of sensitive equipment such as EUV lithography machines and high-precision dispensing machines.
5. Oil and water lubricated air compressor vs oil air compressor: comparison of key indicators
| comparative dimension | Oil-water lubricated air compressor | oil-lubricated air compressor |
|---|---|---|
| air quality | ISO 8573-1 Class 0 (zero oil content) | Additional multi-stage filtration is needed, and there is still a risk of oil residue ≤0.1 ppm |
| maintenance costs | Reduce annual maintenance costs by 40 – 60% | Oil filter and lubricating oil need to be replaced regularly, which is costly |
| environmental impact | Zero oil pollution, wastewater can be recycled | Oily condensation requires hazardous waste treatment, which is costly and poses a risk of leakage |
| initial investment | High (precision water lubrication system) | low |
| Long-term TCO | Low (energy saving + oil-free maintenance) | High (energy consumption and maintenance superimposed) |
| applicable scenarios | Semiconductor, medical, food grade manufacturing | General industrial scenarios |
VI. Conclusion
When electronic component manufacturers choose oil-free lubricated air compressors, they should strictly refer to the ISO 8573-1 Class 0 standard, combine process flow, pressure requirements and energy efficiency indicators, and give priority to low dew point control, stainless steel overcurrent components and intelligent frequency conversion adjustment. Model. Despite the high initial investment, its advantages in yield improvement, compliance guarantees and full life cycle costs can create significant competitive barriers for companies. In the future, with the popularization of IEC 62443 network security standard in industrial equipment, intelligent oilless air compressors with integrated predictive maintenance (PdM) functions will become standard in the industry.
