Cleaning Pens

Old identification or QC fault labels can be difficult to remove. They either leave sticky adhesive behind that is insoluble by commonly available solvents like isopropyl alcohol (IPA), or are so dried and baked-on that they won’t budge. While consumer products like Goo Gone or bug-and-tar remover are common to see on workbenches, Chemtronics offers a cleaner that is actually intended for PCB repair called The Mighty Pen®. It contains a fast acting solvent that breaks down dried and sticky adhesives.

Chemtronics offers the CircuitWorks® Conformal Coating Remover Pen that allows you to remove a tight area of coating around a repair area without affecting the rest of the PCB. You first saturate the tip by tapping it lightly on a surface, which opens the valve and releases solvent. Holding the tip down may oversaturate it, which could lead to solvent flowing into unintended areas.