At Motek, CEC Chairman Ralf Nerling had the impression that the topic of TecSa is a "nuisance", as taking VDA 19.2 into account in assembly technology only causes additional costs. VDA 19.2, the standard work for technical cleanliness, contains recommendations for maintaining component cleanliness during the assembly of sensitive assemblies. Component cleanliness was the central topic at the parts2clean (p2c) trade fair. In cooperation with the trade fair organizer Deutsche Messe, the CEC had a large process stand with the entire

process of component cleanliness and its quality assurance. Members of the CEC created two mind maps, "Cleaning" and "Testing", which were met with remarkable interest - this system can be downloaded from http://www.cec-leonberg.de.

The process stand was divided into three sectors: 1. deburring and cleaning including process chemistry, 2. logistics with transport and storage including airlock systems to the cleanliness laboratory and 3. testing of component cleanliness and the associated equipment such as particle extraction, filter drying, gravimetry, light-optical analysis - all in the ISO7 cleanroom.

Discussions with visitors and exhibitors revealed that points 1 and 3 are handled intensively and successfully. Point 2 was identified by everyone as a weak point in the entire cleanliness chain - i.e. the distance between the end of the cleaning process and the further use of the hopefully still clean component.

Why is it so difficult to integrate the technologically less demanding area of "logistics" to the necessary extent? A great deal of effort is put into cleaning and packaging, which is then wasted on the transportation and storage route and especially during unpacking. The difficulty lies in the many external positions where insufficiently informed and inadequately trained workers supervise the transportation, storage and unpacking processes.

It would be useful to know how impurities arise, how to avoid them and the effects of particles on the functionality of the end products. The training of employees and those involved is associated with costs, which could be an obstacle for some companies. In addition, one-off training is not enough - ongoing instruction and further training are essential to maintain the standards that have been introduced.

What is the future task in order to be able to manage the entire process from deburring to final assembly economically with regard to TecSa? The requirements for component cleanliness should be kept at an economically justifiable level: avoid the fine and therefore cost-intensive range up to 200 micrometers particle size as far as possible, make 200 to 400 micrometers achievable as a medium range with standard measures and consider 400 to 600 micrometers as desirable, as this is where the costs are lowest.

"Knowledge of the effects of particles on the functionality of end products would be useful".

Further measures: The production environment where increased cleanliness is required should be made inaccessible to normal traffic in order to prevent dirt particles from being stirred up. Draughts through open windows and gates should be prevented, for example by means of access and barrier gates. People working in sensitive areas should wear suitable clothing in accordance with cleanliness requirements. And last but not least: ongoing training of the people involved in the clean production process is essential. CEC e.V./pb

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The Kompetenzzentrum Industrielle Bauteile- und Oberflächenreinigung Leonberg e.V., or Cleaning Excellence Center (CEC) for short, is a competence network for technical cleanliness (TecSa) based in Leonberg(www.cec-leonberg.de). The network was founded in June 2011 with the support of the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation, the trade fair operator of "parts2clean" and the town of Leonberg. CEC members include technology companies as well as medium-sized and small businesses from all areas of industrial cleaning. The current chairman is Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Nerling([email protected]).