Development and design of a stainless steel nozzle with a quick-detachable feature.

The ongoing trend toward miniaturization and enhanced functionality in electronic devices demands increasingly precise wiring patterns for printed circuit boards (PCBs) on which electronic components are mounted.

To meet these market needs, a manufacturer of PCB production equipment was developing systems capable of forming finer patterns. During this process, a key challenge arose: improving the maintenance efficiency of spray nozzles used to apply stripping solutions during the resist stripping process.

Traditionally, polypropylene (PP) nozzles with excellent chemical resistance were used. Featuring a quick-detachable design, they allowed for easy attachment and removal of the nozzle tip by simply turning it, providing exceptional convenience during maintenance tasks such as nozzle replacement.

Plastic Quick-Detachable Nozzle (Left) and Stripping Solution Spray Pattern (Right)

However, achieving finer patterning required heating the stripping solution to nearly 100°C.
This posed a challenge, as PP nozzles had a heat resistance limit of 80°C, rendering them unsuitable for the new precision manufacturing equipment.

As an alternative, standard stainless steel nozzles with threaded fittings were considered. However, maintenance would require unscrewing dozens of nozzles, significantly increasing the workload for users.

This prompted the need for a new nozzle that could address both high temperatures and user-friendly maintenance requirements.