Standard of Excellence: The Human Touch in an Automated World
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
Global Sourcing Spotlight: How to Evaluate Supplier Capabilities Worldwide
Altus Adds Award-Winning Sustainable Cleaning Technology from kolb
December 20, 2023 | Altus GroupEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Altus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment for the electronics assembly industry, is pleased to announce the addition of the new award-winning kolb WPCL-EU to its portfolio. This innovative ‘Zerodischarge’ rinse water treatment module, recognised with the Global SMT Technology Award at the Productronica 2023, reinforces Altus’ commitment to delivering cutting-edge, environmentally sustainable solutions for the electronics manufacturing sector.
Free from the need for external power, compressed air, or water connection, the stand-alone design of the WPCL-EU cleaning module simplifies integration into cleaning processes. Importantly, WPCL-EU uses kolb’s innovative CrossLoop® technology, a circuit process with ZeroDischarge quadruple filtration, enabling the recovery and recycling of rinse water. This significantly increases the conservation of water resources, reducing the need for fresh water to near-zero during the entire cleaner service life. This minimises the associated costs of water supply, but also addresses the expense of disposing of contaminated wastewater.
"Environmental sustainability is a key decision-making variable for customers in our region as manufacturers of electronic products lean into producing their products as sustainably as possible,” said Joe Booth, Altus Group CEO.
“This is the latest release by kolb that shows that they are listening not just to their customers but to global trends. The recent Global SMT Technology Award received by Kolb at Productronica is a testament to that.
“WPCL-EU is another great example of kolb’s innovative ethos. This follows the release of biodegradable chemistry containers and of course, utilising a fundamentally low energy cleaning process (aqueous), making kolb a true ‘green’ provider. “
Christian Ortmann, CEO of kolb Cleaning Technology, added: "Receiving the Global SMT Technology Award for this external water treatment module not only make us proud, but confirms that we are on the right path with our efforts to create a resource-saving cleaning process."
The compact and fully enclosed ClosedLoop® technology WPCL EU module easily integrates with kolb's AQUBE® and PSE MH/MV, as well as PSE 300 two-tank systems. This innovative module eliminates the usual inlets and outlets for rinse water connections, streamlining the cleaning process and enhancing overall system efficiency.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Blue Water Autonomy Announces $50 Million Series A Led by GV to Strengthen U.S. Maritime Power with Autonomous, Unmanned Ships
08/26/2025 | PRNewswireBlue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based technology and shipbuilding company designing and building highly producible unmanned ships for the U.S. Navy, announced $50 million in Series A funding led by GV.
SEL: Revolutionizing PCB Production Through MES, Partnerships, and Vision
08/21/2025 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Two years ago, we visited Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to better understand its new captive greenfield PCB facility. We recently returned, this time to discuss how this bold vision has transformed the industry. Barry Matties met with John Hendrickson, engineering director, and Jessi Hall, vice president of vertical integration, to discuss the transformative capabilities of Factory Core, SEL’s custom manufacturing execution system (MES), which allows for real-time monitoring of workflow and machine performance, and has led to impressive improvements in quality and cost efficiency.
Ecolab to Acquire Ovivo’s Electronics Ultra-Pure Water Business
08/15/2025 | EcolabEcolab Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ovivo’s Electronics business, a leading and fast-growing global provider of breakthrough ultra-pure water technologies for semiconductor manufacturing.
Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
08/13/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkI attended INEMI’s June 12 online seminar, “Sustainable Electronics Tech Topic Series: PCBs and Sustainability.” Dr. Maarten Cauwe of imec spoke on “Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Models for Assessing and Improving the Environmental Impact of PCB Assemblies,” and Jack Herring of Jiva Materials Ltd. spoke on “Transforming Electronics with Recyclable PCB Technology.” This column will review information and provide analysis from both presentations.
Indium Corporation Introduces New Flip-Chip Flux for Semiconductor Devices
07/31/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation, a leading materials refiner, smelter, manufacturer, and supplier, today announced the global availability of WS-910 Flip-Chip Flux, a new water-soluble flip-chip dipping flux designed to meet the demands of cutting-edge semiconductor devices.