"We are currently facing extreme conditions on the global market. From March 10 to 11 alone, the prices for alcohols, which are necessary for the production of alcohol-based fluxes, have increased by 400% in some cases",
reports Markus Geßner, Head of Marketing and Sales at Emil Otto GmbH.
Exploding demand, interrupted supply chains, closed production sites, speculation and the increased processing of alcohol-based disinfectants have led to a massive price increase.
"Our customers are aware of this development. This has led to a significant increase in demand from customers, which basically means that we will no longer be able to supply alcohol flux within days if this trend continues. "
continues Geßner.
However, Emil Otto can offer alternatives that safeguard production on the customer side. These include Emil Otto's water-, alcohol- and water-based fluxes. Water-based fluxes are alcohol-free and therefore completely independent in terms of material purchase prices and possible production quantities. The soldering results are very good and in some cases are qualitatively superior to alcohol-based flux products. Furthermore, these fluxes, also known as green line fluxes, are not flammable, are therefore not classified as hazardous goods and therefore have no legal restrictions for transportation, storage and further handling in production. As it must be assumed that transport capacities will also become scarce in the future, care must be taken to ensure easy and simple transportation.
However, if customers are processing components that react sensitively to temperature, Geßner recommends using hybrid fluxes with a lower alcohol content.
"As we need to use less alcohol for these fluxes, we will be able to produce larger quantities. Water-based fluxes are not a problem and we actively support our customers and interested parties with advice and assistance if they want to use them now. They are a very attractive solution in terms of price and process technology. We cannot predict how the market for alcohols will develop. The last 24 hours have led us to fear the worst. However, we have independent alternatives in stock and can therefore avoid our customers' bottlenecks,
says Geßner.
Overview of our water-based fluxes