Ultrasonic Cleaning Overview

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One important aspect of manufacturing is making the product to be sold to customers. Every minute the machines are cranking away, producing what hopefully will turn into profits for the company. There could be ten to hundreds of machines running in a small space in the factory at any given time. All of these machines have one thing in common – they all get dirty. Pieces of metal or plastic can stick to parts of the machine at various locations in the machine. These pieces of material could accumulate to the point where damage could occur with the machine. How can this be avoided? By using a process referred to as ultrasonic cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaning is very helpful because it removes all the pieces of metal and other contaminants that could affect the performance of the machine. If you run a manufacturing facility and you don’t have ultrasonic cleaning at your place of business, you are risking damage to your machines or early wear that could have been avoided. If you are considering getting an ultrasonic cleaning system there are some factors to consider. These factors are:

• Ultrasonic power: In case you are not aware of this term, it means the amount of work that is done in any given time. For instance, ultrasonic power could be the time it takes to clean a machine effectively. This means making sure all debris is out of the machine and it is clean. Manufacturers of ultrasonic cleaning equipment may rate the power of their machines based on several criteria including peak power, RNS power, average power, ultrasonic power, cleaning power, and maybe even input power.
• Operating frequency: This factor cannot be overlooked. This is because the frequency of the machine affects the power of the machine. Some machines work at high frequencies while others work at low frequencies. Some even work in a mid-range of both. Another consideration regarding frequency is the amount of noise the machine makes. It the frequency is high, the noise level is non-existent. But if the frequency is low, the noise level can be unbearable.
• Cleaning solution: Here is another factor that must be considered. This is no doubt the most important one of all. Why? Because the solution has to be made of certain chemicals that it will do the job of cleaning the toughest areas and spots of the machine. The fluid has to have a high surface tension meaning it has more power to clean. Of course, the fluid also needs to have a low surface tension so as to go after smaller cavities. Therefore, the solution must have a balance of chemicals that can do both at the same time. Also, the chemicals must have the ability to hold debris in place as the fluid catches them. The last thing to consider about cleaning solutions is safety. The fluid must be safe enough to use in an industrial setting but will not hurt the person using it. This means the solution should not contain ammonia. Also, do not use phosphates. This harms the environment. And one that thing is it must be able to work well with water, or it is just wasteful.



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