Ultrasonic Cleaning for Automobile Industry
The part geometry, production rate, and cleaning time required will determine the size of the cleaning system, once the overall process has been decided. Typical tanks range from 20 to 400 L (5 to 1000 gal), and some are even larger.
Industrial, heavy-duty applications require industrial, heavy-duty ultrasonic equipment. Other factors that need to be considered are cleaning solutions and temperatures, rinsing (with or without ultrasonics), drying, automation, and load requirements. HIGHCLEAN will assist in these decisions and will offer laboratory services and technical expertise.
Cleanliness Considerations
In a typical aqueous ultrasonic cleaning system, it is the cleaning stage that will remove or loosen the contaminants. The following rinse stage remove any remaining loosened soils and residual detergent, and a dryer removes any remaining rinse water. The overall process of the system is usually determined experimentally. There are a variety of ways to check for cleanliness. Some are as simple as a water break test on the part to see if most oil has been removed. Others are as elaborate as surface quality monitoring that uses optically stimulated electron emission technology to measure thin films of contaminants down to the Angstrom level.
Part Handling
The geometry of the parts are carefully analyzed to determine how they will be placed in the cleaning tank. Large parts, such as engine blocks, can be suspended directly from a hoist, whereas smaller parts will usually be placed in a basket. The most important factor in parts placement is to be sure that air is not trapped anywhere inside the part. If an air pocket is allowed to form, such as in a blind hole that would be facing downward toward the bottom of the tank, the cleaning solution and effects of cavitations will not be able to reach this particular area. The part will have to be rotated somehow in the tank during the cleaning process to allow the cleaning solution to reach the area where air was previously trapped. This can be accomplished either manually, by the attending operator, or by a rotating arm on an automated lift mechanism.
It is best if small parts can be physically separated when placed in a basket. An example would be to place machined valve bodies in a basket with some type of divider or locator for each one. Many times, however, in high output lines it is not possible to separate parts physically, such as in the manufacture of electrical connector pins where thousands of parts may need to be cleaned at one time because of the high production output and the small size. Ultrasonic agitation will be able to reach between these parts and allow the solution’s scrubbing power to remove the contaminants, even if the parts are stacked on top of one another. On the other hand, rinse water may not remove all of the residual detergent , and a dryer has a very hard time removing moisture from embedded parts. The problem is easily solved by having an automated hoist with a constant rotating fixture on the arm that allows the basket to tumble at 1 to 3 rpm. This rotation allows the parts to tumble slowly and exposes the embedded pieces for proper rinsing and drying.
Automotive, aerospace, and marine parts ultrasonic cleaners save time and money
An ultrasonic carburetor cleaner cleans even gummed upcarburetors.Stop wasting time hand cleaning!
- Fast and effective cleaning with no manual labor
- Powerful enough to remove carbon deposits yet gentle on aluminum parts
- Use water-based cleaning solutions, no toxic solvents
HIGHCLEAN ULTRASONICS offers rugged ultrasonic cleaning equipment built to last. The simple to operate cleaning tanks are available with heaters, drains, and stainless steel parts baskets. Ultrasonic parts cleaners remove dirt, oils, lubricants, carbon, and other types of grime that build up on engines and mechanical parts. Grooves, internal passageways, seals, and other hard to reach areas are cleaned easily, eliminating hours of disassembling and reassembling complex parts. Carburetors, pistons, cylinder heads, aluminum parts, and brake calipers are a few examples of components that are cleaned thoroughly with no manual scrubbing in an ultrasonic parts cleaning machine. Ultrasonic industrial parts washing is safe for the operator and the environment, with no need for toxic solvents.
How does ultrasonic cleaning work?
Specially designed transducers transform electric energy into mechanical vibrations. These are transmitted into the cleaning liquid, creating many tiny vacuum-filled bubbles which rapidly implode. This process, called cavitation, releases highly energetic jets of liquid which remove all kinds of contamination from metal, glass, and plastic surfaces. Every surface that comes in contact with the fluid is thoroughly cleaned.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Engine Parts Saves Time and Money
Some mechanics have reported a 50% savings in cleaning time by turning to an ultrasonic parts cleaning machine while taking advantage of an ecologically safe alternative to manual cleaning with toxic chemicals. With today’s industrial sized ultrasonic cleaners, the speed of ultrasonic cleaning to remove soils is combined with the capacity to clean multiple parts at once. Let’s take a look at some specific examples of how an ultrasonic cleaner can save time and money while providing a non-toxic solution in the automobile, marine and aviation industries.