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If you’re reading this article, chances are you either are currently invested in equipment maintenance or will be so in the future. You’ve probably been on the hunt for new ways to thoroughly clean metal, plastic, and rubber parts and just came upon ultrasonic cleaning solutions.
Ultrasonic cleaning is a breakthrough technology that uses high-frequency soundwaves to dislodge dirt, grease, and other foreign impurities from the surface of the material being cleaned. A transducer creates the soundwaves which result in cavitation in the cleaning solution, exploding at the material’s surface repeatedly.
Machine parts are getting smaller and more delicate by the day, and the drive (by businesses) towards keeping maintenance costs steady has resulted in the emergence of ultrasonic cleaning tools.
In this piece, we’re going to explore seven reasons why you should consider using ultrasonic cleaning equipment as part of your manufacturing or maintenance processes.
Versatility
Ultrasonic cleaning equipment is incredibly versatile and is designed to work with a multitude of materials, and dislodge an almost endless list of contaminants from their surface. These could range from oil to dirt, dust, grease, soot, oxidation, shavings, and even other microscopic-level particles.
Ultrasonic cleaning can be used on materials like aluminum, rubber, plastics, glass, and ceramics. In most cases, a large set of the same material parts can go into the tank for cleaning at one time, allowing for improved ease of use and increased output.
Still, on the versatility side of things, ultrasonic cleaning is suited for complex, intricate jobs. A combination of the cleaning solution (detergent) and the high-frequency waves in percolation ensures that things like hidden passageways, crevices, and blind-drilled holes get cleaned out just as well as open, flat surfaces.
Speed
You might not realize it when standing next to one, but an ultrasonic cleaning system emits up to 40,000 pulses per second, with each pulse creating an action in the solution that carries over to the material surface being cleaned.
The intensity and frequency of these pulses are what makes the process so quick. And as a result, ultrasonic cleaners are capable of removing contaminants at such a speed and efficacy that’s unmatched by any other similar system.
Gentility
Oftentimes, the cleaning process will throw up a part or ornament that must be handled with care – even during the cleaning and restoration process. Ultrasonic cleaning is built for such situations as it is a gentler way to clean objects.
It does away with the harsher processes employed by many other cleaning solutions: such as scrubbing, spraying, and other abrasive movements. Therefore, ultrasonic is the way to go for things like computer parts, plated parts, microchips, and valuable family heirlooms.
Cost Efficiency
It might sound incredulous, but ultrasonic cleaning is usually more power-efficient than most other parts cleaning systems available. To function, these other systems rely on motors (or other pressure-creating machines) that are usually power hogs.
Conversely, ultrasonic cleaners only need one small motor to regularly filter the cleaning solution. Most of the cleaning itself is done with electrical energy from the transducer. Power consumption is kept to a minimum while increasing overall cost efficiency.
As a business, recurrent costs like electricity charges add up. You want to minimize your cost of doing business and, in doing so, maximize your profit percentage. Therefore, like many others that drive profits, investing in ultrasonic cleaning is a wise decision.
Reliability
On the topic of smart business decisions, ultrasonic cleaning is also a reliable, long-lasting way to clean machined/manufactured parts. The reason is simple: unlike other solutions that rely heavily on moving parts (like engines, rotors, and motors), ultrasonic solutions have no rotating equipment.
This isn’t to say that ultrasonic cleaners can last indefinitely, but only that there are fewer parts that can suffer from wear. A high-quality tank can last years before it needs to be replaced, the same thing for the power supply/generator.
On the other hand, conventional cleaning systems have a series of fans, bearings, seals, and agitators. Many of which can fail at a moment’s notice.
Eco-Friendliness
These days, businesses enjoy a multitude of benefits by investing in sustainable manufacturing processes – from tax refunds to brand goodwill. Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the most eco-friendly solutions available today.
It is non-hazardous, meaning that no form of bio-waste is generated as a result of cleaning at any scale. To boot, it also consumes very little power and water.
In addition, ultrasonic cleaners are also great at removing mold and other forms of bacteria from surfaces. This quality has lent them to use in sectors like food processing and medical equipment maintenance.
Thoroughness
We’d already mentioned earlier in this piece how ultrasonic cleaning is incredibly thorough and effective, but what we didn’t touch on is how. The high-frequency pulse waves emitted by the transducer come from different angles and travel at varied frequencies (usually from 20-40 kHz).
The randomness of the pulse action, as well as the frequency of the pulse waves, ensure that the entire surface of every part contained in the tank is cleaned out completely and evenly. Thus, no spots are left untouched.
Variety
While the science of ultrasonic cleaning is quite monolithic, there is a lot of variety to be found when it comes to their execution. From bench or table-top executions to fully automated multi-tank executions, there is a variety of sizes and form factors to be had.
The variety allows businesses to invest in ultrasonic solutions that are the right size, just capable enough, and at a price that is perfectly suited for them. Doing this negates the occurrence of businesses wasting resources – like energy and cleaning chemicals – on one-size-fits-all solutions.
In Conclusion
With the number of cleaning methods available at an industrial scale, any breakthrough technology often seems like a fad. Ultrasonic cleaning, however, is the real deal.
Used in sectors ranging from automobile to aerospace, optics, jewelry, and electrical, it has changed the way industries clean parts, tools, and implements. There are various advantages to using ultrasonic cleaning, many of which have been mentioned in this piece.
So, if you work with many of the materials that are serviceable by ultrasonic cleaners, consider investing in the technology and, if nothing else, save your business some money whilst transforming it to be more eco-friendly.
