Seven Things To Do If You Use Ultrasonic Cleaning At Your Facility
Ultrasonic cleaners are important pieces of equipment at many industrial facilities. They are effective at getting equipment clean and free from contaminants without excessive power consumption or the need for harsh scrubbing.
The following are seven things to do if you use ultrasonic cleaning at your facility.
Set the frequency on your ultrasonic cleaner properly
The frequency setting on your ultrasonic cleaner is a key consideration. This setting can and should be changed depending on what type of equipment you're cleaning. When the frequency on an ultrasonic cleaner is set lower, it leads to more thorough cleaning with larger cavitation bubbles. Higher frequencies create smaller cavitation bubbles that lead to a more gentle cleaning action.
Make sure you reevaluate your frequency setting depending on the cleaning task at hand.
Understand the importance of choosing the right tank and basket size
It's essential that any parts cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner are fully immersed inside the cleaner. This means that you need to choose a tank and basket size that are large enough for full immersion of the materials being cleaned.
De-gas detergent before you put it in your cleaner
When you put new detergent in your ultrasonic cleaner, your detergent needs to be de-gassed. Gases in detergent can make it so that parts get cleaned more slowly in an ultrasonic cleaner. Fortunately, de-gassing is a simple process that only requires that the cleaner's temperature be raised for a brief period of time so that trapped gasses are removed from the detergent.
Prep parts you're cleaning that are especially greasy
Parts that are especially contaminated with grease should be sprayed off or wiped down before they are put into the ultrasonic cleaner. While an ultrasonic cleaner can get any amount of debris off, that debris will settle on the bottom of the tank of a cleaner. This will increase maintenance needs. Wiping debris off of parts to prep them for going into an ultrasonic cleaner can minimize residue left over in the tank and thereby minimize cleaner maintenance.
Use operating modes to your advantage
An ultrasonic cleaner should have a variety of different operating mode settings. These can include different speed and power settings. It's important to familiarize yourself with these settings and experiment to find the optimum settings for various cleaning tasks.
Choose detergents that are water-based
It's important to know that solvent-based cleaners are not usually formulated for use in ultrasonic cleaners. Water-based detergents should always be used with ultrasonic cleaners.
Replace filters periodically
Some debris that's removed from cleaned parts in an ultrasonic cleaner will be caught in the unit's filtration system. Replacing the filter of an ultrasonic cleaner is an important maintenance task for getting contaminant debris out of a cleaner to maximize its effectiveness.
Contact a company like Pro Ultrasonics to learn more about ultrasonic cleaning.