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Ultrasonic Cleaning

Parts Cleaning articles from Products Finishing are selected and categorized by application for quick reference:

Pretreatment for Beryllium Copper   10/01/07
I am looking for a pre-treatment/cleaning process (preferably spray, as opposed to a dip method) for beryllium copper parts. What cleaning process would you recommend for this material? In addition, would a bright dip be ideal for a last bath within the process?

Graphite Grease Removal   08/01/07
We clean stainless steel parts prior to plating, and these parts are soiled with a slight graphite grease residue. Visually, parts look clean, but when wiped with white cloth, there is a dark spot on the cloth. We've tried commercial and in-house cleaners (acidic and alkaline) without any success. For now, we let parts soak in alkaline cleaner (160°F for 60 min), rinse and wipe off the residue. But it's a long and bothersome job for 1,500–2,000 parts by lots. We have to find a more economical way to do it while avoiding solvent usage for health and safety considerations. Do you have any suggestions?

Residual Smut?   08/01/07
We're having a problem with small cylindrical parts and small amounts of residual "smut" left over after our cleaning at an outside cleaning vendor. In this case the parts are cleaned as follows 1) vapor degrease 2) alkaline clean, 3) citric acid passivation, 4) rinse. The residue is found in the ID of these parts when wiping the ID with a cotton swab. The material is type 304L stainless steel. Do you have any advice on how to eliminate or remove this smut? Parts are sensor housings and must be clean for later electrical processing.

Calculating Energy Savings   04/01/07
I want to calculate the energy savings associated with reducing washer bath temperature.

FRP Parts Washer   04/01/07
I am considering the use of a 5 stage part washer constructed from FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic). Do you or know anyone who has any experience with a washer constructed from this material? It is intended to wash mild steel sheet metal parts.

Removing Rust, Mill Scale And Oils In One Step   02/01/07
We have a small job shop that powder coats. We do parts of varying sizes all the way up to 20 ft in length, made of steel or aluminum, occasional magnesium. The parts we receive, as stated before, are constantly different sizes and shape and some of it is made of HRS steel and has rust and corrosion on it, as well as oil. I always see the typical pretreatment stages to be a cleaner, rinse, phosphate, rinse, sealer, rinse or not. Nowhere do I see anything to deal with the rust and mill scale from the HRS steel. Is there a product that removes the rust, mill scale and oils in one step? Or are there more steps required, I can honestly say most everything I ever read about seems like a perfect world where the only thing the steel has on it is oils. This is not the case in my business. We have a manual spray washing system that we use due to our varied parts, but I can absolutely see the need for a dip tank being a useful tool as well for the smaller parts.

Smut On Titanium Parts   02/01/07
I use a Nitric/HF bath to etch titanium. Afterwards I desmut in 45% by volume nitric acid solution. Recently I have been noticing smut on parts.

Removing Oxide Coating From Titanium   12/01/06
I want to find how would you remove the bluish color from the surface of titanium products?

Pretreatment of Multiple Substrates   10/01/06
We are currently coating various substrates for aerospace products with various coatings. We are using a Mil-T-81772 thinner via a wipe method to achieve pretreatment for coating. Our coatings are Chromate primers, TT-E-489 enamel, Epoxy primer and Mil-C-22750 Epoxy topcoat. Substrates are SS 300 series steel, alodined aluminum, anodized aluminum, titanium and magnesium. We are experiencing problems passing dry and wet tape tests. And I have been tasked to get us up to a NADCAP audit ready status. Is there any one method and chemical/solvent that could be used to clean all these situations?

Alodine   08/01/06
We use alodine on 5053 aluminum and use a water based coating. We want to change to powder but we are also having to meet the RoHS requirement that does not allow hexavalent chrome in the alodine. Have you found or know of an alternative to the Alodine that would give good adhesion and good Florida exposure.

June Issue   08/01/06
I am a loyal reader of PRODUCTS FINISHING and just finished reading the June issue. You are always very thorough and descriptive. I observed your response to E.P. regarding the phosphate cleaning systems and have some other suggestions...

Pretreatment   08/01/06
I am setting up a new Batch operation and wanted to know which pretreatment to go with. A 3 stage dipping system, or is a 3 stage hot pressure cleaning solution wash, Clear Rinse and sealant? Will the Iron railings benefit from a 3 minute dipping more than a power wash manually?

Passivate Using Different Materials   04/01/06
Can I passivate assembled parts with two different materials? One is 304 stainless steel tube and the other is 303 stainless steel solid. I am using epoxy glue made by 3M #2214 regular. I want to know if the acid will create problems to the glue or harm the parts.

Cleaning/Drying of Optical Components   08/01/03
I am interested in learning how to clean and dry polished optical lenses/parts in one step without streaks or marks on the finished parts...

Attaching Transducers with Adhesive   10/01/01
We have an ultrasonic cleaning machine with several tanks with 18 piezoelectric transducers attached in each one. The transducers are two piezoelectric stacks screwed to an aluminum radiating bar. After 10 years, the transducers wore off. We have attached new transducers to a tank, but the activity is near null. We have used an adhesive to attach them, but I think the solution was no good. What kind of glue or material must I use to fix the transducers? Some people suggested that I try epoxy, but it is a generic name. Can you suggest a product?

Powder Metal Parts Cleaning   02/01/01
I read Products Finishing, and I have come across a new opportunity for my heat treating company. We are being asked to carburize, oil quench, clean and temper a small part, 4.75 grams each. The part has a density of 7.0 ±0.05 grams/cu cm. The part is currently made and processed in Japan. While I am not aware of the environmental issues in Japan, I would think they are similar to our laws and the impact to cost of chlorinated solvents is what I am trying to avoid. Any advice on types of alternative cleaners or processes would be appreciated. I am not opposed to paying for consulting advice if you can refer someone who is knowledgeable.