Currently browsing Tech Blog

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  This is a time for family and friends.  We all have a lot to be thankful for. The blog will be back on Monday. –  FJF  –

I have been spending a lot of time on the blog lately talking about the effects of sound waves.  Today’s blog starts a series devoted to the way ultrasound is created and how it can be customized to provide the best ultrasonic cleaning results. The heart of an ultrasonic cleaning system is a device called … Continued

A previous blog revealed that ultrasonic frequency has an effect on the removal of soluble contaminants.  In general, lower frequency will be more effective in the removal of soluble contaminants.  Today’s blog will discuss the effect of frequency on the removal of insoluble contaminants – ie. particles. As ultrasonic frequency is increased, two things happen.  First, the … Continued

Earlier blogs have explained the effect of frequency on the size of cavitation bubbles and where they are formed.  Today’s will explain the effect of bubble size and location on removing soluble contaminants. Soluble Contaminants – The removal of soluble contaminants requires that solvent saturated with the contaminant being removed must be displaced from the solvent/contaminant … Continued

The size of cavitation bubbles produced in an ultrasonic cleaning bath depends primarily on the ultrasonic frequency.  The number of cavitation bubbles depends on both the ultrasonic frequency and the ultrasonic power being introduced into the cleaning tank. Frequency – Higher ultrasonic frequencies produce smaller cavitation bubbles than lower frequencies.  This is at least partially due … Continued

The concept of a barrier layer in ultrasonic cleaning can be a little difficult to understand – in fact, a lot of people don’t even know what “barrier layer” means.  In this blog, I’ll attempt to describe what the barrier layer is and how the thickness of the barrier layer is affected by changing ultrasonic frequency. The … Continued

In a previous post, Ultrasonic Cleaning – Soluble Contaminants, I discussed the effect that ultrasonic cavitation and implosion play in enhancing the removal of soluble contaminants from surfaces.  Today’s blog will introduce the effect that ultrasonic cavitation and implosion have on the removal of insoluble particles from surfaces.  There are several mechanisms that can cause … Continued

In the blog entitled Get a Move On, I briefly discussed the importance of some form of mechanical action to assist cleaning.  This is true in both the case of soluble and insoluble contaminants.  In this blog I will dig a little deeper into the subject of the benefits of mechanical action in removing soluble … Continued

Solvents are a bit difficult to understand for a number of reasons.  Even for someone who has worked with solvents as much as I have, the permutations of solvents, their combinations and their capabilities are bewildering.  But, let’s start with the simple stuff. A solvent dissolves what is called a solute.  In what is probably the … Continued

Previous blogs have explained the benefits of relative motion between the part being cleaned or rinsed and the liquid in contact with the part.  Relative motion can be accomplished by moving either the part or the liquid relative to the other.  Ultrasonic agitation has also been identified as beneficial to cleaning and rinsing for somewhat the … Continued