Filter Smart!

When particles are the enemy, my general rule is filter, filter, filter!  The cost of filtration is small compared to the overall benefit even if it is only “insurance.”  There is, of course, the initial cost of installation (filter housings, pumps, plumbing, etc.) but the cost after that is going to be pretty much fixed provided …

Particle Problems – Process or Machine?

What happens when parts exit the cleaning process dirty?  First of all, PANIC, especially in the case of critical cleaning for optics, semiconductor, disc drive and other industries where particles that can’t even be seen with a microscope render product worthless and unrecoverable!  Then there is the inevitable quest for, “Why this is happening?”  Although this scenario is …

Extending Chemistry Life with Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration

The cost of acquiring and disposing of cleaning chemistry is usually a major contributor to the overall cost of an industrial or precision cleaning process.  Removing contaminants from cleaning solutions can potentially extend their useful life and reduce overall cleaning costs.  Traditional filters including those of the bag and cartridge variety are commonly used to remove solid (particulate) contaminants …

The Effect of Chemistry on Ultrasonics

In the blog The Effect of Temperature on Ultrasonics, temperature was identified as a major variable in ultrasonic cleaning due to the impact it has on many physical properties of liquids.  This blog addresses the effect that chemistry has on the physical properties of liquids and the resulting effect on ultrasonics.  Most ultrasonic cleaning utilizes chemistry …

The Effects of Liquid Properties on Ultrasonic Cleaning

The physical properties of liquids have a significant effect on their ability to cavitate and produce imploding cavitation bubbles useful for ultrasonic cleaning.  Since other factors including temperature and chemistry can have an effect on the physical properties of liquids, these, too, play a significant role in ultrasonic cleaning.  This blog explores the effect that a number …

Ultrasonic Power vs. Cavitation Density

The notion persists that more power is better in ultrasonic cleaning applications.  In the past, this may have been an absolute as the amount of power available was often limited by the limitations of the equipment that was available.  As we discussed in a recent blog however, today’s ultrasonic equipment is no longer limited in power …

Lab Testing – Chemical Life

A previous blog discussed the ramifications of contaminant loading on cleaning.  This time let’s look at the long term effects on cleaning chemistry.  In lab testing, the ability of chemistry to withstand extended use is often not challenged.  Chemistry is prepared and used for short term cleaning trials to verify the cleaning process.  In long …