As I have said before on this blog, I am not a chemist. Whatever I say about chemistry on the blog is expressed in layman’s terms and is based on practical experience and not on any deep understanding I have of the properties of chemicals. The usefulness of any information provided here applies only to …
As discussed earlier, monitoring variables in a process is a critical part of Six Sigma. The following are some examples of parameters that can be monitored in a cleaning process and some suggestions regarding how the monitoring can be done. Chemical Concentration – Chemistry (detergent, acid, rinse aid, etc.) is one of the most important components of the …
As revealed in the preceding post, the material of construction is a critical factor in the design of “sanitary” plumbing. Although the selection of material is important, there are other considerations that are equally important in the design of a system that will resist contamination. Surface Finish – Surface finish can have a significant influence …
When parts aren’t coming clean two of the first things most process engineers target as potential problems are the temperature and concentration of the chemistry. These are, in most cases, good bets but one should resist knee-jerk reactions. Chemical Concentration – One of the common knee-jerk reactions to a cleaning problem is to increase chemical …
We all know that temperature is an important parameter in cleaning and cleaning-related processes. Too little and cleaning will be ineffective. Too much can lead to possible chemical separation, part degradation and loss of ultrasonic cavitation. So providing the proper temperature is mandatory for the best cleaning result. Sounds easy? Well, yes and no – consider …
When everything is going well and final inspectors are finding nothing but acceptably clean parts, cleaning can be a pretty boring part of the overall production process. As soon as a dirty part shows up, however, it seems that cleaning becomes the focus in the investigation to find out what’s gone wrong. It is automatically …
The chemistries used in industrial cleaning processes are predominantly either dry (granular or powder) or liquid. Dry chemistries cover a wide range of density and flow characteristics. In fact, two batches of the “same” dry chemistry may have considerably different properties. Each liquid product has its own specific gravity and viscosity characteristics but may also vary in other …
Most cleaning processes are comprised of a number of discreet steps. A wash followed by one or more rinses and then a dry would be a typical cleaning process. As parts being cleaned are moved from one process step to the next, they are vulnerable to potential risks by conditions not directly related to cleaning. Whether related …
We all know that an ounce is a unit of weight, right? There are 16 ounces in a pound, 2,000 pounds in a ton and so on. However, in another convention, there are 8 ounces in a cup, 16 ounces in a pint, 32 ounces in a quart, 128 ounces in gallon, etc. In fact, …
Previous blogs have revealed a number of ways to measure chemical concentration in a cleaning bath. It is a logical extension that process engineers utilize these tools to automate maintaining the proper chemical concentration in their cleaning processes. Overall, this is a great idea. However, there are some pitfalls and things that should be taken …
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