I have spent considerable time on the blog disclosing and discussing a variety of cleanliness testing methods. A couple of tests that escaped earlier discussion, however, are the “white glove” test and the closely-related “swab” test. These tests are conducted by rubbing or wiping a surface using a white (usually cotton) glove or a cotton …
In some cases, previously described oil removal technologies based on the gravity separation of oil from the cleaning solution are unjustifiably cumbersome and expensive. Fortunately, smaller scale solutions are available for use in such applications. Oil Skimmers – Oil skimmers utilize a material which preferentially attracts oil (hydrophobic) to skim floating oil from a surface …
Preceding blogs have described oil removal techniques for industrial cleaning in some detail. It would be nice if this was always a simple consideration – but it is not! The case for using an oil coalescer is pretty clear cut as long as the cleaning chemistry is truly a “splitter” AND, THE OIL IS NOT WATER SOLUBLE. …
In the blogs Chemistry – Oil Splitting and Oil Emulsification – Part 1 and Chemistry – Oil Splitting and Oil Emulsification – Part 2, I discussed how oils are removed from parts using chemistry that either splits or emulsifies the oil. The next step is to collect and get rid of or recycle that removed oil. This …
“Splitting” of oil from a surface as described in a preceding blog is a part of nearly any oil removal process. Note – Even cleaning chemistry that is generally classified as an “emulsifier” has ingredients to promote the initial “splitting” of the oil from the surface being cleaned. These ingredients are often called “surface active …
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 …
A few more things to monitor – Dirty rinse – An effective rinse is critical to most cleaning processes. Only in very limited cases can residues from the cleaning step be left on parts after they are cleaned. It does not, of course, do any good to clean the parts if they become re-contaminated by a …
Here are a few more variables that can be monitored in cleaning systems in pursuit of a Six Sigma process – Oil laden detergent – A good oil removal system is paramount in controlling the quality of the detergent in a cleaning system. An oily bath can quickly become ineffective in removing additional oil and even …
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 …
When in the quest for six sigma performance it never hurts to have a little “head room” in the process. In simple terms, this means that the equipment used should not be “maxed out” to achieve the desired result. I’m sure that none of us would be comfortable if we had to keep the accelerator …
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