These 7 factors will help you  answer the questions “how do I choose an industrial ultrasonic cleaner and what is the right ultra sonic cleaner for your cleaning application”.

1. Ultrasonic cleaner frequency

What frequency is best for ultrasonic cleaning or as some refer to as ultrasound cleaning?

Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses an appropriate cleaning agent and ultrasound (usually from 20–400 kHz). The ultrasonic cleaning frequency must match the cleaning application. Different frequencies produce different results. The most common cleaning frequencies range from 25kHz to 80kHz. Lower frequencies such as 28 kHz produce fewer and larger bubbles that are aggressive for heavy duty industrial applications. 40-80 kHz and up produces very tiny bubbles packed tightly together which create a gentle scrubbing action for semi-conductors and high-end electronic components. 40kHz produces a large number of smaller bubbles that produce powerful cavitation. Omegasonics factory sets at 40 kHz which is the best frequency for industrial and commercial cleaning applications.

2. Ultrasonic generator power

How much power do you need for an ultrasonic cleaner?

The power of an ultrasonic cleaner is measured by watts per gallon. The correct wattage for our tank capacity is important (Watts/Gallon) for efficient ultrasonic cleaning. When cleaning with ultrasonics, always use a higher power level for heavy contamination. The ability to control power output is important because it allows you to tailor the output to cleaning needs. The ultrasonic generator is what produces the power which sends the signal to the ultrasonic transducer that produces ultrasonic cleaning waves in the tank.

3. Ultrasonic cleaning solution soaps, chemicals and detergents

How do you know what is the best ultrasonic cleaning solution for cleaning your item?

Ultrasonic cleaning detergents dissolve and dislodge surface residues. Not all cleaning solutions work effectively in ultrasonic equipment; some general-purpose cleaners break down at temperatures as low as 140F and cavitation action can cause some general chemicals to break down into their components. Omegasonics’ chemicals are formulated for specific cleaning applications and designed not to breakdown during cavitation. Different soaps work for different applications and materials. For example, alkaline chemicals remove dirt and smoke while acidic solutions remove corrosion and heat scale. If you are cleaning a delicate item then you will want to use a ultrasonic cleaning solution with a lower pH such as 10.0, if you are cleaning a general item such as glass or plastic then you will want to use a solution that has a pH around 11.3-11.8 and with metal items you will use a solution that has a pH at around 2.0 to remove rust. Can you use tap water in an ultrasonic cleaner? The answer is yes, but if you are cleaning any type of electronics in the ultrasonic cleaner than de-ionized water is recommended.

4. Ultrasonic cleaning temperature

What temperature do I use when cleaning my item in an ultra sonic cleaner?

Most ultrasonic cleaning is done at temperatures ranging from 100°F to 150°F. The correct temperature will expedite the cleaning process. Start with lower temperatures & work up to higher temperatures. All of our machines come with digital temperature controllers.

5. Ultrasonic tank part loads and tank sizes

What size ultrasonic cleaning tank do I need?

Part loads relates to the mass of the items being cleaned within the ultrasonic tank, increased part loads require more energy to process; small loads will clean faster than larger loads due to available energy for the load. If you overload your tank with parts, it will decrease the amount of cavitation that is hitting the surface of the parts being cleaned and will not only affect the cleaning process but will also affect the cleaning consistency. If you are cleaning a lot of parts at once then you will want a larger tank to accommodate your cleaning needs. Omegasonics also offers custom tanks.

6. Material makeup

What can ultrasonic cleaners clean?

You probably have heard of ultrasonic cleaners mostly for cleaning jewelry but did you know that you can clean any hard durable item in an ultrasonic tank? The number of items that can benefit from ultrasonic cleaning is vast. The reason? There are just two basic “eligibility requirements” before something can be cleaned in this manner.

The cavitation that powers ultrasonic cleaning and scrubs contaminants off parts will only occur in a liquid environment. Ergo, the item must be one that won’t be damaged by immersion. Some of the things on that list might surprise you. For instance, most of us would react with horror at the idea of combining electronics and water, but as long as proper drying techniques are used, an ultrasonic cleaner will not only clean electronic devices, but clean them more quickly and completely than any other method. The second requirement is that the part can be dried relatively easily. This eliminates items that are absorbent, but most others can simply be air dried with a blower.

For this reason, ultrasonic cleaning is used to remove unwanted materials from everything from jewelry to long rifles, from super-delicate lenses to massive engine parts, from surgical instruments to motherboards.

You may be wondering if ultrasonic waves will damage relatively brittle materials, such as glass or ceramics. Ultrasonic cleaning is perfectly safe for these materials.

What should you not put in an ultra sonic cleaner? Do not put anything textile such as clothing, shoes, rugs and stuffed animals. They absorb the ultrasonic cavitation.

7. Ultrasonic cleaning time

How long does an ultrasonic cleaner take to clean?

There are many factors that determine how long an item will have to remain in the ultrasonic tank for the cleaning process, including: “frequency, power, soap, temperature, load, and material”, also what type of dirt or oil is on the item. Cleaning normally lasts between three and six minutes, but can also exceed 20 minutes, depending on the object to be cleaned. All of our machines come with digital timers that allow you to be able to set your desired cleaning time.

What are the advantages of cleaning with ultrasonics and ultrasound cavitation?

• Efficient – Ultrasonic cleaning provides the ability to clean baskets of parts rather than individual items.
• Thorough – Ultrasound is the most thorough cleaning method known to science. Contents cleaned manually by hand will never be as clean as contents processed ultrasonically. Ultrasonic bubbles can reach areas impossible to access by brushes or sponges
• Gentle – The ability to control the cleaning variables allows the same equipment to clean everything from industrial parts to delicate crystal and China.
• Consistency – Cleaning with ultrasonics is always consistent.

For more information on choosing the best ultrasonic cleaner in 2021 watch our video below.

Parts washers are used to help maintain the excellent working condition of the parts for further processing. These machines can be classified as Manual, semi-automated, and fully automated.

Manual – These part washers are slowly being depleted in the manufacturing industry because of its manual operation, wherein it involves hand cleaning the parts in a drum.

Semi-automated – In these types of parts washers, the cleaning process is automated, but the load and unload process are done manually.

Automated – These types of parts washers involve using a conveying system to load the automated cleaning process parts.

Below are the Most Common Types of Parts Washers according to their function in the industry.

Immersion Parts Washer:

Immersion parts washers are one of the most common parts washers used in the machining industry. These are used to degrease a part prior to undergoing another process. These types of parts washers utilize agitation or oscillation to clean the parts submerged under a cleaning solution. The parts are submerged in the solvent with a vibrating motion. This motion creates turbulence in the solution, which will clean the parts.

Spray Cabinet Parts Washer:

These types of parts washers are commonly used in an industrial environment. The cleaning process in spray cabinet parts washers involves using a heated high-pressure spray to clean any parts. The parts will be loaded through a door in the machine and are usually placed in a cleaning basket. Placing them in a basket will prevent the scattering of parts during the high-pressure cleaning process. The parts inside the cleaning chamber will be subjected to a high-powered spray of the cleaning solution (a mixture of water and cleaning agents).

Multi-Purpose Spray Cabinet Parts Washer:

These types of parts washers are designed to cater to low volume loads for parts cleaning. Multi-purpose spray cabinets provide efficient and convenient cleaning for small batches.

Conveyor Parts Washer:

Conveyor type parts washers use a systematized enclosed transport system. The system involves enclosing the parts in a basket and traveling to a series of phases for cleaning. The design of conveying systems varies depending on the functions defined in each cleaning stage (e.g., rinse – spray – rinse – flip – rinse – dry).

Rotary Drum Parts Washer:

Rotary Drum Parts washers provide efficient cleaning of small parts in high volumes. These parts washing system is equipped with automated systems that will help clean, rinse, and dry. Some rotary drum washers are equipped with an immersion agitation feature that will help clean inside tubes and hollows.

Thermal Deburring Parts Washer:

Thermal Deburring Parts Washers provide an extra deburring process that will efficiently remove the smallest burrs left after the manual finishing process. Thermal deburring involves placing parts in a chamber. The chamber will be filled with pressurized gas. This pressurized gas will then be ignited for milliseconds at a specific temperature enough to burn the burrs. This phenomenon will cause the small burrs to be burnt without damaging the actual part. The common flammable gas used for this process is either methane or hydrogen.

Ultrasonic Parts Washer:

Ultrasonic Parts washers are used for highly complicated custom parts wherein immersing or spraying could not clean specific areas. These areas include blind holes, complex series of holes, and closed parts. Ultrasonic cleaners use frequencies (20-400kHz) to cause agitation for cleaning. The introduction of high frequency to the cleaning solution will create cavitation bubbles to agitate the solution in hard-to-reach areas. This agitation will go deep into the tiniest holes and finest crevices of a part to remove contaminants. These types of parts washers have variations as small as benchtops and as large as high volume washing.

Tunnel Parts Washer:

Tunnel Parts washers are useful for linear type washing. In this process, the parts are placed on a conveying system that will travel linearly through the treatment phases. These parts washers are designed according to the dimension and shape of a part, hourly output for rinsing, and drying process.

For example, fiber optic components, which are used in many modern medical instruments, cannot be cleaned using high pressure and steam as the heat may damage them. Furthermore, steam cleaning may not adequately reach every internal surface of the most complex instruments or medical implants. An alternative solution is required. Enter ultrasonic cleaning.

How Ultrasonic Cleaning works

Ultrasonic cleaning works by making use of cavitation, a physical effect caused by ultrasonic waves passing through a liquid and striking against an object. When these waves pass through an object, they create millions of tiny bubbles. Not being filled with air, these bubbles instantaneously collapse, producing jets of plasma energy.

These energy bursts strike against the surface of the object immersed in the liquid, dislodging grime and contaminants found there. One of the biggest advantages of ultrasonic cleaning is that it effectively and thoroughly cleans every surface of an object, even blind holes, and tiny crevices. This makes it ideal for cleaning in the medical industry.

Why use Ultrasonic cleaning in the medical industry

Because of its unique properties, ultrasonic cleaning is one of the more common methods of automatic cleaning used in the medical industry. It far surpasses other ways, such as hand-cleaning and even high-pressure steam cleaning (such as that used in autoclaves) for some applications. Ultrasonic cleaning, when properly used with the right additives, both cleans and sterilizes contaminated medical instruments. It can also effectively clean medical implants to decrease the chance of rejection of the implant.

Not only that, but ultrasonic cleaning is used at an earlier stage in the process of 3D printed medical implants, cleaning away the substrate thoroughly to produce a consistent and viable implant. As such, ultrasonic cleaning, properly used, occupies a useful niche in the medical industry.

Proper use of ultrasonic cleaning in the medical industry

One important consideration to keep in mind when adopting ultrasonic cleaning is that ultrasonic cleaning by itself does not significantly affect bacteria. However, when used with the correct disinfectants, ultrasound can act in tandem with the disinfectant to strengthen the power of the disinfectant. Ultrasonic waves and the resulting cavitation drive the disinfectant deeper into every crevice of the object being cleaned, loosen the grip of contamination on the surface of the object, and give the disinfectant additional agitation action, which makes it more effective, overall.

Find out more about how ultrasonic cleaning can benefit your medical industry operations

With operations as complex as medical cleaning, it’s important to get expert input before deciding what equipment to use. That’s where Omegasonics comes in. Our experts work with you to design ultrasonic cleaning units customized for tank size, power levels and so on, according to your specifications and needs. These same experts can not only assist you in selecting the right ultrasonic cleaning unit but help you choose the proper disinfectant or detergent you’ll need.

Want to know more about how ultrasonic cleaning is used in the medical industry? Call one of our ultrasonic experts at Omegasonics at 888-989-5560 or email us at Omegasonics@Omegasonics.com. You can also get in touch with us by filling out our online contact form.

It’s important to distinguish between “regular cleaning” and “precision cleaning.” True precision cleaning involves removing all contaminants from the surface of the object to be cleaned.

Precision cleaning is vital to the success of industries as varied as aerospace, defense, medical implants, computer tech, and pharmaceutical. In fact, parts in these industries must be cleaned so thoroughly that they can pass microscopic inspection of their surfaces.

If contaminant removal is only partial, this can be expensive, slow down production and have a negative impact on a company’s bottom line and reputation.

Considerations for Precision Cleaning

If you’re going to be having parts precision cleaned, there are certain factors and steps to be taken into consideration.

First, how clean do your parts need to be at the end of the process? What standard are you using, and how will this be determined? In most cases, parts are inspected closely before the cleaning process begins and then they are inspected again according to industry-wide standards and cleanliness levels. You need to determine what is appropriate for your industry and use that as your benchmark.

Once you’ve determined your inspection and cleanliness standards, you’ll need to determine what cleaning strategy you’ll employ.

Precision Cleaning Strategies

When it comes to precision cleaning strategies, there are a wide array of possibilities. These include methods as varied as vapor degreasing, hand cleaning, CO2 snow and mechanical blasting. All the above options have their benefits and drawbacks. For example, some of them require the use of hazardous solvents which create additional workplace safety and environmental considerations. These add further complications and cost to your precision cleaning process. Some processes add intensive time and labor, which can also drive costs up.

To solve the issues caused by intensive labor or hazardous solvents, many precision cleaning operations choose ultrasonic cleaning. For the most intricate jobs requiring a high level of cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning fits the bill, surpassing other methods for most cleaning needs.

What is Ultrasonic Cleaning?

Ultrasonic cleaning works through the generation of high-frequency sound waves through a liquid, using piezoelectric transducers to generate the waves via a diaphragm. When these high-frequency waves strike against the surface of an object, they produce millions of microscopic bubbles which instantaneously collapse. This physical effect is known as “cavitation,” and each collapse causes the snap release of jets of energy. Cavitation produces the power behind ultrasonic cleaning, uniformly “scrubbing” every surface of the object being cleaned, even cleaning down inside blind holes or intricate internal sections

How does ultrasonic cleaning work with precision cleaning?

Once parts have been inspected, they are ready to be sent to an ultrasonic cleaning unit designed for high-end precision cleaning, such as one of the units found in the Omegasonics Pro series.  The parts to be cleaned are placed in a liquid bath along with a detergent formulated specifically for the specific type of application and contaminant addressed in the cleaning.

Once the part to be cleaned is submerged, the ultrasonic cleaning process can begin. The number of ultrasonic cleaning cycles used, length of time in the bath, temperature used, and so on will be determined by the type of contaminant and parts material. Keep in mind that not all materials or applications are suitable for ultrasonic cleaning. We recommend that you get in touch with the ultrasonic cleaning experts using the contact information at the end of this article.

Once the part has been thoroughly cleaned, precision cleaning protocols demand that it also be rinsed in at least one or more water only baths before being quickly and properly dried. For many precision cleaning processes, this involves the use of forced hot air dryers to dry the parts thoroughly. The judicious application of a rinsing agent can help keep water spots from parts, as well as making sure to use distilled water.

Overall, although there are many approaches to successful precision cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning provides a thorough and cost-effective method that works well across industries. Want to know more about how ultrasonic cleaning can transform your precision cleaning operations? Call one of our ultrasonic experts at Omegasonics at 888-989-5560 or email us at Omegasonics@Omegasonics.com. You can also get in touch with us by filling out our online contact form.

What’s the difference between solvents and detergents?

The essential difference between solvents and detergents is that solvents break down and dissolve contaminants in the cleaning solution while aqueous detergents surround and lift away contaminants so they can be washed away. As everyone knows, water and oil don’t mix, repelling one another. To help water “get at” oil-based grime, detergents use additives known as “surfactants” that help water get “wetter” to lift dirt and oil away from the surface of the object being cleaned.  The detergent’s chemical properties pull grime away from the object’s surface and surround it with water so it can be washed away. Overall, solvents and detergents act in very different ways when used for cleaning.

How solvents work

As mentioned earlier, solvents are a compound that tends to dissolve away certain other materials placed in it. Technically, then, water is a solvent and is known as the “universal solvent,” simply because almost anything can be dissolved in it. However, what most people think of as solvents are so-called “organic solvents,” which include substances such as nail polish remover, paint thinner, and so on. These organic solvents are great at dissolving grease and fat-based spills and stains, something that water typically can’t handle well. When it comes to parts and industrial cleaning, you typically find solvents made from petroleum distillates, naphtha, acetone, light mineral oils, and other specialized organic or synthetic compounds. These types of solvents tend to be formulated depending on their intended application and use.

Issues with solvents

Over the past few decades, solvents have come under greater government and public scrutiny because of the undesirable effects of using them. They are often flammable, give off noxious fumes that are bad for workplace air quality, and they can be hazardous for workers to use, both in the short term and long term. Not only that, but they have been classified as an environmental hazard and must be both handled and disposed of with great care. There have been some recent reformulations of common solvents to make them somewhat more environmentally-friendly, and they still hold between 60 to 70 percent of the industrial cleaning market. However, they are losing ground to aqueous cleaners, due to better detergent formulations being developed and overall environmental concerns.

How Detergents Work

Water-based detergents start out of the gate possessing many advantages over solvents. These include non-flammability, few offensive fumes and little to no health risks for workers handling them. What’s more, many detergents are biodegradable, making them easier to dispose of safely and in an environmentally-friendly fashion. The traditional downside of detergents has been their perceived lack of effectiveness at the rapid removal of contaminants such as grime, rust, and scale from industrial parts. However, as noted earlier, more recent formulations of detergents have improved. Moreover, when they are placed in combination with the power of ultrasonic cleaners, their effectiveness becomes similar to or even surpasses that of solvents, without all the environmental and workplace safety concerns.

Ultrasonic cleaning and detergents

When paired with ultrasonic cleaning, water-based detergents have proven to be effective and thorough at cleaning every surface of industrial parts and many other objects. The detergents contact surfactants that help loosen the hold that contaminants have on the object, while the cavitation effect stemming from the high-frequency sound waves hitting the object produces millions of microscopic bubbles that blast away at the grime. Together, both ultrasonic cleaning and detergents form a powerful dynamic cleaning duo.

How do you choose the right cleaner?

There’s no exact answer, but you do have a few factors to consider. One of those is your setup and operation. You need to consider what you’re trying to clean and the regulations surrounding your work environment.

Another factor you should consider is the overall cost. Solvents are in general are more expensive than detergent solutions. Detergents are typically sold in highly concentrated form and work out to be much less expensive when you add water. Plus, you need to consider that you may be able to reuse some detergents more than you can with solvents, depending on whether you have a filtering system.

Another factor to keep in mind when looking at cost, as well as environmental impact, is the disposal of the used solvent or detergent. Properly disposing of some solvents may add quite a bit to your overall overhead costs. Some detergents may need minimal treatment before being disposed of, and others may use a technique called “bioremediation,” which uses unique microbes that clean up the solution, with only the addition of extra water and additional solution necessary periodically. Other maintenance for detergent-based systems may include filter changes, which are also inexpensive.

Don’t know whether solvents or detergents are best for your cleaning process? Why don’t you get some free advice? Contact one of our experts at Omegasonics at 888-989-5560 or email us at Omegasonics@Omegasonics.com. You can also get in touch with us by filling out our online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!

Two common industrial cleaning type machines: ultrasonic and agitation washers. In one sense, ultrasonic cleaning is agitation cleaning, just at a microscopic scale. Both kinds of cleaning have their benefits and uses and are used for precision and industrial parts cleaning across industries.

What is ultrasonic cleaning?

Ultrasonic cleaning makes use of the physical forces caused by ultrasonic sound waves moving through the liquid and striking against a hard surface. Ultrasonic waves are produced through electrical pulses traveling through a piezoelectric transducer. The transducer vibrates a diaphragm, which transmits the high-frequency sound waves through a liquid bath. These waves produce microscopic cavitation bubbles when they contact the surface of the object to be cleaned. As the bubbles form and collapse, they release high-powered plasma jets that dislodge stubborn grime from the object. Ultrasonic cleaning is used for a wide variety of industrial and precision cleaning applications, including machined parts, disaster restoration, and electronics cleaning.

What is agitation cleaning?

Agitation cleaning is merely another method of cleaning away stubborn grime from the surfaces of machine parts. It utilizes a combination of immersion in a surfactant or perhaps a solvent along with agitation, whether through drum rotation or a platform moving up and down in the liquid bath.
This type of cleaning requires objects that can stand being shaken and moved about without being damaged. Ideal objects that can be cleaned with this method include turbine blades, cylinder heads, pistons, and rods.
Agitation cleaning does a good job of getting the cleaning agent (detergent or solvent) into contact with the bulk of the object’s surface. It relies mostly on the chemical action of the surfactant used and requires the least amount of mechanical energy. It works best for situations where you have a lot of time to clean parts, since it may take hours for stubborn grime to be washed away.

So, which is better: ultrasonic cleaning or agitation cleaning?

The answer to whether ultrasonic cleaning or agitation cleaning is better depends on several factors:

—What are you trying to clean? If it’s a part that can stand up to rough handling, like a cylinder head, then either agitation or ultrasonic cleaning will probably work, though agitation may take longer. However, if it’s a more delicate or intricate part or object, it may be damaged by agitation. Ultrasonic cleaning provides an effective, but gentler method of cleaning every surface of even the most intricate objects.

—How much time do you have? If time is not much of a factor, then agitation may work for you. Admittedly, agitation cleaners can be cheaper and use less power, but the tradeoff is the amount of time it takes for them to clean parts. You have to consider whether it’s worth your time and money investment to have your cleaning operations be slow or inefficient. Calculate your ROI (Return on Investment) for both types of cleaners to see which one comes out ahead for your needs.

—What’s your budget? In general, agitation cleaners can cost less initially than ultrasonic cleaners. If you’re looking at a low spend, then you may want to consider an agitation cleaner. However, when you’re considering cost, you need to take into account the entire cost, including production time lost for cleaning, overall energy used, employee time spent, and so on. Return on Investment (ROI) is another significant cost factor. Depending on your operation, you may find that investing in an ultrasonic cleaner produces more significant savings in the long run by cutting down on production time lost to cleaning, for example.

Overall, whether ultrasonic or agitation cleaning is better depends on your operational needs and other factors. To get some guidance on the best type of cleaner for your situation, you should contact one of our experts at Omegasonics at 888-989-5560 or by emailing us at Omegasonics@Omegasonics.com. You can also get in touch with us by filling out our online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!

The traditional way involves messy and smelly chemicals and oils, taking apart the weapon, and painstaking scrubbing at each individual part and the inside of the barrel with wire brushes.

Thankfully, with the advent of ultrasonic cleaning, you can choose whether you want to clean your gun in the time-consuming traditional way or simply let the ultrasonic cleaning device do all the hard work for you–in a fraction of the time and more effectively. In fact, ultrasonic cleaning is 16 times more effective than manual methods of gun cleaning!

How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Gun Cleaning Work?

Ultrasonic cleaning uses the power of sound waves to achieve its incredible effects. Ultrasonic sound waves are generated by the device and pass through a liquid bath, which is often a detergent or oil solution. When the sound waves impact the immersed object to be cleaned, they produce millions of tiny bubbles. When these cavitation bubbles collapse, they release jets of intense energy, dislodging dirt and grime from every surface of the object to be cleaned. Ultrasonic cleaning is used across many industries, and it has revolutionized gun cleaning.

How to Clean Your Gun Using Ultrasonic Cleaners

One common question is whether ultrasonic sound waves could potentially damage gun parts, especially rubber and plastic. Hard polymers are generally safe in ultrasonic cleaners, and many law enforcement agencies are subjecting tritium night sights to ultrasonic waves without any damaging effects. Experts, however, discourage the cleaning of any soft polymer or rubberized items, such as pistol grips, in an ultrasonic system.

Simple field stripping of the gun into its main component parts is usually all that’s required to ensure a good, thorough cleaning with an ultrasonic device. If you follow the basic teardown procedure in the owner’s manual, then you can achieve a fast, professional cleaning without the added labor or expense of complete disassembly of the gun.

Steps to Clean Your Gun with an Ultrasonic Device

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. First, plug the device in and prepare the solution to be poured into the tank, following the label instructions on the ratio of solution to water. Once you immerse your gun, turn on the machine. Most firearms clean up nicely in 15 minutes or less, though if there is an unusual amount of carbon buildup, you may need to clean the gun for up to 30 minutes. Of course, this is still far less time than would be needed for traditional cleaning methods.

Once the time is up, take the gun out of the bath and inspect it. If there is still grime or fouling, you can either spot clean it by hand or run the ultrasonic cleaner longer. You may notice a sludge collecting at the bottom of the tank. This is normal. You can install a filter in tank which will catch this sludge, allowing you to collect and reuse the detergent solution.

Ultrasonic Lubrication Process

Once the cleaning is completed, it’s time for step two in the ultrasonic cleaning process – lubrication. Since the gun has just been deeply and intricately cleaned, the unprotected bore and intricate workings inside the frame need some penetrating lubrication to protect the surface metal from rust. Fortunately, there is an ultrasonic solution to this issue: a lubrication solution.

Ultrasonic lubricating solution not only oils all the gun’s parts but the ultrasonic action makes sure the oil evenly and thoroughly coats every surface. To lubricate the gun, just pour the premixed blend of solvents and water-displacing oil straight into the tank so all parts are covered, and turn on the ultrasonic cleaner for roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the gun is lubricated, drain the tank again (saving the lubricating solvent for reuse) and allow the parts to fully air-dry. When the lubricating solution dries, it’s advisable to add additional lubricating oil on all high-use moving parts to prevent wear or damage.

Although some may prefer the time investment and effort involved with cleaning their guns by hand, there is a faster and more effective alternative. In fact, ultrasonic cleaners provide the fastest, easiest, most effective firearm cleaning system available.

Want to know more about gun cleaning with ultrasonic cleaners? Contact the experts at Omegasonics and find out more at 888-989-5560 or email us at omegasonics@omegasonics.com

Some types of PLA can be removed with water and a surfactant, and decent results can be achieved using solvents and an agitating tank. However, the best and more thorough method is via cavitation formed by ultrasonic waves. The sound waves easily reach into all surfaces of the object, no matter how small or intricate the mold may be, clearing off PLA plastic without affecting the underlying ABS plastic that forms the intended molded object.

Many 3D-printed objects must be completely clean of PLA support or they will not work as designed. For example, artificial knees or teeth must be cleaned perfectly, or they may cause dangerous complications for the patient. Only ultrasonic cleaners can clean away PLA support structures and leave behind the pristine molded object.

Omegasonics’ ultrasonic cleaners gently remove PLA support structure materials from ABS, Polycarbonate, Nylon 12, PCABS and other thermoplastic types, providing thorough cleaning with even very intricate parts. Furthermore, ultrasonic cleaners are less expensive than recirculating tank-style washers, are easy to use, and require very little setup or training.

How do Ultrasonic Cleaners Work?

Omegasonics’ cutting-edge ultrasonic cleaners use electric generators to create high-frequency sound waves in water. As these waves travel through the water, tiny vacuum bubbles form and repeatedly implode upon any surface they encounter, an effect called cavitation. Cavitation releases enormous amounts of energy at microscopic levels, removing even the tiniest dirt particles. Cavitating bubbles reach into grooves, cracks and hidden crevices more effectively than alternative methods, cleaning them more thoroughly than solvents and other harsh chemicals could ever do. Furthermore, ultrasonic cleaning technology only uses water-based soaps and solutions for a “greener” cleaning approach.

Plastic Absorbs Ultrasonic Waves

Getting the right wattage in your tank matters, especially when it comes to plastics. Unlike metal, which can easily reflect cavitation bubbles off its hard surfaces–even at lower wattage levels of ultrasonic waves, plastics absorb larger amounts of ultrasonic energy. This means that lower wattage tanks may not achieve the desired result. Balancing the proper amount of ultrasonic energy with the audible noise they create is the trick. While it is true that more ultrasonic power will clean faster, it will also create more ambient noise. Operators using these devices in an office environment may not tolerate the higher dB levels.

Ultrasonic Cleaning of 3D Printed Molds Means Faster ROI

Companies that choose ultrasonic cleaning of their 3D printed molds experience faster and more thorough cleaning. This translates to faster production and saved money and time for workers. Where before, parts would have to be cleaned by hand or inspected carefully after being agitated and then perhaps cleaned again, printed molds can be loaded into an ultrasonic cleaner, left to clean, and collected later. This means that employees previously engaged in cleaning and inspection of parts can now be reassigned to other revenue-generating activities.

Labor and money saved translates to a quick ROI (Return on Investment) for the expense of purchasing ultrasonic equipment–good news for purchasing managers! Companies that have purchased ultrasonic cleaners from Omegasonics have later returned to buy more after discovering their ease of use and benefit to their production line. In some cases, production time from concept to client has been moved up 24 hours!

Your company has invested a lot in 3D printers–for maximum ROI don’t skimp on the PLA cleaning part of your production cycle. Call us at 888-989-5560 or email us at omegasonics@omegasonics.com

Stay Off the Bottom

Your first inclination might be to just place the parts into the bath and let your cleaner do its job. The problem here is that your ultrasonic unit is designed to work with a basket. Placing the parts directly into the bath with nothing to hold them up off the bottom can lead to serious issues.

First, the weight of the parts on the bottom of the tank can interfere with the diaphragm in the tank. This is the part that moves and vibrates. With parts on the bottom you can interfere with the high frequency vibration and make your cleaner less effective.

You can also damage your parts. Since ultrasonic parts cleaners produce very high energy vibrations, putting your parts in direct contact with this part of the system can damage or break parts. Stay off the bottom of the tank. Use a basket instead!

Use a Rack or Basket in Your Cleaning System for Maximum Effectiveness

Your cleaner came with a basket or rack that will attach into the unit for holding parts. In some cases, you may have had custom holders designed for your specific parts. In order to get the cleanest parts possible and prevent damage, make sure to use your rack or basket for staging your parts.

The Materials of Your Rack or Basket Matter

Your rack should be made of stainless steel. This hard metal will translate any vibrational energy through to the parts. If you use a softer material, it may actually absorb the energy of the cleaner and make your unit less effective. Never use a plastic basket.

If your parts are particularly sensitive to scratching or easily damaged, there are racks available that have Nylobond or Teflon coatings that can prevent damage.

Single File for All Parts

Make sure to arrange all of your parts on the rack in a single layer. This ensures that the cleaning fluid can move and circulate fully around each of the parts. It also helps to keep the parts clean when removing them from the solution. Multiple layers can actually deposit dirt and debris on the layers below them.

Trust Omegasonics for Your Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Units

Omegasonics has a wide variety of ultrasonic cleaning units for your business, especially if you want ultrasonic parts cleaning. 

Dentist offices have a device called an ultrasonic cleaner that they use for getting their instruments and dentures clean. The good news is that you too can have one of these units to do your own ultrasonic cleaning for dentures!

How Does an Ultrasonic Cleaner Work?

Ultrasonic cleaning uses a property called cavitation in order to clean your dentures. The process is rather simple. The device is filled with a bath of water or denture safe cleaning solution. Your dentures are placed into a tray or basket that is submerged into the pool. There is a diaphragm that vibrates at a very high rate of speed that creates microscopic bubbles in the bath. Those bubbles then impact the surface of the dentures creating a scrubbing-type action. However, the energy that is released by cavitation is much higher than you could get simply by scrubbing with a brush. The microscopic bubbles can get into every crevice and pore in your dentures, and get them as clean as possible.

Don’t confuse an ultrasonic cleaner with a sonic unit. Sonic units operate at a much lower frequency and operate more like soaking in a bath. They do not use cavitation but simply the motion of the fluid around the dentures to clean them.

Does It Really Work?

Research has shown that soaking and brushing can only get your dentures so clean. Research from 2000 showed that when looking at the surface of dentures with an electron microscope there was a large amount of leftover debris. This is simply a result of all of the small nooks and pores that your dentures have. Brushing can’t be expected to be able to get into these small areas to clean.

What Is the Ultrasonic Cleaning Process?

How does the process work? Prior to using your ultrasonic unit, give your dentures a good thorough brushing. This will get large particles away and loosen up smaller particles, making it easier for the ultrasonic cleaner to work. Typically, you will fill a small denture cleaning unit with the cleaning solution that you use to clean your dentures. There are many different cleaning solutions out there to choose from.

Put your dentures into the unit. If you are going to be sharing the unit with another person, you could even put yours and theirs into a sealed bag of solution to ensure no mixing of germs.

Finally, you set the unit to go and walk away. The cycle will take around five minutes, and one cycle is typically enough to get your dentures clean. There may be cases that heavy stains will require more to get fully cleaned. 

Omegasonics Has What You Need for Ultrasonic Cleaning for Dentures. Go here to see what units we have that would help you with ultrasonic cleaning for dentures.