If you skimp on cost when purchasing an ultrasonic cleaning system for your business, you may find that while you save money up front, you will end up spending more money down the road on such things as electricity, detergent, replacement parts, time and energy

In today’s video, Frank shares characteristics that vary between makers of ultrasonic cleaning systems, which can result in higher costs if you decide to go with a less expensive system.

A Wide Variety of Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems

Remember that in today’s market, there are hundreds of different ultrasonic cleaning systems that are made and sold by dozens of different manufacturers and at wildly varying cost points. Here are some of the important factors to keep in mind when choosing an ultrasonic system.

Tank Size

Smaller capacity units cost less than those with bigger tanks, but may crowd parts and be less efficient at cleaning, which can result in dirty parts, or longer running times to get parts clean.

Wall Thickness.

Most cleaning systems are constructed of stainless steel, which is very expensive. Going with a cheaper, thinner wall tank, however, will result in the walls being more susceptible to the high frequency vibrations used in the cleaning process, and eventually will erode, crack, and leak.

Ultrasonic Transducers

In an ultrasonic system, the more transducers acting on the fluid, the more clean the parts will be. Lower cost cleaners use fewer transducers which requires a longer run time, or results in parts that aren’t fully cleaned.

Temperature Control

Ultrasonic cleaning systems work best when the detergent solution is maintained at an even 110-150 degrees. Cheaper systems may use lower-quality thermostats which don’t maintain a consistent temperature, so heating and run time will vary from batch to batch. As with other aspects of less expensive units, this can result in longer run times, or even possibly damaging parts if the temperature runs too hot.

Circulating Filtration Systems

When an ultrasonic cleaning system cleans, the removed contaminants fall to the bottom of the tank as sludge, or float to the top if oil and grease. These contaminants can interfere with the cleaning process. Higher end cleaners are usually fitted with filtration systems that can remove contaminants. Cheaper ones don’t always have built-in filtration, and will cost extra money in draining and detergent.

Accessories for Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems

Finally, higher-end systems have accessories included that usually have to be purchased separately with less expensive units. These accessories include baskets and trays, which are essential for keeping parts elevated during cleaning, and tank covers, which help keep the solution at a constant temperature and prevent evaporation.

When deciding between different ultrasonic cleaning systems, you don’t have to go with the most expensive one on the market, but if you go with the cheapest option available, you may find yourself spending more money in the long run.

With the right combination of heat, detergent and time, there’s almost nothing that an ultrasonic cleaner cannot get clean. There, however, are a lot of crazy myths and misinformation about the use of ultrasonic cleaners.

In the video below, Frank Pedeflous busts a number of the most common myths about what ultrasonic cleaning systems can and cannot do.

Myth #1 – Aluminum can’t be used in an ultrasonic cleaner. This myth is entirely false. Ultrasonic systems can handle almost any metal from aluminum to stainless steel to magnesium; even brass and titanium are safe in an ultrasonic system, provided that you use a compatible detergent. These systems are very versatile, and there are few if any metals that they cannot handle.

Myth #2 – Ultrasonic cleaning systems will cause damage to solder joints on circuit boards. This rumor is also quite false. Contrary to popular belief, ultrasonic cleaners do not shake dirt off the parts, which could damage a PCB, but instead create microscopic cavitation bubbles which dislodge contaminants and draw them away from the surface. As such, if ultrasonic systems are set to the proper cleaning frequency, they, in fact, are a very safe way of cleaning PCBs.

Myth #3 – Ultrasonic cleaning systems just don’t work. This rumor is all-too-common, and fortunately is also completely untrue. It is more than likely that this myth originated with someone misusing the machinery in some way, by using the wrong chemicals, too short or too long of a cleaning time, the wrong temperature settings, or a machine that was too small for the job at hand. If used properly, with the right combination of chemicals, cleaning time and temperature, ultrasonic cleaning system can handle just about any job, and handle it well.

Myth #4 – The longer you clean equipment, the cleaner it becomes. This rumor has a grain of truth. Generally speaking, just as with any cleaning system, if you run a cleaner for a full cycle the equipment is clean. Do you need to run to run the equipment for more time? No, once the contaminants are gone, the equipment is clean. If the equipment is entirely clean, going through another cycle does not make a difference.

Myth #5 – Ultrasonic cleaners don’t sterilize. This claim is 100% false. In fact, many dentist offices and other medical practices use ultrasonic cleaners to clean their equipment and parts. These cleaning systems can completely sterilize to remove bacteria, mold, and any other contaminant.

Myth #6 – Parts have to be wiped before placing in an ultrasonic cleaner. This claim is somewhat false. Getting into the habit of wiping parts down does help keep the machine clean and create less cleaning times. The cleaner, however, can remove any amount of dirt and grime all on its own. There is no requirement to “pre-clean” parts.

While we must know exactly what the parts are made of and the types of contaminants we’re removing before we can make a final decision on a cleaning solution, having a general knowledge of the different categories of solutions will get us in the right ballpark so we can fine-tune our selection to meet specific needs. Different cleaning solutions excel at cleaning different types of contaminants in ultrasonic cleaners. Omegasonics explains the different solutions available.

Not all contaminants are removed equally well by all detergents, even when used in ultrasonic cleaners. The substrate, or part, also factors into the type of cleaner that can be used, otherwise, we’d just use the most powerful cleaner we could get our hands on. Seventy percent sulfuric acid may work great at removing scale, but it also removes the carbon steel beneath the scale in short order. Compromises must be made to get the right combination of contamination removal and part protection during ultrasonic cleaning.

Here is a closer look at some of the more common cleaning solutions we use in our ultrasonic cleaners:

Alkaline Solutions – These cleaning solutions typically have a pH of about 11.0, and are usually free of phosphates and caustics. At this lower strength and slightly elevated pH, they are considered “general purpose” cleaners, and do a good job of removing oil, grease, and carbon deposits, in addition to dirt and dust. Some solutions add rust inhibitors to prevent susceptible metals from oxidizing or rusting after we remove them from  ultrasonic cleaners.

Acidic Solutions – Cleaning solutions that are acid based typically have a pH of around 4.0, although some go as low as 2.5 to provide effective cleaning. They are mildly effective in  removing oil, grease, and cutting fluids, but are best suited for removing scale, oxidation, and tarnish.

Citrus-based Cleaners – One specific type of acidic cleaning solution that deserves special mention are citrus cleaners. It is a mildly acidic formulation that is often also considered to be a general purpose cleaner, yet is excellent at passivating various grades or staninless steel and titanium. Passivation is the process of removing free iron molecules from the surface of these specific metals to create a rust free surface. This process is used extensively in the aerospace, medical and food industries.

Enzymatic Detergents – Enzymatic detergents are ideal for removing protein-based contaminants such as blood, excrement, human tissue, mold, mildew, and bacteria. These solutions are commonly used to clean medical and dental instruments as well as food-grade equipment. This type of solution also does an excellent job of not only removing cutting fluids and oils from parts, but also digesting them so they leave no residue behind in our ultrasonic cleaners.

De-ionized Water – While not specifically a type of detergent or solution, de-ionized (DI) water is nonetheless a phenomenal cleaner for any part that can be exposed to water. DI water will remove surface contaminants, flux residue, some oils, molds, mildews, bacteria, and mineral deposits from parts.

It seems to fly in the face of everything our moms taught us when we were children (“You BETTER have used soap to wash those hands, mister”), but in some cases de-ionized (DI) water does a more effective job than cleaning with other solutions. De-ionized water is an effective agent to use in ultrasonic cleaning systems when parts cannot be subjected to even mild detergents. Omegasonics explains why.

To understand why DI water works so well for ultrasonic cleaning, we first need to understand what it is. Water we get from the Earth, whether it comes from the ground, the surface, or the air, contains some level of contaminants, dissolved minerals, and organic substances; this includes materials such as dirt or dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, algae, spores, salts, halogens, metals, and other organic and inorganic matter.

Passing this water through filters can remove a good portion of the particulate and organic content, but water must be demineralized, or de-ionized, to remove all of the other compounds dissolved in the water. DI water is pure, with only trace amounts of any other substance (in the parts-per-billion or –trillion range).

When used in ultrasonic cleaning applications, DI water acts like a sponge. It absorbs contaminants and particles readily, and cleans actively. Its purity promotes the formation of cavitation bubbles in ultrasonic cleaners. It is a diverse cleaner, removing a wide range of contaminants from parts. When it is used with a detergent, its lack of mineral content allows the detergent to focus on cleaning the part, not removing contamination from the water itself.

DI water is also excellent as a second-stage rinsing agent to remove all trace amounts of cleaning solution left behind after parts have been washed in a detergent. Parts can be placed in a bath of DI water for rinsing, or put through a short second ultrasonic cleaning cycle in DI water. In either case, the cleaning effectiveness of DI water improves if it is heated slightly to around 110 to 120° F.

For the best possible results, we should use DI water in all stages of a counter-current multi-stage cleaning system to avoid re-contaminating parts. This will also leave a spot-free surface behind when dry.

It’s important to understand that not all parts can be cleaned only with DI water. Some materials like grease, oil, and carbon are difficult to remove with water (no matter how pure it is), and need the helping hand of a detergent.

But for those parts that can be harmed by detergents, ultrasonic cleaning with DI water is a very effective way of getting them clean, and also works as an efficient rinse agent to remove all traces of cleaning solution from parts that must be clean and spotless.

Contact us for more information on ultrasonic cleaners. You can also find us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Solar panels are constructed of solar cells, which are made of delicate materials coated with thin metal films.

Harsh cleaning procedures would damage the components, rendering them ineffective or completely useless.

The cells are made of special photovoltaic glass with thin laser-cut grooves. If the grooves aren’t clean, short-circuits are created that reduce the electricity-generating capabilities of the cell.

Furthermore, thin metal coatings are deposited onto the glass, and, once again, if the glass isn’t perfectly clean, the film will be contaminated. Ultrasonic cleaning is used to clean the glass before metal deposition to ensure a clean bonding surface on the delicate material.

When solar cells are assembled, wires are soldered to one side to connect several in series. The soldering process leaves flux residue behind, and once again ultrasonic cleaning is required to remove the flux before the connected cells are assembled into a solid panel. Leaving the flux behind would allow its acidic nature to eat away at the solder itself, eventually destroying the connection between the cells and thus the integrity of the entire panel.

Ultrasonic cleaning is one of the few technologies that will safely clean photovoltaic cells effectively, and is preferred by manufacturers for that reason. The process is gentle, an absolute requirement for the fragile wafers that comprise the core of a solar cell.

The minute grooves etched into the glass can only be reached and cleaned effectively by ultrasonic cleaning. And ultrasonic cleaning will not damage the thin metal films deposited on the surfaces of the glass like other cleaning processes can. In addition, the low power usage required for an ultrasonic cleaner, along with the environmentally safe detergents it employs, makes creating green energy sources like solar panels, an environmental win-win.

During the entire component-manufacturing-and-assembly process, ultrasonic cleaning is required at specific stages to ensure that the cells and panels work as designed and stay efficient in service.

The delicate photovoltaic glass and the thin metal films applied to it must be completely free of contamination, and ultrasonic cleaning ensures that the glass and films remain intact when foreign materials need to be removed.

A final cleaning before assembly ensures that no residual chemicals are inadvertently sealed into the finished panel, an error that would render the panel useless over time. Solar panels provide green energy, and green ultrasonic cleaning processes and chemicals complete the circle of environmental responsibility.

Contact us for more information on ultrasonic cleaners. You can also find us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Cleaning Without Solvents

Our clients buy ultrasonic cleaning units because they produce cleaner parts in less time, with less labor, and without the use of solvents. This, generally, all adds up to lower costs for our clients.

Regardless of the industry we are dealing with or the exact cleaning application, several if not all of these advantages pertain.

Our sales message can get somewhat redundant because in every industry, companies ranging from machine shops to disaster restoration companies to gun shops to musical instrument shops basically do the same thing. They have traditionally used a petroleum based solvent to degrease an oily, dirty part by soaking it and then scrubbing it by hand with some type of a brush. Pretty tedious and not very consistent. Imagine doing this for 8 hours a day-do you think the quality of your cleaning at 4 o’clock in the afternoon is as good as 9am when you are fresh. Hardly.

With an ultrasonic cleaning unit, the machine does the work consistently throughout the day in some type of water based cleaning soap. The labor required is basically loading a basket with the parts to be cleaned and dropping it into the tank and turning on the ultrasound. Scrubbing of parts ranges from almost nothing to not at all.

So that’s it in a nutshell. If you have a tedious parts cleaning predicament, ultrasound is very likely an answer for you.