Citation
(2003), "Ultrasonic cleaning is fast, effective and solvent free", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775cad.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
Ultrasonic cleaning is fast, effective and solvent free
Ultrasonic cleaning is fast, effective and solvent free
Ultrasonic consoles from Ransohoff plc. are said to offer the latest in parts cleaning and degreasing technology. A wide range of industrial cleaning operations can be accommodated. More specialised applications cover the cleaning of manufactured parts and production tooling in machining cells, where maintaining absolute cleanliness of the finished products is of paramount importance, which includes the aerospace and other quality-critical operations (Plate 3).
Plate 3 The Washmaster WMGM-1 console in "the grease monkey" range of ultrasonic cleaning equipment available from Ransohoff plc.
The Washmaster WMGM-I console is part of "the grease monkey" range. The range claims a high level of performance and reports a high degree of cleanliness achieved for even heavily dirt and grease laden products. Speed and effectiveness of cleaning production quantities of small or intricate parts, where only cutting oil or grinding dust is the contaminant, are said to be a feature of the range. Absolute cleaning and degreasing is stated to be fully automatic and is achieved without manual sorting, brushing or scrubbing. It is also said to be achieved irrespective of the complex geometry of parts, even where blind holes or hidden cavities are involved. This ensures that workforce personnel can be used more productively, ensuring quick payback of an initial investment.
The WMGM-I console has 460 x 460 x 460 mm stainless steel tank and is supplied with a wire mesh holding basket. It features 2,000 W x 40 kHz of ultrasonic cleaning power to generate a high pressure micro agitation within the cleaning solution, which is simply water containing a small amount of neutral detergent. According to Ransohoff, no harsh solvents are used, which eliminates problems within the workplace environment as well as minimising disposal costs for spent fluids and dirt residues. A 4 kW immersion heater is also fitted to achieve water temperatures of 60-65°C (variable), making the units suitable for use with hard plastic components and all metallic objects. A timer is incorporated so that the duration of the cleaning cycles can be set for lightly contaminated through to heavily coated products.
A weir and sparger are used to constantly remove floating oil and grease with an oil skimmer available as an extra optional. Additional two-stage filtration is also provided to remove particulate debris down to 50 microns. This ensures that cleaned products are not re-contaminated when removed from the tank at the end of the cleaning cycle. The console lid is designed to act as a drain shelf with the products flash drying quickly after removal from the heated water. The console is also mobile, making it ideal for multi-location duties within a busy machine shop.
Details available from: Ransohoff plc. Tel: +44 (0)1274 729341; Fax: +44 (0) 1274 370799; E-mail: dhill@ransohoff.co.uk; Web site: www.ransohoff.co.uk