Posts by Bob Sandor
Sonic Cleaning Adhesive Gun and Spray Paint Nozzles
We sometimes get a question along the lines “Can I use a sonic cleaner to clean sprayer tips?”
There’s lots of advice on the Internet for cleaning adhesive gun and spray paint nozzles. Many involve time-consuming manual cleaning and/or the use of volatile solvents such as acetone. A better way is sonic cleaning adhesive gun and spray paint nozzles using a benchtop ultrasonic cleaner. In combination with specially formulated cleaning solutions and accessories, an ultrasonic cleaner speeds the process and helps achieve fast, satisfactory results.
This post provides ideas on cleaning hot melt adhesive gun nozzles and spray paint nozzles for oil-based and water-based paints using the power of ultrasonic cavitation. It includes equipment recommendations when using flammable solvents and accessories that add efficiency to the process.
But first…..
How Sonic Energy Cleans Adhesive Gun and Spray Paint Nozzles
For those of you not fully familiar with the power … Read the rest
Picking the Best Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaner
The best industrial ultrasonic cleaner is one capable of removing tenacious contaminants and operating over long periods of time regardless of part size. The parts may be large, such as automotive engine transmissions, or small. So when you pick the best ultrasonic cleaner for your requirements, the first criterion to consider is its tank size, or its cleaning solution capacity.
This post provides selection criteria to consider for benchtop and floor mounted models plus industrial ultrasonic cleaners designed to safely handle volatile solvents.
More info on ultrasonic cleaning can be found in our post on how ultrasonic cleaners work.
Selection Steps for the Best Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaner
Be Sure your Unit will Handle the Parts
- Your best industrial ultrasonic cleaner is one allowing parts to be fully immersed in the cleaning solution. Check what is called the working depth of an ultrasonic cleaner.
This is defined as the distance
Specifying an Ultrasonic Cleaner Machine
An ultrasonic cleaner machine is often first choice for cleaning or processing operations across a broad spectrum of industry. This is borne out by a Polaris Market Research report noting that the market “is anticipated to grow from USD 1.37 billion in 2024 to USD 2.23 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period.”
Why is this?
Ultrasonic cleaner machines are unsurpassed when it comes to removing contaminants from virtually any hard surface that can be safely immersed in a cleaning solution.
They are also widely used in the pharmaceutical and other processing industries as sonicator baths because of their ability to disperse, mix and dissolve samples.
The challenge is specifying your ultrasonic cleaner, its accessories, cleaning solution formulations, and cleaning procedures to accomplish tasks in the most efficient manner.
This post provides specification tips for an ultrasonic cleaning machine. It concludes with examples of where … Read the rest
Ultrasonic Gun Cleaning Tank for Firearms
Investments in firearms by individuals and organizations can be substantial, and a regular cleaning regimen helps protect that investment. A MilMag article titled “Weapons Cleaning for Dummies” notes that of four methods described ultrasound “is the most firearm friendly method…” then explains what is involved in the process.
Here you will learn how to use an ultrasonic gun cleaning tank to maintain firearms. It offers you guidance on when and how to use gun cleaning solvents and lubricants, explains why ultrasonic gun cleaning tank is a wise investment for maintaining firearms, and offers equipment options for you to consider.
Cleaning Solvents for Firearms
Firearm owners may be aware of many gun cleaning “solvents” available on the market, but just what is a solvent? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a solvent is “ordinarily a liquid in which other materials dissolve in order to form a solution.”
Ultrasonic Cleaning – an
… Read the restHow to Select an Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaner
Industrial and commercial ultrasonic cleaners can represent a sizeable investment. The global market, including industrial ultrasonic cleaners, is expected to reach $2.43 billion by 2028 according to Data Bridge Market Research. The report states that this represents a CAGR of 5.85% between 2021 and 2028, and that “Rising industrialization and growth in the number of manufacturing industries will emerge as the major market growth driving factor.”
The information in this article will help you select the correct industrial ultrasonic cleaner.
Defining an Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaner
The job to be done – not the size of the cleaner or items being cleaned – defines a commercial ultrasonic cleaner. Heavy-duty ultrasonic parts washing usually means long-term (multi-hour) cleaning cycles, which calls for more rugged construction including heavier gauge stainless steel cleaning tanks. These are available as benchtop and floor mounted units, which brings us to the first specification tip.
Make
… Read the restHPLC Flow Meter Cleaning Tips
Digital high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) flow meters measure the accuracy of HPLC pumping systems to meet FDA and other regulations for equipment used in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and other analytical labs. Maintaining digital HPLC flow meters is a part of good laboratory practices.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography Market Growth
According to a report by Verified Market Research, “The High Performance Liquid Chromatography Market size was valued at USD 5,335.31 Million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 8,084.56 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.57% from 2023 to 2030.”
The report states the HPLC market “is anticipated to develop throughout the forecasted period as a result of the increasing usage of liquid chromatography equipment in forensic science, life sciences, and the pharmaceutical industry.”
What Do Digital HPLC Flow Meters Do?
Skip this if you already know.
Digital flow meters for HPLC pump systems measure rates … Read the rest
Ultrasonic Cleaner Degas: Why it’s Important
Getting the best results from your ultrasonic cleaner requires more than turning it on and immersing parts in the cleaning solution. Whether using a fresh cleaning solution or one that has been idle for a period of time, an ultrasonic cleaner degassing procedure yields improved cleaning results. Here we explain why and how the degas procedure is important.
What is Ultrasonic Cleaner Degassing?
In a sentence, it is getting the air (a gas) out of your ultrasonic cleaning solution.
And why is that important?
Let’s start with a simple illustration. In the morning, the glass of water you placed on your night stand the night before (but did not drink) has bubbles adhering to the glass. That demonstrates that water, a liquid, contains air.
The same applies to ultrasonic cleaning solution formulations, especially but not exclusively those you dilute with water. Examples include cleaning solution chemicals offered by iUltrasonic, our … Read the rest
Efficiently Clean Machined Parts with Ultrasonic Cleaner
Cleaning finely machined parts with ultrasonic energy avoids damage by abrasive compounds and mechanical scrubbing to remove grinding dust, metal shavings, lubricants, cutting and coolant fluid residues. That’s why ultrasonic cleaners are widely used to prepare machined parts for final assembly or for further processing steps such as electroplating and powder coating.
Ultrasonic cleaning machined parts avoid surface damage while eliminating time-consuming soaking then scrubbing parts with potentially dangerous solvents.
Ultrasonic Energy, the Fast, Clean way to Clean Machined Parts
Ultrasonic cleaners, as noted below, are offered in sizes from benchtop to floor-mounted industrial units. They use biodegradable cleaning solution concentrates such as elma tec clean A4 universal degreaser to quickly and safely remove all forms of contaminants from finely finished machined parts.
Another cleaning … Read the rest
Using Acetone Solvent as an Ultrasonic Bath
Acetone, a solvent and thinner available in paint and hardware stores, carries on its container a warning that it is extremely flammable and quickly evaporates. These two characteristics are always important to users but particularly important when acetone solvent is used as a degreaser in ultrasonic bath for residue-free removal of contaminants. This post provides information on the safe use of acetone solvent as an ultrasonic bath.
But first, some background.
Why Caution is Critical with Acetone
Acetone and similar solvents such as toluene and IPA are characterized by relatively low flash points.
A flash point is the temperature at which a particular organic compound such as an acetone cleaner gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in air when given an ignition source. And as noted above, acetone evaporates quickly.
The American Chemical Society publishes a table of common organic solvents that includes flash points. Acetone’s flash point … Read the rest
Selecting a Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner
Just as soapy hot water is better than cold for cleaning greasy dishes, pots and pans (and even you!), a heated ultrasonic cleaner solution often “works best” solving tough cleaning challenges. That’s why you should select a heated ultrasonic cleaner to remove deposits of heavy grease, burned on carbon deposits and grime from used engine parts, cutting oils from newly machined components, residues in plastic injection molds, and similarly difficult cleaning challenges.
The Role of a Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner
If you are new to the process of ultrasonic cleaning, we invite you to review our post on how ultrasonic cleaners work. Otherwise, please continue reading about selecting a heated ultrasonic cleaner.
Fast, safe and efficient ultrasonic cleaning cycles call for a judicious blend these variables:
- cleaning solution chemicals
- cleaning solution temperature
- cleaning cycle time
- ultrasonic frequency
Cleaning solution chemicals are selected based on the project … Read the rest