Posts by Rachel Kohn
Ultrasonic Cleaner Hints
You know the routine. Chances are you’ve done it yourself. If the recipe calls for a tablespoon of oregano you think well, two tablespoons will make it taste better. If directions say bake at 325⁰F you think well, if I bake at 425⁰F it will be done faster. That’s not the always the case for recipes and it certainly is not the case when you operate an ultrasonic cleaner.
How to Prepare Ultrasonic Cleaning Solution from Concentrate
This is the recipe portion of our introductory paragraph. Ultrasonic cleaning solution concentrates are formulated to be diluted with a specific amount of water. An example is the widely used general purpose elma tec A4 concentrate where the recommendation is dilution to 2% – 5% with water.
Now on the often mistaken theory of “more is better” you may be tempted to dump in … Read the rest
How to Clean Inkjet Cartridges
Inkjet cartridges can represent a significant expense for businesses large and small. Investing in an ultrasonic cleaner system might prove practical to refurbish inkjet cartridges after which they can be refilled using widely available cartridge refill kits. Cleaning inkjet cartridges is fast, safe and thorough with ultrasonic cavitation produced in tabletop ultrasonic cleaners such as the Elmasonic Select series available from Tovatech.
The process is faster than soaking the cartridge print heads in a hot water and rubbing alcohol mixture then blotting them dry. The ultrasonic cleaning cycle can be as short as 3 to 5 seconds but may take longer if the cartridge jets are clogged with dried ink residues. When cleaning is handled properly it is safer than cleaning by hand because there’s no temptation to use brushes on the print head surface. It is thorough because cleaning action penetrates openings that cannot be reached by … Read the rest
Time to Upgrade your Vaccine Refrigerator?
As of October 2013 predictions on the severity of the 2013-2014 flu season have not firmed according to the CDC, which notes on its website “Although epidemics of flu happen every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season varies from one year to another.” The CDC also states that flu activity commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February but can run from October to May.*
While timing, strains and severity are of concern to everyone, dispensers of flu shots must continually evaluate the performance of their vaccine refrigerators and vaccine freezers to be certain that they comply with CDC vaccine storage recommendations. This is especially important if you participate in the vaccines for children (VFC) program. To finance vaccine refrigeration upgrades check your remaining budget for 2013 or include it in the 2014 budget.
Key Points for Proper Vaccine Storage… Read the rest
Final Step Cleaning in Metal Fabricating
Product cleanliness is an important criterion for machine shops and metal fabricating shops producing parts meeting extremely tight tolerances. Removing all traces of cutting oils, dust, chips, turnings, polishing residues and other contaminants is necessary to ready newly fabricated and machined parts for shipping. Depending on the size of your facility an industrial or benchtop ultrasonic cleaner is your best solution to achieve optimum parts cleaning.
Ultrasonic cleaning is especially effective for fabricated or machined parts with intricate designs because the process acts on all surfaces immersed in specially formulated water-based biodegradable ultrasonic cleaning solutions. Hand scrubbing with brushes in solvent-filled wash tanks not only is time consuming; it cannot reach small crevices, blind holes and other tight spots or restricted areas. Moreover, solvent baths can be a health hazard and present disposal challenges.
How Ultrasonic Cleaners Work
Cleaning is accomplished by what is called cavitation. This is the implosion … Read the rest
How to Select a Digital Bench Scale
A bench scale is generally placed on – you guessed it – a bench or a countertop. A distinguishing characteristic of digital bench scales vs. platform scales is that the controls and display are part of the unit whereas a platform scale display is separate from the weighing platform.
Kern bench scales available from Tovatech have weighing ranges from 6 to 60 kg allowing them to support a broad range of applications. Most are available with standard disposable battery power or optional rechargeable battery power in addition to line power. This is a big plus if you need portability or perform weighing operations beyond the reach of an outlet.
Specifying Digital Bench Scales
This is a straightforward process until it comes to added bells and whistles you may require for your operations. First the basics:
At the top of your list is the maximum weight the scale can handle. If … Read the rest
Specifying Tips for Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaners
First of all, for the purpose of this post let’s define an industrial ultrasonic cleaner. Most simply they are floor mounted or wheel mounted when compared with tabletop ultrasonic cleaners. Basic ultrasonic cleaning technology is the same. The size of the parts being cleaned is high on the list of specification criteria, but also important are the steps employed to achieve the desired level of cleanliness. An example of where an industrial unit might be called for is our post on cleaning vehicle transmissions.
Cleaning Tank Size
Ultrasonic cleaning tank size is governed by the part or parts being cleaned. This also determines the amount of ultrasonic cleaning solution required to fill the tank – allowing for displacement due to parts being cleaned.
Tank size must take into account working depth to assure that parts being … Read the rest
What you should know about Lab Refrigerator Alarms
In this post we take a bit of liberty with Murphy’s Law (If something can go wrong it will) and apply it to safe storage of pharmaceuticals, biologicals and other temperature-sensitive products in scientific refrigerators and freezers. Indeed, many of our posts deal with temperature control and temperature monitoring/recording systems for this equipment. Here we focus on the third part of the equation: laboratory refrigerator and freezer temperature alarming systems.
Why Temperature Alarms are Critical
What can go wrong? Perhaps a power failure is first to come to mind. If your facility does not have an emergency generator that immediately comes on line you need a backup plan to … Read the rest
How to Calculate Vaccine Storage Requirements
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the timing of the flu season can vary but most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May.
Healthcare facilities should be preparing for the 2013-14 flu season by first making certain that they have the required number of doses on hand and the proper refrigeration equipment for vaccine storage. This post will take a look at both issues.
How to Calculate Vaccine Doses
Calculating vaccine doses you will need for a flu season is based, logically, on the number you typically administer during a flu season. In all likelihood you may use more refrigerated vaccine than frozen vaccine.
In making your calculations keep in mind that the CDC suggest maintaining a 60-day supply but ordering replacement stock (if needed) … Read the rest
Tips to Avoid Surface Contamination after Sonic Cleaning
Ultrasonic cleaning practices generally focus on cleaning solution chemistries best suited to products being cleaned and contaminants removed. Other posts on this site describe the importance of cleaning solutions to a satisfactory cleaning process.
But what happens immediately after cleaning has equal importance to your ultrasonic cleaning process. Procedures should be in place to reduce or prevent deposition or re-introducing contaminants that negate what would otherwise be a successful cleaning operation. Here’s a short list:
- Cleaning solutions can deposit residues if not immediately rinsed off
- Rust and other forms of oxidation, tarnish and corrosion may result if surfaces are not protected
- Dust particles, condensation, oil mists and other airborne contaminants can land on cleaned surfaces
Post-Cleaning Rinsing
Contaminants removed during ultrasonic cleaning remain in the cleaning solution and can be carried out as deposits on the products when the basket is … Read the rest
When to Specify Flammable Refrigerators
There are many documented cases of severe damage due to explosions of volatile products stored in standard household refrigerators. The explosion is initiated when volatile fumes or products are ignited by sparks created by unit electronics such as internal lighting, thermostats, fans, and compressor cycling. In addition to property damage severe personnel injuries or even death can result when doors are blown off and contents scattered throughout the area. Attempting to make standard refrigerators into flammable refrigerators or flammable-safe refrigerators by removing potential sources of sparks not only will void warranties but also is definitely not the correct solution.
Flammable Materials Defined
According to OSHA, NFPA (National Fire Protection … Read the rest
