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Rust is a potential problem whenever ferrous parts are being cleaned.  There are several options available to prevent or eliminate rusting both during and after the parts cleaning process.  Steel will rust if it is exposed to oxygen and moisture as discussed in the blog Some Things You Should Know About Rust. Although iron oxide (rust) gets … Continued

Of the five senses, hearing would probably rank #2 in importance to most people with sight being the most important.  I, personally, rank hearing as #1 in importance for me although I won’t get into the details of why that is so.  I’ve been exposed to ultrasonic sources for my entire working life and, over the years, have tried … Continued

There was an error in the chart showing cavitation bubble size vs. ultrasonic frequency in the blog published on December 14, 2011.  The bubble size was incorrect by an order of magnitude.  The correction can be seen at Ultrasonics – Number and Size of Cavitation Bubbles I apologize for the error and any mis-understandings it … Continued

Recently, there has been a lot of attention directed at the new and expanding range of ultrasonic frequencies available in advanced design ultrasonic cleaning equipment. The result has been that there has been a de-emphasis on the “workhorse” frequencies that started it all, 25 and 40kHz.  The fact is that the vast majority of industrial ultrasonic cleaning … Continued

In the past week or so, I have had several people walk into my office and ask a question that has been popular for as long as I can remember – – “What is the ratio of cross section to depth that defines the cleanability of a blind hole?”  As is so often the case in … Continued

Most cleaning processes are comprised of a number of discreet steps.  A wash followed by one or more rinses and then a dry would be a typical cleaning process.  As parts being cleaned are moved from one process step to the next, they are vulnerable to potential risks by conditions not directly related to cleaning.  Whether related … Continued

When everything is going well and final inspectors are finding nothing but acceptably clean parts, cleaning can be a pretty boring part of the overall production process.  As soon as a dirty part shows up, however, it seems that cleaning becomes the focus in the investigation to find out what’s gone wrong.  It is automatically … Continued

We all know that temperature is an important parameter in cleaning and cleaning-related processes.  Too little and cleaning will be ineffective.  Too much can lead to possible chemical separation, part degradation and loss of ultrasonic cavitation.  So providing the proper temperature is mandatory for the best cleaning result.  Sounds easy?  Well, yes and no – consider … Continued

In the preceding blog I indicated that liquid in process tanks can be heated by the effects of ultrasonics and pumping as well as by surface-mounted or immersion heaters.  The fact is that some process tanks may require cooling, not heating, to remain at the desired temperature.  Since we have looked at the possible sources … Continued

A reader has asked about the possibility of using ultrasonics to wash dishes. He writes – – – “Ultrasonic cleaning in a dishwashing application is something that I am currently interested in. Having read some of your other blog posts which mention sequential use of turbulation in the liquid to supplement the ultrasonics, I was … Continued