Supporting the defence industry with ultrasonic cleaning

Let’s start by outlining just what ultrasonic cleaning is before we delve into the ways in which it is beneficial to the defence industry.

“Ultrasonic cleaning uses high-frequency, high-intensity sound waves in a liquid to facilitate or enhance the removal of foreign contaminants from surfaces submerged in an ultrasonically activated tank.” Read more detail on the process.

The liquid used in the process is a key factor. Typically, it will be water mixed with a specific concentrated chemical. Though not just any water – deionised or distilled water is required for critical applications to avoid minerals being left once dry. And the chemical selected and its concentrate is decided based on the material and contaminate being cleaned.

Why is ultrasonic cleaning ideal in defence scenarios?

Once determinations have been made around the liquid being used, ultrasonic solutions are a beneficial cleaning method in the defence industry. This is because it can reach blind holes where other methods won’t reach, essentially, everywhere the water touches there is cleaning action.

And because this cleaning method is a non-contact and non-abrasive process there is no risk of human error or physical damage such as mechanical scratching which is common in manual scrubbing methods.

Benefits of ultrasonic cleaning on critical parts:

• Micro tolerances of parts remain intact
• No micro-scratching
• No foreign debris is introduced

Furthermore, this method supports achieving the micron-level cleanliness determined by clauses Def Stans and DEFCONs by the UK Government and Ministry of Defence.

Supporting MRO

Under maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) of existing parts, companies are faced with a choice to either throw the dirty / contaminated parts away and buy new ones or try to clean them. We support their decision to ‘make’ rather than ‘buy’ as we’re able to make the part usable again via cleaning and refurbishment.

Restoring an existing component to precision levels of cleanliness is vastly superior to ordering replacement parts. As it keeps mission-critical components in rotation, it avoids long supply chain delays and removes the expense of sourcing new components and cuts out the procurement paperwork.

Examples of where our cleaning solutions can support the defence industry:

• Tank engines, gear boxes and oil lines
• Submarine panels
• Aerospace hooks and jigs

We have even cleaned parts that have gone into space, such as O-rings and busbars that have critical roles within satellites. These needed to be cleaned to O2 cleaning standard, which eliminates fire or explosion vulnerability due to flammable contaminants. To achieve this our team worked to precise standards and took precautions to prevent recontamination. The O2 standard was then verified by a third party who conducted particle analysis to ensure the parts conformed.

As a company, we’re geared up to work with and support the defence industry not just through our comprehensive cleaning solutions but also through our JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register) award and Cyber Essentials accreditation. Both of which are critical business requirements for working within the defence and aerospace sectors.

So, if you’re asking whether to ‘make or buy’ critical components in response to debris and contamination, why not speak to our team about our extensive cleaning solutions and explore the benefits it can have to your time and bottom-line.