Four months ago I, along with many others, informed my customers and suppliers of how we were going to operate during lockdown. It seems like a lifetime ago, but now it appears that it is time for life to start again. So I would like to spell out how we at Sonic solutions are going to operate for the foreseeable future.
- We will be operating during our normal working hours. Indeed throughout lockdown we have operated our normal working hours but with a skeleton staff but from August onwards we are operating at full capacity again.
- We are making visits, and we are accepting visitors. Of course we shall be taking all sensible precautions, with face masks, distancing and hand washing facilities available.
- With the reduced activity levels during lockdown we have been able to produce a large bank of information in both blog and video format. They are designed to provide useful information and guides to cleaning your parts, showing what we do, how we do it, and the benefits to you. And they are freely available at the links below;
59 info blogs available at https://sonicsolutionsltd.com/knowledge-centre/
29 videos available at https://www.youtube.com/c/Sonicsolutionsltdultrasoniccleaning/videos?view_as=subscriber
- Talk more with our customers and suppliers. About what they wanted and what they could offer. During this we have discovered many things about ourselves, some good and some not so good! We aim to build on the former and change the latter.
As a result, we are changing certain things about how we operate;
- More conversations rather than e-mails;
- More video footage to communicate (a picture tells a thousand words);
- Increasing regularity and frequency of visits to potential and actual customers to deepen our understanding of their requirements;
- Higher service levels where we can add value.
- More flexible working hours, style and location to mirror our customers’ needs
If there is anything we’ve missed here let us know and we will do something about it!
We have survived Corona, now we’ve got to bounce forward from it! If we can help anyone on their journey out of Corona please let us know.
Sincerely,
Andrew Taylor – Managing Director
It has been an interesting couple of months at Sonic, and indeed for most of the world! Apart from surviving Covid-19 (so far !!) we are proud to announce that we now offer a pyrolysis/Burn-off/thermal stripping service, which will allow us to serve you EVEN better. More on this subject later. For those who don’t know what pyrolysis is I will try to explain what it is, and more importantly what benefits it gives you.
What actually is Pyrolysis? 🤔
Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of materials at temperatures between 310 and 540 C (depending on the contaminant to be removed) in an inert, oxygen-deprived atmosphere. Undergoing this process organic substances like paints and plastics are decomposed to produce volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons and a solid inert ash residue. These volatile products and hydrocarbons are then reduced to inert gases and vapour through exposure to temperatures of 700 to 900 C in an “afterburner” normally placed on top of the pyrolysis oven. The solid ash residue is normally either left on the floor of the oven or lies on the surface of the item and can be easily removed through jet washing or ultrasonic cleaning.
What benefits does burning give? ✅
Where heavier metals need to have coatings of paints, polymers or plastics removed it is a far quicker, safer, cheaper and more effective way of bringing them back to bare metal than the alternatives of chemical and abrasive treatments. The controlled rise, holding and then reduction in temperature over an extended period in the absence of oxygen reduces the risks of combustion and the stresses on the metal due to rapid expansion and contraction. This means the coating is completely removed WITHOUT DAMAGING the item itself.
What can burning actually clean? 🔥
Pyrolysis is typically used to clean products or production components like extruders, spinnerets, static mixers, pipes, valves, even rejected parts that need re-coating, that are coated in paints, polymers or plastics such that they cannot perform their function.
So…what next?
We will be releasing more information over the coming weeks regarding our new service, helping us serve you better for years to come. Sonic Solutions are the UK’s leading ultrasonic cleaning service and following our extension of cleaning services to include jet washing and vapour blasting we are now offering thermal cleaning 👍.
For any queries or questions regarding pyrolysis please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 01924 495 975 or e-mail Andrew on andrew@sonicsolutionsltd.com
When a customer asks us how they can check the performance of their ultrasonic tank, the easiest way to do it is through a foil test.
It is really easy to do and all you need is a piece of aluminium kitchen foil and your ultrasonic tank!
Firstly you want to fill your tank with clean mains water with no chemical in. A lot of ultrasonic chemicals will react with aluminium, especially thin foil.
Next you want to take a small square of aluminium foil, 10㎠ should do it.
Then, using gloves, you need to hold the foil under the solution for 30 seconds. While doing this, try to keep the foil straight and avoid it curling in on itself as this will not give the required results.
Next you want to hold the foil up to a light and see the results.
Good result
If the ultrasonic bath is working effectively then what you should see is an even covering of pinprick holes throughout the foil. The holes should be relatively uniform in size and be evenly distributed.
Bad result
If the ultrasonics are not working correctly you may see little or no holes on the foil. This would indicate that some or all of the transducers are no longer working.
Patchy holes
Another result you may see is large holes on some parts of the foil and little to no holes on other parts. This is caused by there being an ineffective or missing sweep frequency. This results in “Hotspots” of ultrasonic activity which can seriously damage your parts if not fixed.
Repeat
For the best results, repeat this test in different parts of the tank to make sure there is consistency throughout. The larger the tank, the more tests should be carried out.
For a free trial clean, a no-obligation discussion, or even a visit when the current situation permits, just call us on 01924 495 975 or e-mail Toby on toby@sonicsolutionsltd.com
Hi,
It’s Andrew here, I wanted to take the opportunity to personally let you know what Sonic Solutions are doing in response to the current Covid-19 crisis that’s affecting us all. I want to outline the specific measures we’re taking to stay safe whilst continuing to support our customers through these challenging times. Below is a list of the specific safety, operational, financial and communication measures that we’re putting in place to ensure that we can support the country’s efforts during this pandemic responsibly and effectively.
Safety Measures
- Clean Down Procedures – we have thorough cleaning procedures in place to ensure that hands are washed and any surfaces or objects with which contact is made are cleaned before and after use.
- Social Distancing & Limited Contact – we are observing the recommended social distancing ensuring that staff remain a minimum of 2m apart from one another whilst on site.
- Skeleton Staff – we are using as few staff as possible to continue normal operations, this ensures minimal contact. They are also on alternating shifts.
- Personal Protective Gear – we’re using disposable nitrile gloves to handle all goods.
Operational Measures
- Normal Working Hours – we continue to operate normal hours which are Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm | Friday 8am to 1pm.
- Emergency Work Accepted – if you require critical emergency ultrasonic cleaning to ensure the continuation of your business, we will accept and prioritise this work accordingly.
- Prioritisation for Key Industries – we will prioritise work for customers that are from key industries that include Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Power Generation, Energy, Oil & Gas, Food Production etc
- Smaller Jobs – are still being accepted.
- Restricted Availability for High Volume jobs – as our focus is on facilitating as many customers as possible we are restricting or potentially declining high volume work. Exceptions may be made for critical key industry customers.
- Lead Times – naturally these may change and if they do we will communicate this with you at the point of ordering.
- Stock – we have ample stocks of cleaning chemicals.
Financial Measures
- Flexible & Extended Payment Terms – for those that truly need this (and we are relying on your honesty) we can extend payment terms for up to 6 months if the continuation of our service to you is critical to your business. As a small business ourselves, we are reliant on paying customers now and indeed in the future once this all passes so we will do what we can to support you.
- If you are in a position to continue to pay as normal that will ensure that we can continue to operate effectively and support the key industries that rely on our work to keep services and production running.
Communication Measures
- Transparency – whatever the communication channel, we will continue as we always have to communicate clearly and honestly with our customers. If there are any changes or disruptions to our lead time or service, we will pro-actively tell you. We are not burying our heads in the sand, it helps no-one.
- No Visitors or Visits – we are no longer accepting visitors to our facility nor are we visiting any clients in person ourselves. Deliveries are still welcome and handled with social distancing in mind.
- Virtual Sales Appointment – we can continue to discuss and look at your work or application remotely in real-time using Zoom. Please contact us to schedule a Zoom appointment.
- E-mail – we continue to monitor emails 24 hours a day and will respond at the earliest opportunity (usually the same day if within working hours) hello@sonicsolutionsltd.com.
- Phone Line – as has always been the case we continue to operate a manned phone line (01924 495 975) during office hours and in case of an emergency you can reach us on 07974 442 583. With skeleton staff we may not always be able to answer calls immediately but we do check our messages and return calls once able to do so.
- Live Chat – we have a live chat facility on our website and as with phone calls we attend to these messages as soon as we can. If we’re unable to answer immediately, please leave your contact details and your message and we will get back to you.
- Internal WhatsApp Group – where social distancing measures prevent or make one to one verbal communication difficult, all members of the Sonic Solutions team are communicating effectively using WhatsApp to discuss internal matters.
As we always do, we will continue to work hard to support your business both during and after this crisis. If we’ve missed something or you’re unclear on anything please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer any questions.
Sincerely,
Andrew Taylor – Managing Director
If you are undertaking a new project that requires parts to be ultrasonically cleaned, a question you may ask is:
Should we undertake the cleaning ourselves or outsource it?
To decide which option is better for your business, there are several points that you should consider.
What volumes are you expecting to clean?
If you are only expecting a small volume of parts to need cleaning then it would be easier to outsource the cleaning work. Even a small industrial ultrasonic tank will cost upwards of £2000. If you only have 500 items that a cleaning company such as ourselves can clean for £1 per item, it makes much more financial sense to outsource.
Is the project ongoing?
This ties in with the volumes. Are you going to be producing a certain volume of parts per month indefinitely? Or is it just a few parts whenever they are ordered?
If you have a full production schedule where you know you will require ultrasonic cleaning for a given length of time, then it is a good idea to look into purchasing your own equipment.
How much budget do you have?
As I have already said, ultrasonic baths can be very expensive, especially if you are looking to clean large items. If you are working on a multi-million pound project then cost may not be an issue. But for most, a £50,000 investment in machinery cannot be taken lightly. Before you even consider purchasing your own ultrasonic bath, you should take a detailed look at your budget and see how much capital you have to work with. And yes, you can pick up a cheap 5 litre tank from amazon, but they are not designed for industrial use and will not be able to handle volume work.
Have you considered the additional costs?
As well as the initial expense of the tank, there are also the running costs that have to be considered.
Cleaning solution – The chemical that is added to the tank.
Power – The energy required to use the tank.
Waste disposal – The correct disposal of your waste solution.
Do you have the right personnel?
Are you going to have a dedicated member of staff to operate the tank or are your existing production staff going to take on the roll? Whatever you decide, you must ensure that whoever is operating the machine has adequate training to get the best results from it.
Other things to consider are the amenities needed for your own tank.
Do you have enough free floor space?
Do you have a water and power supply?
Is there adequate ventilation?
Have you considered health and safety factors?
When operating an ultrasonic tank, PPE must be worn to protect the operator from accidents. This is usually gloves, goggles, and an overall but some chemicals require a mask to be worn too. Wherever an ultrasonic tank is situated on a company’s premises they need to have a dedicated area where PPE must be worn beyond a certain point.
Do you just need it for one job?
If you are only producing one part that needs to be ultrasonically cleaned out of a large product range then you have to consider whether the machine is going to be used enough to warrant buying one. That said, once you have your own tank, it’s easy to find things that could do with an ultrasonic spruce up.
So when DOES it make sense to get your own machine?
We get a lot of enquiries from people looking into getting their own tank and around 80% of them are put off once they hear the cost of the tank they require. Unless you are cleaning volumes of parts on a regular basis, then it is best to leave it to the professionals and use an outsourced company like ourselves.
If your production is time-sensitive and you want to stay in control of the entire process then it makes sense to keep the cleaning in house. The logistics of sending out parts to a third party can add days to a production schedule and for some this is just not viable.
For a free trial clean, a no-obligation discussion, or even a visit when the current situation permits, just call us on 01924 495 975 or e-mail Toby on toby@sonicsolutionsltd.com
Here at Sonic Solutions, we pride ourselves in being experts in industrial cleaning. With a combined experience of nearly 30 years, we have seen hundreds of different items and contaminants from many different industries. Even with all this experience however, we can still make mistakes in assessing jobs.
Now to be clear, we are happy to take on any cleaning job. As long as we can fit it in our tanks, it doesn’t matter how dirty it is. Assuming the price is right for both parties, we will get stuck in without hesitation. Although our number one goal here at Sonic Solutions is to provide an outstanding service to help our customers with their cleaning needs, the pricing on jobs is relevant as it keeps the roof over our heads.
So what was ut about this job that was so bad I hear you ask?
The job came from a company that manufactured springs. They had hundreds of these rows of hooks that they would hang the springs on to spray with a coating. These hooks had been in process for over a year and had a large build-up of the coating on them. They approached us for assistance in cleaning them and we happily obliged. We found out that this coating softened up with heat and was fairly easy to remove so it shouldn’t be a big job. We quoted accordingly and got the job.
Now I can’t remember exactly how or why we came to this conclusion (we have probably suppressed the memory) but we were extremely wrong!
I remember first seeing them come in. Stacked a meter high on a pallet all tangled together. The sticky coating making them attach themselves to one another. And that was just the beginning !
Within 5 minutes of us starting, we knew we’d made a mistake. Yes the heat in the ultrasonic tank was enough to soften the coating. But it just turned into a gooey mess that stuck to everything it came into contact with. The coating was so thick that ultrasonics were ineffective, but we said we’d get them clean, and we are men of our words!
We had to change our approach. Like a knight whose sword was blunted, our main weapon of ultrasonic power was useless. We had to resort to more primitive techniques. We would place the rows of hooks in the heated bath to melt the coating down. Then sat over a bin, we used scrapers to go over each one and remove the thick of the contaminant.
Two days of scraping later and we have a pile of “almost” clean hooks. But will they be acceptable to the customer? We doubted it. And plus, we had our reputation to think about!
With ultrasonics being out of the question, we turned to another arrow in our quiver. Pyrolysis!
Pyrolysis works by heating items up to around 400 – 500°C in a vacuum chamber without oxygen. This removes any organic material leaving just your metal parts. So we resorted to pyrolysis to finish off the job.
By the time we had finished, the hooks were looking great and the customer was extremely happy. We may not have made any money on the job but we did learn a valuable lesson in the process including learning a lot more about pyrolysis as an alternative or complementary process to ultrasonics. A lesson which is paying great dividends in our work in other areas like plastics recycling.
We have always offered a trial clean to customers as a way to prove our process to people but it also has another purpose. When we are quoting for a job that we have never done, a trial clean helps us to iron out the process that we will use. From choosing the right chemistry to working out how long a job will take, a trial clean helps us understand the ins and outs that will be required for a job and allows us to quote accordingly.
Since then we have still mispriced jobs. I don’t think there is a company around that hasn’t. But we now take extra care to think through each job in more detail to avoid a repeat of the hooks. We still joke about them to this day and we even kept one of them (with permission) in our office as a reminder. We did throw it away when we moved unit a couple of years ago but the lesson still sticks with us.
Do you have a cleaning job that could become our new worst job ever? For a free trial clean, a no-obligation discussion, or even a visit when the current situation permits, just call us on 01924 495 975 or e-mail Toby on toby@sonicsolutionsltd.com
