A look back at 2019

A look back at 2019

For Sonic Solutions 2019 has been a year of change. With the significant growth of our business in the oil and gas, and power generation sectors, this has allowed us to inject money back into the business and invest in our customer experience.

In January an existing customer of ours from the oil and gas industry called us and stated that they would be increasing the amount of parts sent to us by almost 300%. The customer was already one of our best and so the news was very welcome indeed.

Off the back of this news, we knew the current office and shop floor would not be sufficient for the volumes mentioned, so after weeks and weeks of searching for the perfect location to plant the flag for the new and improved Sonic HQ… we moved next door. The space was almost 3 times as big as our current unit and was absolutely perfect for what we needed. We commissioned the building of our brand new office space and work began on moving our equipment and files all the way next door.

We have the work, we have the space to do it, now we need the staff to execute it. It was time to get some fresh, young talent in, to shake up the place, I present to you Ben Peacock, technically a manager… sorry, Technical Manager. Expanding a small business always forces you to assess how you do things and start defining processes and systems. We already had our quality procedures under ISO9001:2015 but when training and teaching new staff you really have to go back to basics and re-discover so much about the business and how it operates. Things that need addressing become very clear, very quickly when trying to allow someone brand new to understand them. For months we made major improvements every single day and continue to do so regularly.

Another big deal this year for us a Sonic Solutions was the decision to put some real effort into our online image and marketing. We met some youngish, eager and enthusiastic marketeers from a networking event that we frequently attend and after a short discussion we realised that we had a lot in common with regards to types of industry we operate in.

Before we knew it we had shaken hands on a 12-month contract to drastically change the business (I told you they were good) both online and in our own minds. It started with a simple book, called “They ask, you answer”, by Marcus Sheridan. This laid the foundation for how we wanted to be perceived online to our customers and to anybody interested in working with us. It’s simple but the basics are, provide everyone with all the knowledge they could possibly want about your industry so they will find you and know and trust you are the experts you have always been.

The website was one of the biggest outward changes to the business. Weeks of content writing, meetings, photoshoots and lots of head scratching, our expert marketeers Danny and James pulled us out of the stone age and on a direct course for the future. Not only are we proud of our online presence but the data shows how effective it has been, our enquiries quadrupled and each new customer we serviced wondered where we had been all this time.

The world is finally noticing that we exist and it’s a good feeling, thanks to a simple book and our friends at Digital Group Media.

2019 has truly been the year of knowledge acquisition for us all at Sonic, we have been to 10 business networking events all over the country and 3 industrial exhibitions both in the UK and across Europe. We have learnt a lot of new information that has been absorbed and given to our customers so they can make better, more informed decisions about their cleaning operation.

Bloopers:

The new kid on the block Ben has overfilled tanks and flooded the unit around 6 times since his start here in early March and shows no sign of stopping. If anything he’s consistent.

On a trip down to Birmingham, our wise and knowledgable MD booked us into some accommodation that can only be described as no man’s land. It was as rough as it can get, upstairs in a 50-year-old Irish pub on an industrial estate that was dominated by 3 biblical sized scrap heaps and auto breakers. There was literally a tank outside, from ww2, for no particular reason, just rotting at the side of the road in the grass. Road works outside the front door and clientele in the pub that looked like they were sat there since the early 90s. The rooms… OMG the rooms, decorated in sadness and despair, the bedding were stained Disney princess sheets, the carpets looked like they had more live bacteria on them than in my guts. Anyway, all we could do was laugh and survive and we managed to do both.

The Lego job: We had an enquiry from a new customer that needed help cleaning 1 MILLION pieces of Lego. We said yes without really considering what 1 million blocks of lego actually represents! It sounded easy enough, just some lego, stick in the tank, take it out, dry it off and send it back. How wrong we were… two days into a four day job we were only halfway through the first 2m tall pallet of seven. There was Lego in every corner of our unit some clean, some dry, some waiting to clean, some waiting to pack, it was hell. We all sat down and had to come up with a better solution to get this job through, and we did but for two days we were up against the wall surrounded on all sides by the enemy. It’s now our reference point for any high volume cleaning job we undertake and I’m pleased to say that all subsequent high volume jobs have been child’s play in comparison!

5 revolutionary answers to your cleaning problems

Have you found that dirt costs you time, money, quality and even sales? Did you know that dirt costs up to 10% of total manufacturing costs when the costs of disposal and loss of productivity are included? Sonic solutions, your cleaning experts recently flew out to the annual Parts2Clean exhibition in Stuttgart. Our aim was to work with and learn from industry leaders in various fields.

We pride ourselves on providing you with the most cost-effective, time-efficient and first-class cleaning service. Our dedicated team are pushing the boundaries with what is possible, improving and innovating the way we service and clean your goods. Following the trip, Andrew Taylor has summarised 5 key takeaways to help you decide what is best for your business

1. Dry-ice blasting
   Often referred to as the coolest kid in town! Dry ice is the frozen solid form of carbon dioxide. In pellet form it is accelerated in a pressurized air stream and blasted at the surface in order to clean it. It is like other media blasting such as sand, soda and plastic bead blasting, but it leaves no residue since the frozen CO2 simply evaporates.The efficiency and effectiveness of this procedure depends on the thermal conductivity of the substrate and contaminant. The main benefits of this method include:Reduces downtime, non-abrasive, environmentally responsible, can be used in situ, increase in efficiency and no secondary waste.This is a solution for every application in industries such as the automotive, general equipment cleaning, aerospace and aviation, power generation and Oil & Cas. However, it can only be used on dry particulate contaminants.
2. Robotics in jet washing
   This method of cleaning is pioneering change across many fronts. Robotics serve a whole host of industries such as the Oil & Gas, aerospace, automotive and power generation. Robotics allows for a fully inclusive, automated handling system. Previously, the main problem with jet washing was being able to get the jet on the precise surfaces and areas that need cleaning, particularly when different parts needed cleaning. This innovative technology is seriously changing the game. Platinum reels online casinos are a prime example of how innovative technology is seriously changing the game of gambling as well. With the rise of online gambling, players can now enjoy the excitement and thrill of casino games from the comfort of their own homes. Robotics allow for precision engineering parts to be cleaned scrupulously and effectively, with the jet being repositioned to accommodate the differing sizes and shapes of items being cleaned.  The main benefits of this method include:Ensures a high quality, precision engineering process, the turnaround time is very fast, very little manual intervention and very effective.However the robotics mean that it is currently a very costly cleaning method.
3. Ionic cleaning
   This cleaning method uses positively and negatively charged ions/cations to attract dry contaminant from the surface of smaller items. The airborne particles are then extracted from the cleaning chamber. This method is fantastic if you need to clean small, non-metallic parts. This cleaning method serves a multitude of industries such as the medical industry. Examples of where this can be used are rubber seals and plastic ball bearings.The main advantages of this method are:VERY effective method of removing small, dry particulates and there is no secondary waste. This is a sustainable form of cleaning.
4. Chemical cleaning
   There have been major improvements in solvent-based chemicals. Traditional chlorinated solvents are now almost a thing of the past. Developments include solvents which degrade hydrocarbons to harmless gas and water. This works especially well when trying to remove cutting oils. There have also been massive improvements in the consumption of hydrocarbons with effective solvent usages less than 5% of the content of the waste being removed! The main benefits of this method include:Great cleaning results with little secondary drying required, very low effective consumption of the base solvent with improved recyclability and solvent consumption as low as 5% of the total contaminant being removed – a much more sustainable and environmentally friendly method than traditional solvent cleaning processes.
5. Ultrasonic cleaning
   There has been a major shift in recent years with more and more specialisation within ultrasonic cleaning coming through. There are now fewer general purpose ultrasonic manufacturers. This is being accompanied by more modular multi-stage processes allowing some standardisation of individual elements but a customised overall process of various stages. This is being accompanied by increased mapping of objective system parameters like temperature, conductivity, pH and particulate which is pushing the boundaries and raising standards across the board. Sonic Solutions are developing apace through our investment in;
   • State of the art, surface measuring equipment
   • Ultrasonic meters allowing us to verify the capability and performance of our machines;
   • Training our teams in line with adherence of cleaning to higher specs. Our staff receive a wealth of training to ensure your parts are cleaned to your high standards.

For you, this means we are continuously redefining and enhancing our cleaning processes and systems. Ensuring higher quality control and making sure your parts are returned to you cleaned to the highest standard possible.

For a deeper insight into how we can help you discuss the options and the suitable course of action. Contact the Sonic solutions team here:
01924495975 or at hello@sonicsolutionsltd.com

How to Remove Grease from Metals

One of the most common applications of ultrasonics is to remove high levels of grease on machine parts during production or manufacturing Cleaning grease without the aid of ultrasonics usually requires high levels of labour, strong chemicals and likely large amounts of water. Such parts are also very hard to handle whilst ultrasonic cleaning allows a more hands off approach. Heavy build ups of the grease contaminant can also hide other issues within the industrial parts so having them cleaned is also vital for quality control. We have worked on every type and thickness of grease from industries such as auto, food, gas & oil, and pharmaceutical. Processes vary from simple 1 tank baths to multiple cleaning baths with pre washes and demineralised water rinses. As described above the level of cleanliness required by the NEXT process defines the cleaning method employed. Whenever we get a new enquiry we construct a method statement based upon a trial clean.

How to Remove Cutting Oil and Swarf from Machined Parts

Most machined parts are left with oil and swarf residue after manufacture. This residue usually needs removing since subsequent  coatings, assembly or use requires the absence of dirts and oils. Ultrasonics with its ability to clean recesses, threads and apertures is perfect for removing these contaminants quickly, safely and effectively leaving the part ready for the next process.

How to Specify the Level of Cleanliness Required ?

A lot of people ask the question “How clean can the process get these parts ?) However the appropriate question is “How clean do your parts need to be ?”. This is ALWAYS determined by the next process or use of the parts concerned. If a part is being painted/coated/treated/used in the next process to becoming a finished product then that subsequent process will define the level of absence of particles, hydrocarbons or other substances from the part’s surface to enable a satisfactory outcome. To determine a level of cleanliness without considering the requirements of the next process is like setting off on a journey without a destination. You can either not get there or you can go way beyond where you need to be. Both are costly in different ways.

So NEVER start by specifying the level of cleanliness a cleaning process achieves. ALWAYS start by specifying the level of cleanliness required by the next process that part goes through. AND remember that only the next process is important. If another process down the line also requires a specific level of cleanliness, then that must be addressed at the stage prior to entering that process. Each process introduces potential contamination which must be addressed after the process, not before.

Whilst this all sounds complicated in fact it simplifies and reduces the cleanliness specification at each point in the overall process.

There will usually be very clear guidelines as to the level of cleanliness required by a process, defined from amongst the following:

1. Maximum size of permissible particulate contaminants
2. Maximum volume of permissible particulate contaminants
3. Maximum level of permissible organic/hydrocarbon residue
4. Maximum level of permissible chlorine, halides or other soluble inorganic residue

You will note that every part of the specification states “maximum level of permissible contaminant”. WHY ? Because you can never guarantee the complete absence of anything, just its absence above a certain level.

Going through the exercise of defining the level of cleanliness you actually require will make the specification of cleaning process, and the systematic control of that process so much easier and more successful.