Ultrasonic Cleaning vs Jet Washing for Precision Engineers

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Ultrasonic Cleaning vs Jet Washing for Precision Engineers

Ultrasonic Cleaning vs Jet Washing for Precision Engineers

Jet blast cleaning is the process of using a high-pressure water pump to generate a flow of pressurised solution (up to 40,000psi) which is passed through a small diameter orifice to form a coherent stream of pressurised fluid. This jet of solution is then directly applied to any objects to be cleaned. The solution is usually water based, often containing a chemical to assist in removing the contaminant, and may also be heated to further assist the cleaning process.

Ultrasonic Cleaning uses the varying pressures created by high frequency sound (greater than 20Khz) as it passes through solution to create and then implode tiny vacuum bubbles (1-200 microns). The force exerted by these implosions (up to 20,000 psi) are intense over a small area, removing particulate adhering to any item submerged in the solution.

What can it clean?

It can be used to clean a wide variety of items relatively quickly and easily. Generally, it can be used to clean any accessible surface that can withstand the high-water pressures. Traditionally used for cleaning volumes of items with straightforward surface geometry and loose oil and particulate, it is used widely in precision engineering for the removal of cutting oils and swarf after machining.

Pros of ultrasonics over jet wash

  1. By its nature ultrasonics cleans all surfaces which the solution touches, offering a universal clean to any item, irrespective of its surface geometry. In contrast jet washing only cleans the surface under the jet so internal chambers, and inaccessible surfaces, or surfaces with uneven geometry, are impossible to clean to a very high standard with this method. This shortcoming has been addressed by the use of sensor robotics within the cleaning process to hold the item and move it and the jet nozzle to expose all surfaces to the jet stream. Companies such as MecWash have developed some extremely sophisticated machines to overcome this shortcoming. The price of this complexity in both financial and time aspects is considerable however.
  2. Ultrasonics uses a fixed amount of water in the cleaning bath which can be recycled and filtered to last a considerable period. Jet washing uses large volumes of water which can become waste (up to 1500 Litres per minute), although most modern jet wash units filter and recycle the waste solution to a certain extent.
  3. High pressures used by jet wash systems can damage delicate and light objects which move about when hit by high-pressure jets. In contrast, the forces created by ultrasonics suck dirt away from the item so do not move it around with the consequent potential for damage.
  4. Ultrasonics can achieve extremely high levels of cleanliness since they function at the micron level. The microscopic bubbles created in the liquid medium grow to a maximum size proportional to the ultrasonic frequency. At 20 kHz the bubble size is roughly 150 microns in diameter, reducing to 100 microns at 30 kHz and 38 microns at 80 kHz.
  5. Ultrasonics removes dirt from the surface into the solution, rather than just blasting from the surface. Where dirt eventually lands in a jet wash process is uncertain, and some residue is merely moved from one part of the surface onto another.
  6. Ultrasonic cleaning is more flexible and adaptable being able to use different solutions to remove a wide variety of contaminants ranging from oils to scale and rust. By contrast jet washing is almost invariably used to remove oils, loose particulate, inks and paints. It is not generally successful in removing scales and rusts where an acid-based solution can be used with ultrasonics.

Pros of jet wash over ultrasonics

  1. Jet washing can remove large volumes of tough grime, both wet and dried. With a recirculating and filtered system, large quantities of dirt can be effectively removed from items. Ultrasonic solutions can be filtered and recycled but large volumes of dirt put into the solution will diminish the effectiveness and efficiency
  2. Jet washing can be used safely in potentially volatile environments/situations, since it is invariably within a contained unit.
  3. Jet washing is fast and economic to clean large volumes of parts. Where the objective is to make parts safe to handle for the next process by removing the majority of oils and swarf rather than cleaning to a reliable high standard, jet washing is more economic than ultrasonics.

Conclusion

Ultrasonic Cleaning is probably the preferred cleaning methodology where parts to be cleaned have the following characteristics;

  • Uneven surface geometry with internal chambers and small apertures;
  • A high level of cleanliness is required. Where parts undergo further processes, or are a component of a part being used in a very demanding application, then the level of cleanliness required is likely to be higher than jet washing can achieve.
  • Small numbers of variable parts are required, so ultrasonic immersion works far better than jet washing.
  • Where the contaminant to be removed is more than a simple particulate and oil.
  • The volume of dirt to be removed is relatively low, so the cleaning solution does not become too contaminated, too quickly. A pre-wash and filtration can overcome this but adds cost and complexity.
  • Items to be cleaned are small, light and delicate so need a gentle cleaning process to prevent damage.
  • Jet washing is probably the preferred cleaning methodology where parts to be cleaned have the following characteristics;
  • Regular outward facing surfaces to be cleaned (no small holes or internal chambers);
  • Large volumes of dirt to be removed;
  • Large volumes of items to be cleaned;
  • Lower cleanliness levels required;
  • Items are heavy and robust enough to not be damaged by high pressure blasting.
Cleaning Newly Manufactured Parts

Cleaning Newly Manufactured Parts

This post explores the importance of OEMs sending out their shiny new precision-engineered parts to their new owners in a clean and ready to use state.

OEM precision-engineered parts are usually one of a kind and specifically made for customers with unique requirements.  The hard work comes in both the design and the manufacturing of these parts. It’s an incredibly skilled sector in which talented men and women work with complex machinery and computer systems to create something that has never existed before in that form.

One thing can undo all this hard work?

Sending your finished parts off to your customer dirty, covered in cutting oils and swarf. It undermines all the dedicated work that has gone into the product in the first place.

Most engineers will give the items a quick wipe down with WD40 or something else quick and easy.  Engineers are highly skilled people who are good what they do, but they’re not cleaning experts, and rarely do they want to be for that matter.

Some companies do take the cleaning one step further and purchase an ultrasonic bath for in-house use. Whilst this is better than a quick wipe down, again this often involves asking a specialist engineer to perform a task they were not trained for. Ultrasonic cleaning is far more than “leave it in a tank and forget about it”. So many factors affect the outcome, like the chemistry, temperature, solution volume to part ratio, ultrasonic power and frequency, solution cleanliness, handling, rinsing, drying, packaging, as well as recognising when it is not working anymore.

One of the biggest obstacles for OEM precision engineering companies is figuring out what to do if they get a customer who orders high volumes which may be thousands or even millions of individual parts. To clean items in these volumes becomes too much for the in-house team to handle as normal, so they are forced to either employ existing or new staff to operate some sort of cleaning machinery for them. Not only is the cost usually eye-watering, but it can distract you from your core business operations.

Ultrasonically Cleaned Parts

Another option is to get a professional ultrasonic cleaning service company involved.

There are a number of benefits to doing it this way. There’s…

  1. No need to have your engineers wasting their highly valuable and skilled time on cleaning.
  2. No need to learn how ultrasonics works or how to maintain and use an ultrasonic tank.
  3. None of the health, safety and environmental concerns that can figure prominently with some of the chemicals used in cleaning parts which are often hazardous and carry heavy regulatory requirements regarding their use, handling, storage and disposal.

All of these issues can be avoided by using a “done for you” ultrasonic cleaning company who are wholly dedicated to getting the clean done quickly, safely and affordably in ways that many struggle to do in-house.  This makes sure that both your own and the needs of your own customers are met. Certificates of conformance can also be produced to give your customers even more peace of mind.

To book a Free Trial Clean of a sample of your OEM Precision Engineered parts or to discuss any other ultrasonic cleaning requirements with one of our expert staff. Call us today on 01924 495 975 or email hello@sonicsolutionsltd.com

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What Our Customers Say About us

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We approached Sonic Solutions after our parts manufacturers let us down and wasted precious time by supplying oily parts. Not only were they friendly, helpful and happy to rush our parts through - the quality was unbelievable! They arrived back at our factory just in time to not hold up production and we couldn't recommend them highly enough.

Martin Frings

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Our company AssetCool found the entire team at Sonic Solutions to be responsive and incredibly supportive of a new project. Their technical knowledge is superb, and they delivered exactly what they promised. We're very happy to recommend them to anyone with ultrasonic cleaning needs, and look forward to working with them again in the future.

Tonia Parris

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I reached out with a problem to various companies prior to talking with Sonic Solutions, most were unhelpful. These guys insisted on the first trial being for free! The job was excellent and the turn around time very impressive. We are now setting up a monthly cleaning regime with them. A joy to deal with.

Andy Sim

The 2021 Ultimate Guide to Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning

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The 2021 Guide to Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning