Ultrasonic cleaning equipment

Ultrasonic cleaning is perhaps the single most effective cleaning method for metal parts, and cannot be compared to other part cleaning technologies, such as spray washers or oscillation parts washers which are not equipped with ultrasonic components. Although the largest benefit with ultrasonic cleaning equipment is the level of cleanliness which can be achieved, other benefits include significantly reduced maintenance and operating costs. Spray washing systems are "line of sight" cleaners. The only part areas which are effectively cleaned are those which are directly attacked by the spray action, although lighter contaminants may be flushed away in the absence of direct spraying action. Since many parts include bends, blind holes, and detail which is difficult or impossible to reach effectively with spray action, these part designs will not be effectively cleaned in a spray washing system, even those equipped with turntables or moving spray heads. Spray washing systems also require significantly more maintenance, and cost more to operate due to the evaporation of water which is common to these systems. Cleaning fluid temperatures are also typically higher in these systems, and heat is very expensive to generate electrically. Spray nozzles must also be periodically removed and cleaned to ensure the best possible cleaning results. Another common parts washing method, an Oscillation Parts Washer, involves the oscillation of a parts load within a heated cleaning fluid, and, in some cases, the addition of Spray Under Submersion or turbulence produced by high pressure pumps. Although these cleaning methods can be effective at removing light oils, shop contaminants, and coolants, they are not effective at removing bonded contaminants, or contaminants which are thicker and more difficult to remove. The ultrasonic cleaners have the capability to clean inside of holes the size of a human hair and smaller, an accomplishment which simply cannot be duplicated with other parts cleaning methods. The cleaning action produced by ultrasonic cleaning is microscopic in size, and has the ability to clean detail which is typically missed by alternative technologies. In fact, the ultrasonic action produced cleans the microscopic "hills and valleys" on the surface of the parts to a microscopic scale.