Ultrasonic Cleaners

About Ultrasonic Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaner Manufacturers Including: Ultrasonic Cleaning Equipment, Ultrasonic Blind Cleaner, Golf Club Cleaners, Ultrasonic Cleaning, Ultrasonic Degreaser & Ultrasonic Washers.

Ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers offer a variety of specialized cleaning machines that are used in both industrial and commercial settings to clean parts and products. Ultrasonic cleaners utilize ultrasonic sound frequencies that are above the range of human hearing. The ultrasonic sound waves are provided by transducers, which convert electricity into intense ultrasonic frequencies. Commercial uses for ultrasonic cleaning equipment include golf club cleaners, window blind cleaners and jewelry cleaners. Industrial uses include pre- and post-production cleaning, automotive parts cleaning and critical and precision cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers make products that clean, rinse and dry batches of parts.
 
Cleaning depends on cavitation, which is the rapid formation and violent collapse of minute bubbles or cavities in a cleaning fluid. This process results in agitation, due to the numerous small and intense imploding bubbles, which produces an effective scrubbing of all surfaces, exposed and hidden, of the submerged parts. The frequency level of the sound waves affects the size and amount of cavitation. Adjusting the frequency according to the parts being cleaned ensures that the energy from the cavitation reaches and penetrates all areas of the part, no matter how complex. The cleaning process involves immersing a part into an agitated fluid (usually pure water, solvent or vapor) for a short period of time. The parts are then rinsed and dried, completing the process.
 
Ultrasonic cleaners began by relying heavily on chemical solvents to clean products. However, regulations and attitudes have since changed, requiring the ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers to phase out hazardous chemicals that are potentially harmful to the environment and individual health. The problem is many contaminants, greases and tightly bonded soils cannot be removed with just water or non-hazardous solvents and chemicals. Now, aqueous cleaning techniques combined with ultrasonic cleaning technology are able to remove most challenging soils and bonded oils in a more environmentally-safe and efficient way.
 
Ultrasonic cleaners present distinct advantages over other techniques. The three most important benefits are accuracy, consistency and speed. Certain factors are important in deciding what ultrasonic cleaner is right for a particular application. These factors determine the size and type of the machine, as well as the solvents involved. The intricacy of the parts, including size, shape and weight, are important for determining the size and type of equipment. The amount and type of soil on the parts determines the cleaning medium. The rate of cleaning is also important, such as whether parts will be cleaned in batches, on a continual basis or intermittently. Another important factor to consider is the required standard of cleanliness.

Ultrasonic Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaner Manufacturers Image Provided by Crest Ultrasonics	Ultrasonic Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaner Manufacturers Image Provided by Jensen Aqueous Cleaning Systems

Ultrasonic Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaner Manufacturers Image Provided by Branson Ultrasonics	Ultrasonic Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaner Manufacturers Image Provided by Stoelting Cleaning Equipment

Types of Ultrasonic Cleaners

• Benchtop cleaners are used to wash small parts. They have a small footprint and are often rested on a counter or table.
  
• Blind cleaning machines are equipment designed to clean window blinds utilizing ultrasonic cleaning techniques. They provide for a very thorough cleaning, removing allergens like dust, pollen, soot and nicotine, as well as any other accumulated grime.
  
• Golf club cleaners clean golf clubs quickly and thoroughly. They are widely used at golf courses for players to use.
  
• Immersion cleaning takes place in a tank using an aqueous solution. In this process, it is the cavitation that releases the contaminant from its base host.
  
• Tabletop cleaners are used to wash small parts. As the name indicates, they are small enough to sit upon a table.
  
• Tank cleaners do not require a lot of complicated machinery. Generally, they are built in a rectangular shape, holding 100 gallons or less.
  
• Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses ultrasonic sound waves to clean.
  
• Ultrasonic cleaning equipment uses millions of tiny bubbles to scrub.
  
• Ultrasonic vapor degreasing equipment uses solvents in an environmentally-safe chamber. The vapor and ultrasonic agitation work together to clean parts.
  
• Ultrasonic washers use ultrasound waves and special fluids to clean jewelry, surgical instruments, and golf clubs.

Common Terms Related to Ultrasonic Cleaners

Acoustic/Acoustics – Pertaining to the energy of sound waves and the science and application of acoustic energy.
 
Acoustic Streaming – Currents flowing in one direction through a fluid because of sonic waves, like the action of a transducer in ultrasonic cleaning.
 
Agitation – Rotation of components that allows cleaning solution and cavitation to remove contaminants.
 
Amplification – Mechanical amplitude rising from both ends of an acoustic element. Amplification could be negative or positive.
 
Aqueous Cleaning – The use of water-based solutions for the cleansing process.
 
Basket – Small-parts container comprised of mesh or containing holes.
 
Blind Hole – An air pocket in a component where the cleaning solution cannot reach and the cavitation process cannot occur.
 
Cavitation – Cleansing bubbles caused by ultrasonic waves in liquid, which create negative pressure.
 
Cascade Rinse – The succession of rinses used for the washed part(s). Water flows in a direction opposite of the flow of the parts, which allows for exposure to cleaner water throughout the process.
 
Centrifugal Drying – Using a basket that spins to enable the water and contaminants to separate from the surface of the cleansed part(s).
 
Cleaning Chemicals – Water-based detergent or organic solvents that provide an intense amount of cavitation energy.
 
Cleanliness Check – A water break testing process used to determine if the components are free of oil and other contaminants. A surface quality monitor takes measurement for thin films of contaminants.
 
Closed-loop System – A system in which wastewater is recycled once it has been treated and purified so it can be recirculated through the wash and rinse tanks in an aqueous cleaning system.
 
Continuous Wave – Acoustic wave used in ultrasonic cleaning. Parts exposure to this wave occurs throughout the full process.
 
Critical Cleaning – The cleanest stage possible for the components to experience. Cleanliness is essential for the uses of the product.
 
Diaphragm – A device that generates vibrations.
 
Dryer – The device used in the process of removing moisture from components.
 
Electrode – The component that provides electrical energy at the preferred ultrasonic frequency to the transducer. Electrodes are typically thin metal plates.
 
Generator – Also known as the "power supply," it is the equipment component that provides energy and control to the converter or transducer of an ultrasonic device or system which is electronically run.
 
Hertz (Hz) – A measurement unit for frequency equal to cycles per second (cps). One Hertz is the same as one cps.
 
Horn – A common element of amplification that is equipped with a tip in a probe for ultrasonic systems.
 
Kilohertz (KHz) – A unit of measurement for frequency equal to one thousand cycles per second (cps). 
 
Immersion Cleaning – Cleaning components by submerging them in an aqueous cleaning solution.
 
Load Requirement – A factor that affects the construction of the tank, generator choice and cleansing solution volume.
 
Loop – Point of maximum amplitude.
 
Node – Fixed point of minimum amplitude.
 
Piezoelectric Transducer – A ceramic crystal between two strips of tin. Voltage taken through the tin will displace through the ceramic crystal, and the diaphragm attached to the transducer then creates a pressure movement that makes a wave through the aqueous solution in the tank.
 
Probe – Specific to ultrasonics only, it refers to the converter, horn and tip system that receives power from a generator and performs work.
 
Rinse – Using clean water or solution to remove residual detergent.
 
Somewhat Critical Cleaning – The cleaning level that is lower than critical cleaning. Aesthetic or quality problems could occur if not cleaned well.
 
Somewhat Industrial Cleaning – Not as imperative as the cleanliness of critical or somewhat critical, but still poses an aesthetic or quality problem if not cleaned well enough.
 
Sonic – Pertaining to the velocity of speed of sound in contrast to ultrasonic. Labeling cleaning devices as sonic does not indicate that it is ultrasonic with cavitation, just that it vibrates components.
 
Surface Quality Monitor – Measures film depth of contaminant left on cleaned part.
 
Tanks – Containers to hold the solution and part(s), usually rectangular in shape and manufactured in almost any size.
 
Transducer – Component that receives electrical energy from the generator or power supply and converts it into mechanical vibrations.
 
Ultrasonic Generator – Converts the frequency of standard electric into high frequency needed to create ultrasonic vibrations.
 
Vertical Agitation – An up-and-down motion in an aqueous solution, in which spray blasts clean the submerged parts. Vertical agitation is a powerful cleaning method for parts containing blind holes or intricate passages.
 
Water Break Test – Determines if oil is no longer present on the cleaned part.