Ultrasonic Cleaning: A Highly Effective Method to Meet Precision Cleaning Needs

Probably you are facing difficulties in cleaning the interior surfaces of cylindrical objects like a tube or a rifle, the ever so small areas of jewellery or motherboards, delicate instruments like a lens or large engine parts, or even important surgical instruments. Not to worry, as some years before a new way of cleaning has been introduced in the market, known as the ultrasonic cleaning method. Other than the above mentioned objects, the other items that can be cleaned using the ultrasonic cleaning method are optical parts, dental surgical instruments, tools, coins, fountain pens, golf clubs, fishing reels, window blinds, firearms, car fuel injectors, musical instruments, gramophone records, industrial parts and any electronic equipments. Ultrasonic cleaning method is also used in many electronic workshops or watchmakers establishments.

In the ultrasonic cleaning market, Sonic Soak is the newest evolution in washing technology that utilizes ultrasonic technology to result in a deeper clean, saved time, water and energy, all in a compact package that can be taken anywhere. Sonic Soak generates modulated ultrasonic waves that travel through water to disintegrate dirt and bacteria at the microscopic level while being significantly gentler than the conventional washing machine and even traditional hand washing. Sonic Soak has revolutionized ultrasonic cleaning method by being an active hygiene maker in the day-to-day lives of many individuals as well as corporate.

Working Principle of Ultrasonic Cleaning

In ultrasonic cleaning, a frequency pressure, which is a resultant of the ultrasound, (ranging between 20KHz to 400KHz) is used to agitate a fluid. The fluid used in the procedure is generally water and sometimes solvents based on contaminant type and items to be cleaned. As a result of the high-frequency pressure, cavitation bubbles are induced and the agitation forces the contaminants to move out from the objects used for cleaning. This ultrasonic cleaning process cleans even from blind holes, cracks, and recesses. The most common contaminations that are cleaned in the process are dirt, rust, dust, oil, pigments, grease, algae, bacteria, lime scale, fungus, blood stains, polishing compounds, flux agents, soot wax, fingerprints, molds etc. Based on the objects to be cleaned, the process of ultrasonic cleaning takes an average of 5-6 minutes, but it can also take more than half an hour depending on the dirt present in the object.

The working principle involves of placing the cleanable object in a chamber that has an adequate amount of fluids like aqueous or organic solvent, in which regular detergent powders are often added for permitting the separation of non-polar substances like oils and greases. The ultrasound in the ultrasonic cleaning is produced by the transducer (made of Lead Zirconate Titanate or PZT, Barium Titanate, which is either piezoelectric or magnetostrictive) that is either built into the chamber or lowered into the fluid, which initiates the ultrasonic waves in the water/fluids through size changing. At an ultrasonic frequency, an electrical signal oscillates for supporting the procedure that compresses the waves flowing in the fluid, thus separating liquid molecules. This leaves a huge microscopic gap or commonly known as cavitation bubbles. From here the bubbles collapse by releasing a certain amount of energy at an average of 5,000K temperature and 135 MPa pressure. They ultrasonically clean the surface dirt and contaminants and at a higher frequency, the smaller nodes between cavitation points clean the dirt in a pinpoint detail. The smaller the nodes, the better they are.

Let’s know a bit about the cavitation process that helps the solution to perform its duties.For making ultrasonic cleaning more effective, the cleaning solutions contain detergents, wetting agents and other compounds. The right solution composition and cleaning objects are interdependent, but mostly the solutions are warm (usually between 50degree to 65degree Centigrade/122degree149degree Fahrenheit). Some electronic components – MEMS gadgets like accelerometers, microphones or gyroscopes cannot be cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning, as it tends to damage the items during cleaning.

The process of ultrasonic cleaning became a reality long back in the 1950s, as the first commercial ultrasonic cleaning equipment appeared during that period. For decades it is there in the market and is still accelerating the surface treatment processes.

Read More News:

'Amazon Pay UPI' launched for Android users in India

Over 150 handset manufacturing units set up in India in 4 years: Report