High Power Ultrasonics (HPU’s) industry-defined standards for industrial cleaning have revolutionized the ultrasonic cleaning world. The introduction of HPU enables previously limited applications to physical cleaning methods. For example, ultrasonic cleaning has made it possible to remove paint and clean the surface of molds. Pasteurization, homologation, emulsification, and fermentation are among the 52 other high-power ultrasonic commercial applications we are working on. With that stated, let’s now walk through this blog to understand the significance of High Power Ultrasonics in the Industrial Cleaning sector.
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High Power Ultrasonics in Industrial Cleaning
In ultrasonic engineering, high performance means reaching temperatures above 5000 ° K and pressures above 2000 atmospheres within cavitation bubbles, even in one-millionth of a second. This is the most effective cavitation method to remove surface contaminants without altering surface properties.
The industry has different types of ultrasonic cleaning, including frequency, power, temperature, timing, chemicals, and other kinetic movements. The transducer is fixed after designing the
ultrasonic cleaner, and the frequency cannot be changed. Therefore, the converter frequency is adjusted based on the cleaning application and maintained for the machine’s life.
Nevertheless, the power supplied to the ultrasonic tank by the transducer can vary, and a reduction of 100% to 50% is optional. Power affects grinding strength and cleaning speed.
Factors & Agents that play an important role in High Power Ultrasonics
Temperature plays an essential role in most cleaning processes. The cleaning surface expands slightly as the temperature rises, allowing the cleaning fluid to penetrate more effectively. As the temperature of the bath keeps rising, the speed and penetration of the media will increase many times.
The time required for cleaning depends on the extent of cleaning, the size of the area to be cleaned, and the age and depth of dirt. The efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning depends on the temperature, the concentration of the cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic output.
The cleaning agents used are based on the nature of the surface, the type of contaminants removed, and the removal rate. There are several chemicals available and they are used to:
- Improve oxidation
- Enhanced Cavitation
- Speciality Chemicals that increase the dissolution of paints/ epoxies & rubbers are available
The dynamic movement of the cleaning section makes it easy to clean parts that are difficult to see visually, such as orifices and blind holes. It’s best to rotate the piece 360 degrees around its axis, but many machine makers use a vertical motion called a plunge. As the component moves up and down in the ultrasonic tank, surface contaminants are forced out of the tank and diffused throughout the media.
The bath temperature most often reaches above 90° F on the HPU. This occurs due to the powerful energy dissipated by the cavitation bubbles. In addition, the pressure of such cavitation bubbles is in the range of 2000 atmospheres. This creates a unique combination of mighty grinding power and high resolution. This speeds up the cleaning process and removes highly sticky and reactive stains from the cleaning surface.
Winding Up…
The commercial needs of your application are met through the development process where variables are customized. Power, strength, flow rate, pressure, temperature, viscosity, solids concentration, and ultrasonic cleaners are all adjusted until the operating point of the high-performance equipment is reached, and the desired effect is achieved.
