SiroSilo
To purchase a Chinese ultrasonic cleaner, if you are able to provide the following information, it will save you a lot of priceless time & energy, Chinese manufacturers could recommend a suitable ultrasound transducer cleaner to you according to this information.
Workpiece Material, Features, Size, Application
Let’s explain them one by one.
- Material
Different workpiece adopts different material, such as metal, glass, plastics, etc.;
- Features
Please avoid processing some workpieces that are not suitable for cavitation cleaning;
- Size
It is useful for confirming the inner tank size & the power of the ultrasonic cleaning machine;
- Application
Based on past experience, suppliers can quickly recommend suitable ultrasonic cleaning machines & solutions for similar workpieces.
Dirt Composition & Characteristics
Dirt composition & characteristics are also influential factors, such as cutting oil & the debris of machining, polishing wax or stamping oil, abrasives for optical lenses, etc.
Cleaning Solvent Choice
Based on previous experience, choose between water-based detergent & solvent detergent, comparing their value, safety, etc.
Upstream & Downstream Process Linkage
Design the ultrasonic bath capacity according to the current situation, please avoid following the five-year or ten-year development plan blindly, then proposing excessive cleaning requirements.
A large-capacity ultrasonic washing machine consumes much more water & energy occupies a large area and leads to high investment, which is uneconomical in use.
Cleaning & Drying Process
Select the cleaning & drying process based on your own experience or turn to the Chinese supplier for suggestions.
Investment & Costing
The investment & costing includes ultrasonic cleaner & cleaning agent expense, power & water consumption, consumables, and maintenance costs.
Waste Removal & Environmental Protection
Some export-oriented enterprises should also consider policy restrictions & regulations related to environmental protection.
Of course, before placing an order, it is best to do more than 1 cleaning experiment with a professional supplier, to verify the cleaning effect.
The following Chinese ultrasonic cleaner purchasing guide can help you better source ultrasonic cleaning tanks from China.
Chinese Ultrasonic Cleaner Purchasing Guide
Power
The ultrasonic cleaning effect is not always proportional to the power & cleaning time.
Sometimes, a low-power ultrasonic cleaning machine works for a long time without removing the dirt. And if the ultrasonic power reaches a certain value, dirt removal finishes soon.
If the ultrasonic power is too large, the cavitation intensity greatly increases, and although the cleaning effect gets better, it will also erode the precision parts, the gain will outweigh the loss.
Moreover, the bottom of the high-power ultrasonic wash tank suffers from severe cavitation and pitting corrosion increases accordingly.
If the cleaning solvent is trichloroethylene, there is no problem; But when the water-based solution is used, it is prone to pitting corrosion.
The cavitation corrosion will be more serious under strong power if there are scars on the bottom, so the ultrasonic power should be suitable for actual use.
The ultrasonic power of some ultrasonic cleaning tanks is adjustable between 1% and 99%, you can purchase such an ultrasonic washing machine if your budget is enough.
Frequency
The frequency of ultrasonic cleaning is between 20kHz & 400kHz.
When using water solution, the physical cleaning force caused by cavitation is obviously beneficial to low frequency, generally 28-40kHz.
When cleaning parts with small gaps, slits, and deep holes, it is better to use high frequency (generally above 40KHz), even hundreds of kHz;
For machinery, hardware, automobile & motorcycle, compressor, or objects with heavy pollution, 20KHz ultrasonic cleaning machines are suitable;
If cleaning circuit boards, lenses, optoelectronics, and general lab utensils, 40kHz ultrasonic cleaning tanks are a common choice;
For microelectronic components, integrated circuit chips, silicon wafers, wave films, etc., 80kHz or higher frequency ultrasonic baths are popular, which can remove micron & sub-micron dirt without damaging the workpieces.
When cleaning watch parts, use a 400kHz ultrasonic washer. If its ultrasound frequency is broad & adjustable, the cleaning effect will be better.
Most of the ultrasonic cleaners on the market have a frequency of around 40-50kHz, this frequency is the most common & is suitable for most scenarios.
However, because this frequency is common, different suppliers’ ultrasonic transducer quality varies.
Ultrasonic baths with high frequency (around 100kHz) or low frequency (25kHz) equips with good ultrasonic transducers.
For some dual-frequency ultrasonic bath cleaners, their ultrasonic transducers’ quality is definitely better than single-frequency ones.
If your budget is enough, we suggest you choose dual-frequency ultrasonic cleaners, then choose high-frequency or low-frequency ones accordingly.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Process & Solutions
Before purchasing ultrasonic cleaning systems, you’d better have a discussion with the ultrasonic bath manufacturer first, then you could confirm the final cleaning process after discussion.
Ultrasonic Cleaning System & Process
It is essential to do cleaning experiments before confirming the final cleaning process.
Only in this way can we provide a suitable sonic wave cleaner, a well-designed cleaning process, and suitable cleaning solutions.
- Water System
It usually consists of an open tank in which the workpiece is immersed, while a complex system consists of multiple tanks, including a circulation & filtration system, a spray rinsing tank, a drying tank, and other accessories.
- Solvent System
Most of them are ultrasonic degreasing cleaning machines, which equip with continuous recycling equipment for waste liquid.
It is an integrated multi-tank system, this system is composed of an evaporation tank & a rinsing tank. The hot steam & ultrasonic agitation co-work to remove oil, grease, wax, and other dirt.
Workpiece Handling
You should also consider the loading & unloading of workpieces or the ultrasonic cleaner basket design.
When the workpieces are in the ultrasonic cleaning tank, neither the workpieces nor the ultrasonic cleaner basket can touch the tank.
The workpiece’s total cross-sectional area should not exceed 70% of the ultrasonic bath’s total cross-sectional area.
Rubber & some plastics will absorb ultrasonic energy, please take care when placing such materials in the ultrasonic basket.
And please pay special attention to insulated workpieces too. If the ultrasonic cleaner basket design is improper or the workpiece is too heavy, the cleaning efficiency greatly decreases even with the best ultrasonic cleaning systems.
Hooks, racks, and beakers are all suitable for supporting the workpieces in the ultrasonic cleaning tank.
The Choice of Ultrasonic Solutions
Any ultrasonic cleaning machine must fill cleaning solutions.
Physical characteristics of cleaning fluid impact ultrasonic cleaning, including:
- Density
- Surface Tension
- Vapor Pressure
- Viscosity
Temperature affects these factors, so it also affects the cavitation efficiency.
- Cleaning Efficiency
To choose the most effective cleaning solvent, be sure to do experiments.
If introducing ultrasound to the existing cleaning process, no need to change the cleaning solvent;
- Easy to Use
The liquid should be safe, non-toxic, simple to use, and have a long service life;
- Cost
The cheapest cleaning solvent is not always equal to the lowest cost.
In use, many factors are worthy of considering, such as:
- Cleaning Efficiency & Safety of Solvent
- Solvent Volume Required for Workpiece Cleaning
- Solvent Utilization Rate
Of course, the selected cleaning solvent must achieve the cleaning effect, it’s compatible with the workpiece material.
Cleaning Fluid Volume & Parts Placement
Generally speaking, the cleaning liquid level must be higher than the transducer surface by more than 100mm.
Because the standing wave affects the single-frequency ultrasonic cleaning machine, the trough amplitude is small, and the peak amplitude is large, resulting in uneven cleaning.
Therefore, you’d better place the workpiece at the crest.
Cleaning Liquid Temperature
The most suitable temperature of the water cleaning solution is 40-60℃.
In cold weather, if the cleaning solution temperature is low, the cavitation is poor, and the cleaning effect is also poor.
Therefore, some ultrasonic cleaning machines introduce heaters for temperature control.
When the temperature rises, cavitation is strong, the ultrasonic cleaning effect is better.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Time
Different workpieces are suitable for different cleaning times, ultrasonic power is a decisive factor.
When the ultrasonic power is strong, the cleaning time is short.
If cleaning glasses, necklaces, bracelets, gold, jewelry, and other small household items, 3-5 minutes are enough;
If the workpiece to be cleaned is large, the dirt is heavy, and 3-5 minutes are not enough, you can set the ultrasonic cleaning time to 15-30 minutes.
When the ultrasonic power is too weak, it is not a problem of long & short cleaning times, it is possible that the cleaning will not be effective.
In summary, the cleaning time for home ultrasonic cleaners and ultrasonic benchtop cleaners is generally 3-5 minutes;
For industrial ultrasonic cleaning tanks, the cleaning time is generally 15-30 minutes.
Ultrasonic Cleaner Basket
When choosing an ultrasonic cleaning basket, you’d better consider the following factors:
- Mesh
The mesh-type ultrasonic cleaning basket facilitates the ultrasonic wave to reach the workpiece, if it is a closed ultrasonic basket, it will block the wave.
In addition, the mesh-type ultrasonic cleaning basket facilitates the runoff, the runoff carries the dirt into the cleaning liquid, then the dirt will not attach to the workpiece again.
- Divider
As the workpiece fineness is different, it is necessary to add a divider in the ultrasonic basket, avoiding direct contact between these workpieces, and thus avoiding damage to the workpieces.
- Corrosion-resistant Stainless Steel Material
This kind of tank is not easy to rust, it also extends the service life of the ultrasonic basket.
- Strong Enough
If the ultrasonic basket is not strong enough, it separates due to long-term high-intensity vibration.
So it must consist of high-strength stainless steel wire mesh.
Working Sound
In theory, ultrasound is a sound that can’t be heard by human ears, but in practice, the ultrasonic cleaning machine will make a noise, which is caused by various reasons.
When two different ultrasonic washers have the same material, same power, and frequency, the one that generates less noise is better.
Why?
When the transducer is working, it is not 100% in the ultrasonic frequency, a good transducer is in the ultrasonic frequency for more time, and the noise is small.
The low noise indicates that the sealing of the transducer is good, and such a washer is more durable.