Everything You Should Know About Ultrasonic Cleaning of Filters
Industrial companies need to ensure that their equipment is always working at optimum levels so as not to compromise production times or quality. This means they need a way to remove all unwanted particles from fluid streams before they enter other machinery in order to maintain optimal performance standards.
The cleaning of filters is essential to the process of removing contaminants from fluids prior to them being released into a downstream process. The use of ultrasonic cleaning can improve this process by ensuring that no harmful substances are left behind.
Ultrasonic cleaning uses ultrasound at 20-40 kHz to agitate cleaning fluid or appropriate solvent to clear away hard-to-remove debris. Regular ultrasonic cleaning prolongs the life of the equipment and optimizes flow rates and performance.
In this post, we will discuss what an ultrasonic cleaner is, how it works, and why it's such an important component in industrial companies' filtration systems.
What is Ultrasonic Cleaning of filters?
Ultrasonic cleaning efficiently cleans dirt particles, germs, and gunk from hard-to-reach places. Immersed filters are exposed to high-frequency sound waves, which agitate the cleaning solution or solvent, causing the cavitation of solution molecules. Cavitation bubbles form when sonic energy creates a void or cavity. Lots and lots of tiny cavitation bubbles form and become trapped within the cleaning solution. When these bubbles implode, debris and contaminants dislodge from surfaces resulting in clean filters and equipment.
How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?
Ultrasonic cleaning is very different from traditional cleaning methods due to its high cleaning capacity. An object such as a filter is submerged in a tank filled with a liquid solution or cleaning solvent, and the transducer is plugged in. The transducer transforms electrical energy into ultrasonic energy, creating sound waves that generate the cavitation bubbles, which accumulate with time. These bubbles implode, and the force dislodges gunk, grime, grit, and impurities resulting in a thorough and effective clean.
What Is Cavitation?
Cavitation is the formation of many tiny bubbles or cavities within a liquid. These bubbles form when sound waves move through the fluid. All of these little bubbles are filled with empty space. When cavitation bubbles implode or collapse, impurities like dirt, oil, debris, and grime dislodge, resulting in cleaner surfaces.
How Much Time Does It Take to Clean Your Filter with Ultrasonic Cleaning?
The time required to complete the ultrasonic cleaning process depends on the size and cleanliness of the filter or object, but the average cleaning time can range between 3-10 minutes. Cleaning time can be reduced by the application of heat as heated solutions loosen the dirt and the chemical bonds, resulting in less cleaning time.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Applications
Ultrasonic cleaning is an efficient way to reuse your filters and keep them functional for an extended period. Ultrasonic cleaning is a popular cleaning method across multiple industries such as factories, hospitals, and other businesses.
Ultrasonic cleaning efficiently removes:
- Carbons
- Oil and grease
- Metal shavings
- Petrochemicals
- Polymers
- Carcinogens
- Lubricants
- Varnishes and paints
- Rusts
Ultrasonic cleaning is effective in cleaning a wide range of different filters, including:
- Dutch Twill
- Wire Mesh
- Sintered
- Depth Filter
- Stacked Disc
What Are the Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning?
The benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning are limitless. Here are a few advantages of choosing ultrasonic cleaning for your requirements:
- Cleans delicate parts with no damage of scrubbing manually
- Cleans every nook and corner, which wouldn't have been possible if cleaned manually or by hand
- No requirement of any harsh chemicals that may be dangerous for the workers or the environment
- Cleans all types of contaminants from every filter, such as depth filter
- Restores your filter's performance up to 100%
- It saves customers from the large filter replacement costs
How Is the Frequency Related to Ultrasonic Cleaning?
The frequency in the Ultrasonic waves produced is measured in thousands of cycles pre every second. A 1Hz frequency will have only one cycle of sound waves per second. Similarly, 20Hz will be 20 cycles, and 100 Hz will be 100cyles of cleaning. The frequency is one of the main criteria for creating the right bubble size, which will help clean the items.
Higher ultrasonic frequencies tend to produce smaller bubbles which offer gentles scrubbing and cleaning.
On the contrary, low ultrasonic frequencies will result in larger bubbles that give a more rough cleaning.
On average, the frequency of 40kHz is adequate for cleaning filters or other applications with ultrasonic cleaning.
How to choose the right frequency for ultrasonic cleaning?
The lower the frequency, the higher the intensity of cleaning and vice versa. Here's how you can use different ultrasonic frequencies for various applications.
25 kHz
- Injection molding
- Massive steel cutting tools
- Stainless steel plates
- Cast iron
40 kHz
- Carburetor cleaning
- Removing oils and metal chips from industrial machines
- Soot removal from items that are damaged from fires
- Ceramic cleaning
- Removal of biological contaminants from surgical tools
68/132/170 kHz
- Cleaning medical and optical instruments and elements
- Semiconductor water fabrication
- Production electronics
- Delicate instrumentation or computer memory components
Baskets for Ultrasonic Cleaning
Baskets support objects by elevating them to a safe distance above the base of the tank. When an object is suspended in a basket, cavitation bubbles disperse around and envelop the object evenly, making the cleaning process more effective. Baskets are constructed of stainless steel and other non-porous material, in various sizes, that allow suspending the items at the correct depth for a thorough cleaning.
Tips for effective Ultrasonic Cleaning
Here are a few tips to make ultrasonic cleaning more effective:
- Do not use plain water.
- Choose a cleaning solution compatible with the object to be cleaned.
- Use the solutions at a warm temperature, typically 50–65 °C (122–149 °F
- Never fill the ultrasonic tank with HFE 7100.
How to choose the best Ultrasonic Cleaning Services?
Precision Fabricating & Cleaning cleans filters and piece parts thoroughly by removing contaminants, increasing work efficiency and longevity.
At Precision Fabricating & Cleaning, highly trained technicians carry out cleaning processes using sophisticated ultrasonic cleaning methods.
Contact Precision Fabricating & Cleaning today and discover how ultrasonic cleaning can improve your valued equipment's functionality, effectivity, and longevity.