The cleaning process is the “recipe” for cleaning. Like any culinary recipe, it should clearly define the ingredients, times, temperatures and the method of application to be used for cleaning. Most cleaning consists of at least the three basic steps of washing, rinsing and drying. Wash – The purpose of washing is to remove contaminants … Continued
Immersion or spray methods are used in most industrial cleaning processes. Both are effective but one may be better suited than the other in some applications and often for reasons that aren’t immediately obvious. Let’s take a minute to explore some of the benefits and limitations of each. Spray – The most often recognized … Continued
It is no secret that good cleaning followed by poor rinsing can be worse than not rinsing (or cleaning) at all. A single-use rinse using a fresh water spray or a high flow rate or single use immersion rinse are often thought to provide the ultimate rinse. These options, however, are often extremely expensive because they consume … Continued
Why rely on a parts cleaning system that is just getting you by? Evaluation of your parts cleaning process could lead to some profitable improvements.
OK, I may get into trouble here, but this is a subject that I think needs some discussion. What about cleaning consultants? I know many people who are cleaning consultants and, in fact, I was one for a while myself. There are good reasons for hiring a consultant when it comes to the specification of … Continued
Process testing in a cleaning laboratory is a typical and useful step in the development of an industrial cleaning process. In most cases, test cleaning is performed in laboratories maintained by the suppliers of cleaning equipment and/or cleaning chemistries. The goal of lab testing, of course, is to simulate a cleaning process to determine its effectiveness … Continued
A few days ago, I sat down to write what I thought would be a simple explanation of surface tension and how it is measured in the laboratory (a blog which will be published shortly if I can figure all of this out). In doing the normal background research, however, I started to see contradictions … Continued
In recent blogs we have been talking, for the most part, about particles that are relatively large – ones you can see, touch and feel. There is a world out there, however, that worries about particles that are very tiny. I’m talking about particles that are smaller than tens of microns in dimension. An earlier … Continued
Before we leave the subject of particles and particle counting, there are some things we need to touch on regarding “exceptional” particles. In an earlier blog, Particles That Don’t Count?, we discussed briefly some particles that may or may not count when it comes to analyzing the cleanliness of a part. These and several other kinds of … Continued
“Hard” water contains minerals, usually Calcium and Magnesium, that form scale and soap scum. In most cases, soft water is preferred to hard water in industrial cleaning. In some cases it can mean the difference between success and disaster. Since its been a while since we last talked about water, you may want to review a … Continued