I’ve always known that cleaning inside blind holes was a difficult task. In a previous blog, I demonstrated using video just how difficult it is to get liquids and/or air in and out of a blind hole. My plan was to approach the problem logically (largely based on intuition), and offer readers some solutions to … Continued
The movement of air is an important consideration in the design of most industrial cleaning systems. The immediate application that comes to mind is, of course, in drying. The movement of air is one of the major requirements for drying along with, of course, elevated temperature. In most cases, the need to move air in … Continued
At the urging of several readers I have decided to, from time to time, present a little puzzle or “thinking exercise” here on the blog. Maybe it will help those of us who are advancing in age to stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease or, better yet, just offer something to think about on … Continued
Cleanliness, as important as it is, is too often relegated to the final and “detached” stage in the process of product design. Even a very insightful design engineer seldom looks at a design from its conception with an eye to how this thing is going to be cleaned in the end. I suppose this is … Continued
The blog Pumps – Centrifugal Pumps provided some basic information about the type of pump most commonly used in industrial cleaning equipment. Centrifugal pumps are simple, relatively inexpensive, versatile and reliable. However, as I mentioned in that blog, they do have some limitations. In order for a centrifugal pump to function, liquid to be pumped … Continued
Let’s again look at the system schematic shown in the preceding blog. This time, however, it is shown with an “air lock.” The centrifugal pump, unable to pump air, is not able to move liquid to replace the air trapped in the plumbing system. At first glance, it may not be obvious how this condition … Continued
I have stressed the importance of temperature to cleaning processes many times in previous blogs. This blog will discuss the heat source options for achieving and maintaining the temperatures required for effective cleaning. Electric – Electric heat is, without a doubt, the most prevalent heat alternative used for cleaning applications. This is because electric heaters are relatively inexpensive, relatively small, … Continued
In the blogs Chemistry – Oil Splitting and Oil Emulsification – Part 1 and Chemistry – Oil Splitting and Oil Emulsification – Part 2, I discussed how oils are removed from parts using chemistry that either splits or emulsifies the oil. The next step is to collect and get rid of or recycle that removed oil. This … Continued
Surface cavitation erosion of ultrasonic transducers is a topic that users and manufacturers of ultrasonic equipment would often rather not talk about – – but we must. The erosion of a transducer surface due to surface cavitation is inevitable over time. Its severity depends on several factors, some of which can be controlled and some … Continued
When parts aren’t coming clean two of the first things most process engineers target as potential problems are the temperature and concentration of the chemistry. These are, in most cases, good bets but one should resist knee-jerk reactions. Chemical Concentration – One of the common knee-jerk reactions to a cleaning problem is to increase chemical … Continued
