Buyers Guide – 10 Things You Need to Know Before Buying an Ultrasonic Cleaner
Buyers
Guide – 10 Things You Need to Know Before Buying an Ultrasonic Cleaner:September 2018 – KDW MACTECH (KDW), Inc., a
world-leading provider of automated assembly products, parts, and consumable
items
A
little search in the web will convince first-time buyers of an ultrasonic
cleaner that the selection seems almost endless and with prices and features
[all over the map." Those looking to
replace their ultrasonic cleaner may also be confused by the array of features
available and have cause to wonder what they really need for their ultrasonic
cleaning procedures. This post will help
ease feature selection by letting you focus in on what you really need to do
your job – cleaning parts or doing sample preparations.
10
Things you must know before buying your new Ultrasonic Cleaner:
1.
Choose the correct dimensions of the ultrasonic cleaner tank for your specific
needs.
Put
another way, how large are the parts being cleaned or the number of samples
processed? Measure the dimensions of
largest parts to be cleaned (or number of flasks or beakers to be processed)
and make sure to select a tank that will accommodate them. In addition, pay attention to the internal
dimensions of the parts or sample baskets. Baskets are discussed below.
You`ll
also need to know the working depth of the cleaning fluid as it relates to the
size of parts you`re cleaning. The
working depth is the distance from the inside bottom surface of the basket to
the surface of the liquid in a filled tank. It`s important because parts being cleaned must be fully immersed in the
liquid. Sample prep, on the other hand,
may require less depth because the entire container need not be immersed in the
solution. (Special units are designed
for sample prep operations.)
Product
specs for benchtop ultrasonic cleaners may not include this information. If they do not, feel free to contact the
manufacturer or supplier for this information. On the other hand manufacturers of large industrial tanks often report
both tank depth and working depth.
2.
What is your purpose for using an Ultrasonic Cleaner? Are you cleaning or are
you processing samples?
Put
another way, what is it you are doing? Ultrasonic cleaners do a lot more than clean parts such as gears,
carburetors, PCB boards and surgical instruments. In the lab they are broadly employed to degas
solvents, disperse nanoparticles, and emulsify, dissolve, disperse and
otherwise prepare lab samples.
If
you are cleaning parts, to get started you need to consider the following before
making a selection:
Identify
what type of contamination to be removed; there`s a big difference, as you can
imagine, between removing coolant from machined parts, varnish deposits from a
carburetor, ink from printing rolls, and blood and tissue residues from the surgical
instruments.
Know
the composition of the product being cleaned; different parameters apply to
cleaning aircraft engine components and glass capillaries. You`ll need
compatible cleaning solution and ultrasonic cleaning frequency.
How
will the parts be used after cleaning? How do you define [clean"? Will you be
cleaning batches or individual parts? What is the component size and weight?
Once
you define exactly what you`re trying to accomplish the following points will
help narrow down your equipment selection. Then it`s time to contact Mactech for
specific recommendations. You can visit us at www.ai-part.com and www.smtsplicetape.com, or you
can send your inquiries to sales@ai-part.com.
3.
Add Baskets to your Spec Sheet.
Ultrasonic
cleaner baskets and accessories
Baskets
support parts and sample containers in an ultrasonic cleaner. They affect cleaning and sample processing
efficiency and, importantly, protect tanks from damage.
Baskets
with insulated handles facilitate placing and removing parts being cleaned in
hot liquid. They also keep parts, flasks
and beakers off the tank bottom where they suppress vibration and lower
cleaning effectiveness.
In
terms of tank life, keep in mind that the bottom of the tank is a vibrating
membrane. Any solid item, particularly a metal part, can act as a drill while
the ultrasound is operating. Over time
this can wear a hole in the tank. That`s
a good enough reason to use baskets.
Some
baskets hang on the tank rim; others are equipped with rubber-coated feet
positioned near the corners of the tank bottom where vibration is at a
minimum. Fine mesh baskets for small
parts can be positioned in beakers or standard baskets.
4.
How to Specify Ultrasonic Frequency.
Ultrasonic
frequency is produced by generator-powered transducers bonded to the bottom of
the tank. They vibrate in kilohertz (kHz
or thousands of cycles per second) above the hearing range, which is
approximately 20 kHz.
Most
ultrasonic cleaners operate between 35 and 45 kHz. This frequency range is well suited to the
vast majority of cleaning tasks. Sample
prep is often accomplished with units operating at 37 kHz.
A
lower frequency such as 25 kHz produces larger cavitation bubbles. When these bubbles implode they release a
larger amount of cleaning energy. For
coarse cleaning such as removal of lapping abrasives or polishing paste, a
lower frequency will be more effective.
Note
that the lower the frequency, the louder the cleaning operation. Sound-deadening tank lids with insulation are
a good idea when operating at 25 kHz.
A
higher frequency produces smaller cavitation bubbles. These cover fine featured complex surfaces
more thoroughly and are gentler than low frequencies. For fine cleaning of very delicate jewelry,
electronics, and soft metals with polished surfaces consider a unit operating
at 80 – 130 kHz. If you are cleaning
capillary tubes or spectrophotometer cuvettes you will need a unit that
operates at 80 kHz or higher.
If
you are cleaning a variety of materials consider a dual-frequency ultrasonic
cleaner.
5.
Does your ultrasonic cleaning call for a heated cleaning solution?
MKS
Series Ultrasonic Cleaner is an effective machine to many cleaning tasks. This
makes cleaning time faster and more efficient when using a heated
solution. For example, a hot cleaning
solution is best for removing oils, machining coolants and a whole host of
other contaminants from just about any surface you can think of.
If
this is the case for your requirements you can improve throughput by using
ultrasonic cleaners with thermostat-controlled heaters.
6.
The Pulse Mode Boosts Ultrasonic Power
If
you are cleaning products with particularly tenacious contaminants specify an
ultrasonic cleaner equipped with a pulse mode. Pulse mode boosts ultrasonic
power 20% on some models to remove stubborn contaminants.
7.
Understanding Ultrasonic Power
When
an ultrasonic cleaner is running electrical power is consumed evenly but it is
released in intervals to create the sound waves that shape the ultrasonic
signal. Some manufacturers report ultrasonic peak power, others report average
power, and some report both. When comparing equipment you must compare based on
the same criterion otherwise you`d be comparing apples with oranges.
While
more power usually indicates faster and more effective cleaning, more power is
not always better. Too much power can
damage electronic parts, the surface finish on a soft metal (e.g. aluminum),
and other delicate items. For cleaning
extremely sensitive items, adjustable power is a useful feature.
Keep in mind that the larger the
volume of solution, the more ultrasonic power will be needed for cleaning. Most cleaners run at an average power of 50
to 100 watts per gallon, so the larger the tank the more power you need.
Don`t
attempt to increase the effective power of an ultrasonic cleaner by
under-filling the tank. Ultrasonic
cleaner generators that power transducers are tuned to a particular fill
level. Operating the unit with less
fluid can damage the generator and will result in less than optimized cleaning.
8.
Selecting Ultrasonic Cleaner Accessories
A
variety of accessories are available to support the use of ultrasonic cleaners.
Blending, dissolving and dispersing are facilitated when suspending samples in
a water bath with a surfactant. Use
Erlenmeyer flask holders, flask clamps, test tube holders or specially designed
lids to hold beakers.
Beakers
and beaker holders are also useful when cleaning small parts with volatile
media. If high bath temperatures are a
concern a cooling coil attached to a cold water line serves as a heat exchanger
to prevent the bath from overheating. See our post on accessories for more on this topic.
9.
Selecting the right MKS Series Ultrasonic cleaning machine for your specific
needs.
The MKS Series Ultrasonic Machine is
a collection of different models of the Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine. MKS Series
Ultrasonic Cleaning Machines offers various machine dimensions to suit
different needs or cleaning requirements. The main cleaning part of MKS Series
Ultrasonic Cleaning Machines is made of durable Industrial plate and
professional industrial transducer (head). Its case is made of High Quality
Stainless Steel Material. Check our Product Catalog and find the appropriate
Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine for your needs. Contact us to learn more about MKS
Series Ultrasonic Cleaning Machines.
The
MKS Series Ultrasonic Machine is a collection of different models different
sizes of the Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine.
Available
in the following machine dimensions;
400
* 300 * 380 (mm)
430
* 350 * 380 (mm)
600
* 350 * 380 (mm)
600
* 350 * 480 (mm)
650
* 400 * 580 (mm)
700
* 500 * 720 (mm)
10.
Choose your MKS Ultrasonic Cleaner now.
Model
Capacity
Ultrasonic
Power
Heater
Power
Tank
Size
Machine
Outer
Dimension
Packaging
Size
Gross
Weight
Box
Outer
Dimension
Total
Weight
Frequency
L
W
W
L
x W x H (mm)
L
x W x H
(mm)
L
x W x H (mm)
KG.
L
x W x H (mm)
KG.
MKS-060AL
14L
360
500
300x240x200
400x300x380
430x370x490
14.0
without
wooden packaging
14.0
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-080AL
20L
480
500
330x300x200
430x350x380
460x430x490
16.5
without
wooden packaging
16.5
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-100AL
30L
600
500
500×300×200
600×350×380
630×430×480
22.0
Wooden
packaging
22.0
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-120AL
38L
720
1000
500×300×250
600×350×480
640×440×560
32.0
Wooden
packaging
720×520×790
(1pc)
45.0
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-180AL
Industrial
Use
58L
1080
1000
550×350×300
650×400×580
710×520×650
36.0
Wooden Packaging
720×520×790
(1pc)
51.0
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-240AL
Industrial
Use
78L
1440
2000
550×400×350
650×450×620
710×550×680
45.0
Wooden Packaging
720×520×790
(1pc)
68.0
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
MKS-360AL
Industrial
Use
130L
2160
3000
650×450×450
750×500×720
830×580×820
68.0
Wooden Packaging
880×630×870
(1pc)
80.0
28KHZ/40KHZ
68KHZ
80KHZ
120KHZ
200KHZ
For
more information, please visit us at;
www.smtsplicetape.com
www.ai-part.com
2018 09/25