Ultrasonic cleaning, or not.

[RobWard]

One of our machines mixes polyurethane using a "turbine".
During a day's production a build up of product occurs. The turbine is soaked overnight in methylene chloride (dichloromethane) whick softens the polyurethane but doesnt remove it. The turbine is a complicated shape and hard to clean. Does anyone have any experience of ultrasonic cleaning: can you use any solvent with it, can you build your own equipment or is it best to buy off the shelf, is there a better solution I should be looking at.

 

[JeffdlS]

Hi Rob,

If your part is very large, then ultrasonic might not be the best idea. We've looked at utilizing ultrasonic cleaners and we've found that they'll do an excellent job on cleaning a part . . . but it had to be a relatively small part. In order to ultrasonically clean a part, it has to have a tank larger than the largest part you want to clean. Another alternative you might want to consider is dry-ice blasting. We have tried this too and it works extremely well. And dry-ice would defintely be easier to handle from an EPA-point of view. Hope that helps

JeffdlS

 

[fufu]

Dear Rob,
You might wont to try Hi pressure hydrublasting with a gun at 30,000 psi to 36,000 psi.
we use hydrublasting to cleen big solid chunks of polymers
& it works fast & wonderfull. Their are so many hydroblasting cleaning companeys that would be very pleased to demonstrate their fast cleaning capabiliteis.
Regards,

 

[RobWard]

Thank you for your replies. We have now sourced a solvent mix which seems to dissolve the build up overnight without the need for any agitation.
Thanks again. "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams