How to Choose the Best Ultrasonic Cleaner for Your Needs

You may have heard of ultrasonic cleaning before, and the process is fascinating indeed. Instead of wasting a lot of time cleaning industrial parts and components, you can take advantage of a cleaning process that is not only as thorough as can be – it’s a process that is much more efficient and cheaper to run and operate. You and your staff can benefit from a faster cleaning time, making you more efficient. But there are now different models that are readily available, and though they may work for some, they may not be suitable for your purpose. It is especially true if you deal with a lot of dirt and grime (as is the case with the automotive sector) or have too many parts and components to clean. So how can you choose the best ultrasonic cleaner for your needs? Here’s a useful guide.

Understand how it works

It pays to understand how the process works so you can choose accordingly, as suggested by industrial parts cleaning services like Sonic Solutions. To make it easier, think about how a dishwasher works. A dishwasher uses water and soap (detergent) to effectively remove dirt, grease, and other common contaminants from different objects. The only difference is that instead of tackling pots and plates, an ultrasonic cleaner is for materials that are downright impossible to clean – from messy engine parts to surgical supplies to jewellery and dental components and intricate glassware from a lab.

And instead of relying on the high water pressure, it depends on imploding bubbles of water, which are composed of millions of bubbles, in the process of cavitation. When you have a good understanding of how ultrasonic cleaning works, you will be better able to choose the size of the equipment you need and its features.

How to choose

• Consider the size of the tanks

The tanks will essentially hold the unit’s cleaning mixture or solution. They should be stainless steel, and the actual size will depend on the size of the parts to be cleaned. It is why the range of the equipment can vary from units placed on a tabletop to larger units that can hold multiple gallons.

• Think of the controls

When choosing your ultrasonic cleaner, you also have to consider the controls. These include the on-off switch as a standard, but they can also include controllers that dictate the sweep, the temperature, the pulse, the frequency, the power, and more. Also, consider getting an ultrasonic cleaner with an automatic shutoff safety feature that reduces the likelihood of accidents.

• Choose the baskets with care

A cleaner will be truly effective if the cavitation has access to all the surfaces of the object/s being cleaned, so it is crucial to make sure that the surfaces are immersed. That said, choose baskets made of stainless steel (with mesh or walls) that can hold all the components at the proper distance from the bottom of the tank. Make sure the parts are suspended and fully immersed in the solution and not on the flooring of the tank.

• Other considerations

Aside from the above, consider other aspects that can affect the effectiveness, such as the transducer (which creates the cavitation process) and the generator that serves as a power source for the transducer.