Published: May 23, 2017
Q. How to determine appropriate cleaning time to clean parts with ultrasonic cleaner?
A. Observations and cleaning trials are the best way to determine appropriate cleaning time. Every individual application will have nuanced challenges and specifics, including variability in equipment and residue amounts. Having said that, we are happy to share our experience.
Many customers use 10 minutes as a cleaning time. For difficult residues 20 minutes or longer are used. For very easy to clean residues it is not unusual to clean for 3 minutes. For most residues, heating expedites cleaning. Exceptions are often found in the cosmetic industry.
A rule of thumb at Alconox Inc. is that for every 10C, the cleaning time is halved for most applications. It is also recommended that roughly the same rinsing water temperature as the washing temperature is used. This will avoid breaking, due to thermal shock, the emulsions that may form in the wash solution. Subsequent rinses can be at ambient if desired.
The types of detergents that work best in ultrasonic tanks are ones that are higher foaming. Generally speaking, higher foaming detergents have the most effective surfactants. However, low-foaming detergents can also be used.
To request any Alconox Inc. detergents for free, please complete the questionnaire at Get Sample. For more information about any one of our Alconox Inc. detergents, consult the technical bulletin for each product. Or click here to access each of our detergent’s Safety Data Sheets.
Do you have a critical cleaning question for the experts at Alconox, Inc.? Search TechNotes to see if it’s been answered before or Ask Alconox.
For fastest reply, please email cleaning@alconox.com
