Parts Washers
Parts washing is an integral part of most industrial processes, and the technology has grown to match the many possible processes requiring cleaning and recycling of parts. Parts washers may be as simple as a single-stage immersion into hot water. Other industrial washers have been designed as multi-stage processes, offering as an example, surface cleaning and preparation, drying, edge cleaning or deburring, surface treating and even final coating or finishing all in one application.
A sample list of applications already making significant use of parts washing would include die casting, machined parts, metal and plastic finishing, medical equipment, surface preparation and finishing, aviation parts manufacture, pharmaceutical containers, heavy machinery and earth moving equipment, appliance assembly, aerospace components, electronic assembly, automotive parts and even simple bottle washing.
To achieve the results, there are a considerable number of techniques, and permutations of these techniques that can be used. There are degreasers using organic solvents, cleaners or even vapor systems to remove contaminants, greases or compounds that are insoluble in water or aqueous systems. There are the ‘immersion tank’ cleaning systems, sometimes called ‘scrub tanks’, where parts are immersed in a tank and the parts can just soak, or be cleaned by agitation with impellers, paddles or blades. There is the manual parts washing process; a cabinet that will most likely have glove ports, a viewing window, and internal lighting to allow the holding of parts for manual scrubbing. Ultrasonic cleaning processes use the ‘immersion tanks’ in which the cleaning solution is vibrated at extremely high frequencies. Along with this kind of agitation, there is an added process where air can be blown through the cleaning solution in the tank, suspending abrasive particles that help clean the exposed surfaces of parts. High pressure washing or rinsing systems direct a concentrated stream of water or water mixed with detergent at the parts surfaces to remove debris such as scale, rust or dirt, maybe paint, grease, or abrasive dust. Alternatively, dry particles are directed in a high pressure, concentrated stream to blast part surfaces. Burn-off or thermal systems would use heat to remove grease, oil, paint or other organic compounds from the surfaces of parts.
Industrial parts washers are available with components such as brushes, scrubbers, water softeners, and deionizers. Separators and filtration systems collect and remove the oil, debris, metal chips or scale, abrasive dust, fine swarf or whatever other waste during the cleaning process. Generally, gas, electric or steam heaters can be used to raise the temperature of the cleaning solution. Mechanical vibrators or agitators can be fitted to produce a vibrating or mixing action in the cleaning bath to enhance the cleaning process, and pumps can be used to increase the pressure of the cleaning. It is also possible to fit spinning arms holding the part to increase the exposure of surface area to the cleaning spray.
Parts washers can use hot water, detergents, solvents or acid or alkaline solutions, as well as non-aqueous methods such as vaporized solvents, abrasive particles, acoustic cleaning, laser finishing or ablation, and high frequency agitation or vibration to clean and treat the surfaces of parts. Power sources that are offered by many suppliers are electricity, gasoline, oil, or steam. The material lining of any wash tank can be made of glass or ceramic, plastic, steel or stainless steel, as required. Depending on the design, parts may be front-loading or top-loading, manually or automatically, by transporter or conveyor. With respect to control, there are industrial parts washers using CNC controllers or, alternatively, a direct computer-based interface to control parameters such as heat and pressure, speed of operation, solvent or cleaner levels, agitation rates, flow rates and so on. The permutations are many, and have generally already been designed and manufactured somewhere, so talk to the experts for their advice.
New England Sales offers a wide variety of parts washers including aqueous washers, solvent washers, and vapor degreasers. Some of the more common suppliers of parts washers are:
• Proceco Aqueous Parts Washer Systems
• Almco Parts Washers
• Kleentec Washers
• Ramco Immersion and Agitated Wash Systems
• Durr Ecoclean Vapor Degreaser
• Innovance Parts Washing
• New England Sales Parts Washers
• Clearflow Parts Washers
• Ramkleen Wash Systems
• JRI Parts Washer and Spray Cabinets
• Metal Surface Treatment including FPI, Passivation, Annodizing
Parts Washers
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