An industrial ultrasonic cleaner can clean almost any item, as long as it can be immersed in a cleaning tank of water and then dried after cleaning.
Ultrasonic cleaners work by creating microscopic bubbles in water of a cleaning tank to dislodge particles of dirt and contaminants from the surfaces of the parts to be cleaned. Microscopic bubbles, also called cavitation bubbles, are formed when the ultrasonic sound waves travel through water. The sound waves form low-pressure troughs between the waves and high-pressure peaks. The bubbles form at low pressure and collapse at high pressure, releasing a jet of liquid that is powerful enough to dislodge the contaminants off the surfaces of parts that are being cleaned. This cycle repeats thousands of times per second, and the many microscopic jets of water can clean a wide variety of parts.
The great thing about industrial ultrasonic cleaners is that they use plain water for general cleaning of parts. Sometimes, a mild detergent or solvent is added when the parts are heavily contaminated with oil or grease or have contaminants that are difficult to remove.
Heat is also applied to parts contaminated with hard dirt and caked-on residues. In this case, the cleaning tank must have a heater and the ultrasonic transducers that generate the sound waves in the cleaning solution must withstand the high temperatures. The heated water softens the deposits and then the cavitation bubbles do the rest of the cleaning work.
Choosing the right frequency is one of the keys to a successful cleaning of the parts. Low frequencies are appropriate for cleaning rugged parts made of hard and resilient materials such as steel, brass, and cast iron. The comparatively large cavitation bubbles perform a robust cleaning action which is suitable for getting rid of heavy dirt and contaminants. High frequencies, on the other hand, are ideal for cleaning delicate parts, such as medical equipment. The bubbles created at higher frequencies are smaller and the cleaning action becomes gentler and less intense. These delicate parts would suffer surface pitting if the low frequency is used.
For more details read the complete article, “Can an Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaner Clean It?” If you would like a free consultation to discuss how an ultrasonic cleaner can be used to meet your cleaning requirements contact Kaijo at 408-675-5575 or mail info@kaijo-shibuya.com.
Healthcare industry tools, devices, and equipment must satisfy exceptionally high standards of cleanliness. However, many of these things are usually hard to clean. Items that have been re-used may be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and other undesirable contaminants. Also these items are often delicate and have complex shapes.
Medical equipment usually has intricate shapes, parts, and dead-end holes and crevices. When equipment is used it can have traces of bacteria and other foreign matter that hide in places that are hard to reach and clean. Harsh chemicals and solvents can't be used because their handling might endanger medical personnel traces of them that have been left on the parts that may harm patients. Mechanical scrubbing, on the other hand, may damage the parts and may often miss hidden contamination.
Ultrasonic cleaning systems are an ideal solution since they provide a thorough and consistent cleaning action to remove surface contaminates. It uses either plain or distilled water for general cleaning of parts. Mild detergents and solvents are only added when cleaning more heavily contaminated parts. Ultrasonic cleaners act quickly to remove all foreign matter from an item surfaces, resulting in cleanliness to meet medical standards.
An ultrasonic cleaning system uses an ultrasonic generator to produce a high-frequency signal that is converted to sound waves by a transducer immersed in the cleaning solution. The sound waves create microscopic bubbles that scrub the surfaces of the items being cleaned. Particles of dirt or organic matter are dislodged from the surface of medical equipment, instrument, device, or piece of the equipment and are washed away by the cleaning solution.
The microscopic bubbles, called cavitation bubbles, work rapidly and their even distribution ensures complete and consistent cleaning of medical parts and equipment. The cavitation bubbles are so tiny that they can penetrate the smallest cracks and holes to clean out any debris. Since the cleaning is based on a mechanical action, no harsh cleaning chemicals are needed, and no rinsing or wiping is required.
Rapid cleaning is especially important for healthcare facilities especially those that are in areas hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ultrasonic cleaner's quick and rapid cleaning action to remove all foreign matter from the item's surfaces results in cleanliness to meet stringent medical standards. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that healthcare-associated infections are responsible for 4.5 infections per 100 hospital admissions. Medical equipment that is cleaned completely through the use of ultrasonic cleaning systems will reduce the chances of infections, and reduce risks to the medical personnel and patients.
The complete article, How Ultrasonic Cleaners are Effectively Used in the Healthcare Industry, provides more details. If you have questions or would like to discuss how your facility can use ultrasonic cleaning, contact Kaijo Shibuya at 408-675-5575 or email info@kaijo-shibuya.com.
