How does an ultrasonic machine work?

How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work?

Ultrasonic cleaning works through high-frequency sound waves transmitted through liquid to scrub clean the surface of immersed parts. The high-frequency sound waves, typically 40 kHz, agitate the liquid solution of water or solvent, and cause the cavitation of solution molecules.

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What is Cavitation?

Think bubbles. Cavitation &#;bubbles&#; form when sonic energy creates a void (or cavity) which gets trapped as a bubble in a liquid solution of water or solvent. These microscopic bubbles implode with such force that contaminants adhering to surfaces are dislodged. An ultrasonic parts cleaner scrubs surfaces clean through implosions of tiny bubbles.

Video: How Does an Ultrasonic Cleaner Work?

Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning

Ultrasonic cleaners are suitable for cleaning a wide variety of materials, including metals, glass, rubber, ceramics and some hard plastics. Also known as an ultrasonic cleaning machine, an ultrasonic parts cleaner is especially useful for removing tightly-adhered contaminants from intricate items with blind holes, cracks and recesses. Examples of contaminants removed through ultrasonic cleaning include dust, dirt, oil, grease, pigments, flux agents, fingerprints and polishing compound.

The fluid used in an industrial ultrasonic cleaner can be either water-based (aqueous) or solvent-based. Both types of cleaning solutions contain wetting agents (surfactants) to reduce surface tension and increase cavitation. Aqueous cleaning solutions are generally more limited in cleaning effectiveness but better for the environment than solvent cleaning solutions.

In ultrasonic parts cleaning, the parts are typically placed in a basket or tray and then immersed in the ultrasonic cleaning tank. On occasion, parts may be racked and the rack is lowered into the tank. Items with blind holes may benefit from a rotating basket in an ultrasonic parts cleaner.

What is an Ultrasonic Bath?

An ultrasonic bath is another name for an ultrasonic cleaner. The &#;bath&#; part of ultrasonic bath refers to the liquid or solvent solution in a tank, while &#;ultrasonic&#; refers to the method of cleaning using high-frequency sound waves.

How to Use an Ultrasonic Cleaner

Ultrasonic cleaning machines are widely used in many industries, including medical device, automotive, aerospace, dental, electronics, jewelry and weapons. Ideal items for ultrasonic parts cleaning include medical and surgical instruments, carburetors, firearms, window blinds, industrial machine parts and electronic equipment.

The time required for ultrasonic cleaning depends on the material and soils, but typical ultrasonic cleaning times range from 3 to 6 minutes. Some delicate items, such as electronics, may require a longer cleaning time. Higher heat helps loosen dirt and chemical bonds faster, so most industrial parts cleaners apply heat in the range of 135 &#; 150 °F.

It should be noted that cleaning in an ultrasonic bath cleaner does not sterilize items. In medical applications, sterilization typically follows ultrasonic cleaning as another process step.

How Does an Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine Work?

An ultrasonic cleaning machine, sometimes called an ultrasonic bath machine or ultrasonic washer, includes the following basic components: ultrasonic cleaning tank, ultrasonic generator, and ultrasonic transducer.

• Ultrasonic Cleaning Tank &#; The ultrasonic cleaning tank holds the fluid of the ultrasonic bath and the items to be cleaned.
• Ultrasonic Generator &#; The ultrasonic generator transforms AC electrical energy to an ultrasonic frequency.
• Ultrasonic Transducer &#; The transducer converts the ultrasonic electrical signal to mechanical energy.

What is an Ultrasonic Transducer?

The ultrasonic transducer is the key component in an ultrasonic cleaning machine. The ultrasonic transducer is a device that generates sound above the range of human hearing, typically starting at 20 kHz, also known as ultrasonic vibrations.

An ultrasonic transducer consists of an active element, a backing and a radiating plate. Most ultrasonic cleaners use piezoelectric crystals as the active element. The piezoelectric crystal converts electrical energy to ultrasonic energy through the piezoelectric effect, in which the crystals change size and shape when they receive electrical energy.

The backing of an ultrasonic transducer is a thick material that absorbs the energy that radiates from the back of the piezoelectric crystal.

The radiating plate in an ultrasonic transducer works as a diaphragm that converts the ultrasonic energy to mechanical (pressure) waves in the fluid. Thus when the piezoelectric crystal receives pulses of electrical energy, the radiating plate responds with ultrasonic vibrations in the cleaning solution.

What is an Ultrasonic Generator?

The electronic ultrasonic generator is a power supply. It transforms AC electrical energy from a power source such as a wall outlet, to electrical energy appropriate for energizing a transducer at an ultrasonic frequency. In other words, the ultrasonic generator sends high-voltage electrical pulses to the transducer.

The ultrasonic generator working principle is to send electrical energy pulses to the transducer, which transforms energy into mechanical (pressure) waves in the cleaning fluid for vibratory ultrasonic washing action.

While the ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz is by far the most commonly used frequency for ultrasonic parts cleaning, some applications do require a lower or higher frequency for best results. For example, larger, heavily soiled items may use a frequency of 20 kHz since this yields bigger, stronger cleaning bubbles but fewer bubbles per second. At the other end of the spectrum, some very small, delicate items may require higher ultrasonic cleaning frequencies, up to 200 kHz. In general, a higher frequency permits a higher level of intricate detail to be cleaned.

What to Look For in Ultrasonic Cleaners

High-quality ultrasonic cleaner machines differ greatly from low-quality &#;off-the-shelf&#; ultrasonic cleaners. The broad reach of the internet and overseas manufacturers have brought &#;off-the-shelf&#; ultrasonic cleaning machines to the United States. To offer the lowest prices, these manufacturers often sacrificed quality. Many end users don&#;t understand or recognize these sacrifices in quality, so they purchase the low-priced ultrasonic tank thinking it is the same as a U.S.A.-made ultrasonic parts washer or ultrasonic cleaning tank. Unfortunately, that couldn&#;t be further from the truth.

Let&#;s look at a few of these sacrifices:

1. Piezoelectric crystal transducers can vary greatly in quality. Due to the nature of the crystalline formation, transducers will naturally decay over time (3-6 years typically) in their ability to convert electrical energy to mechanical/sound energy. Inexpensive, lower-quality transducers will decay much faster than those made with higher-quality crystals. This degradation or decay will greatly change the cleaning quality of an ultrasonic machine(in,vi,zh-tw). Inexpensive ultrasonic washers which seem to perform well when new can often show decreased cleaning quality in as little as 3-6 months.
2. Ultrasonic generators may be made from electrical components that lack the longevity an end user expects. Combined with accelerated piezoelectric transducer decay, these low-quality ultrasonic generator components can lead to extreme variations of ultrasonic parts cleaner performance over time. This cleaning variation in turn leads to more scrapped and reworked parts. This represents not only a major cost problem for a business, but also can cause the process to fail validation protocols and specifications in medical device, aerospace, and other fields.
3. Low-powered ultrasonic transducers can significantly reduce the cost of an ultrasonic cleaning machine, but this sacrifice can also reduce cleaning effectiveness. Low-powered transducers in an ultrasonic bath cleaner can also compromise the ability to cavitate a solution evenly.
4. Tank thickness matters. Frequent application of ultrasonic energy to a tank causes tank erosion over time, and can erode through the bottom of the tank. Signs of ultrasonic wash tank erosion include a gray appearance in stainless steel, and pits in the bottom of the tank. Low-quality sonic cleaners use a thinner gauge of stainless steel that can show wear in a matter of months.

How Are Best Technology&#;s Ultrasonic Cleaners Different?

1. High-quality piezoelectric crystals. Our ultrasonic transducers are made of the highest-quality piezoelectric crystals, ensuring superior performance in ultrasonic cleaning applications. While the price to produce the transducers is higher due to the cost of raw materials, their longevity makes them a worthwhile investment. Manufacturers relying on our transducers for ultrasonic cleaning can expect 5+ years of use before they begin to decay.
2. Self-tuning ultrasonic generators. Our ultrasonic generators are self-tuning, which means they can sense the load of parts in the ultrasonic cleaner tank, and adjust power output based on the load. This also means that when generators sense decay in a transducer, they increase power output so that parts receive the same level of ultrasonic cleaning as when the transducer was new.
3. High-quality ultrasonic generator components. Our ultrasonic generators are made with MOSFET transistors and other high-quality components that are designed for continuous manufacturing use, not just occasional laboratory use.
4. No under-powered ultrasonic transducers. Ultrasonic transducers are measured by power output, but a more relevant measurement is watt density, measured as power/volume or watts/gallon. For any tank under 20 gallons, we typically configure the ultrasonic cleaning system for 100 watts per gallon. This ensures that the ultrasonic energy is properly transmitted and distributed over the entire volume of the tank. Tank geometry can play a critical role in smaller ultrasonic tanks, and the 100 watts per gallon eliminates tank geometry effects.
5. Square-wave ultrasonic generators. Many ultrasonic generators use a sine-wave pattern, but ours use a square-wave pattern. A sine-wave generator creates ultrasonic cavitation bubbles in evenly-spaced lines, which leads to dead spots between the lines and uneven cleaning performance. As a workaround, sine-wave generators &#;sweep&#; the frequency to reduce the effect of dead spots. Square-wave generators, in contrast, provide an output with harmonics at several frequencies. The multi-frequency output offers consistent, even distribution of vibrations and increased cleaning effectiveness.
6. Thick-gauge stainless steel. Our stainless steel ultrasonic wash tanks are built with a thicker gauge of stainless steel that can withstand the long-term impact of ultrasonic vibrations.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine Video

Ultrasonic Tank Myths

Myth #1: Frequency sweeping will improve ultrasonic cleaner uses and clean your parts better. While frequency sweeping, or slightly varying the frequency produced by the generators, can help even out the ultrasonic cavitation throughout the depth of the tank, it is often a workaround to compensate for low-quality transducers. Low-quality transducers may have widely varying resonant frequencies from one ultrasonic cleaning device to another. In the context of ultrasonic cleaner uses, frequency sweeping seeks to match the resonant frequency of a given transducer by testing all frequencies, but this process ultimately wastes energy.

Our transducers are tested and matched based on exact resonant frequency and the ultrasonic electronics are then tuned to this exact frequency.

Myth #2: More movement or agitation on the fluid&#;s surface is better. Many think that surface &#;dancing&#; means a lot of power in the ultrasonic wash tank, but surface movement is just ultrasonic energy reflecting off the fluid&#;s surface, and has nothing to do with the uniformity of the ultrasonic energy. The easiest way to test uniformity of ultrasonic energy is to hang a piece of aluminum foil in the tank and observe the cavitation pin holes in the foil throughout the depth of the ultrasonic bath.

Myth #3: As long as tanks have ultrasonics, power doesn&#;t matter. Having the right ratio of watts per gallon is essential to ensuring effective ultrasonic cleaner uses by properly distributing energy throughout an ultrasonic cleaning tank. Many low-priced ultrasonic washers sacrifice cleaning power for the sake of price, often offering a power ratio of less than 50 watts/gallon, which can significantly impact ultrasonic cleaner uses and cleaning efficiency.

Our ultrasonic cleaning tanks feature a power ratio of 100 watts/gallon, for tanks under 20 gallons. (Higher ultrasonic tank volumes do not require as high power density due to tank geometry.) The higher watt density means better saturation of the ultrasonic tank with cavitation bubbles, leading to faster cleaning times and a better, more consistent result on the cleaned product.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Equipment

Looking for a commercial ultrasonic cleaner? Ultrasonic cleaner uses span a wide range of applications, and Ultrasonic cleaning equipment is available in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, from small tabletop ultrasonic cleaning tanks to industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment with tank capacities of hundreds of gallons.

For the simplest applications, a tabletop or benchtop ultrasonic cleaning tank may be sufficient, with rinsing done in a sink or separate container.

Most industrial applications use a multi-tank approach to ultrasonic cleaning that includes a series of tanks for washing, rinsing and drying. Multi-tank ultrasonic cleaning systems are available in several form factors, including benchtop and console (also known as wet bench).

For even greater efficiency, many industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems add automation. Automation permits the user to wash, rinse and dry with a single press of a button, like a dishwasher, rather than manually moving baskets of parts from one tank to the next.

To learn more about the types of commercial ultrasonic cleaning equipment offered by Best Technology, please see our Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems and Parts Cleaners page.

How Do Ultrasonic Cleaners Work When It Comes to Integrations?

Industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems integrate well with other process equipment. For example, an ultrasonic cleaning system may be integrated with an electropolishing line or a passivation line. In addition, immersible ultrasonic transducers may be added to existing cleaning tanks to improve cleaning performance. To learn more about integrating ultrasonic cleaning machines into your process equipment, contact one of our application engineers today!

Method of cleaning using ultrasound

Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses ultrasound (usually from 20 to 40 kHz) to agitate a fluid, with a cleaning effect. Ultrasonic cleaners come in a variety of sizes, from small desktop units with an internal volume of less than 0.5 litres (0.13 US gal), to large industrial units with volumes approaching 1,000 litres (260 US gal).

The principle of the ultrasonic cleaning machine is to convert the sound energy of the ultrasonic frequency source into mechanical vibration through the transducer. The vibration generated by the ultrasonic wave is transmitted to the cleaning liquid through the cleaning tank wall so that the micro-bubbles in the liquid in the tank can keep vibrating under the action of the sound wave, destroying and separating the dirty adsorption on the surface of the object.

Depending on the object being cleaned, the process can be very rapid, completely cleaning a soiled item in minutes. In other instances, cleaning can be slower, and exceed 30 minutes.[1]

Ultrasonic cleaners are used to clean many different types of objects, including industrial parts, jewelry, scientific samples, lenses and other optical parts, watches, dental and surgical instruments, tools, coins, fountain pens, golf clubs, fishing reels, window blinds, firearm components, car fuel injectors, musical instruments, gramophone records, industrial machined parts, and electronic equipment, optical lenses, etc. They are used in many jewelry workshops, watchmakers' establishments, electronic repair workshops,[2] and scientific labs.

History

Ultrasonic cleaning has been used industrially for decades,[when?] particularly to clean complex shape parts and/ or having small intricate holes/galleries, and to accelerate surface treatment processes.[3]

It appears that ultrasonic cleaners developed as a natural evolution of several earlier inventions that used vibrations to agitate and mix substances, and thus there is no clear "inventor" of ultrasonic cleaning. US patent , issued December  , is the earliest patent on record that specifically uses the term "Ultrasonic cleaning" although earlier patents refer to the use of ultrasound for "intense agitation," "treatment" and "polishing," e.g. US  .

By the mid-s there were at least three ultrasonic cleaner manufacturers established in the United States and two in the United Kingdom; and by the s ultrasonic cleaners were widely established for industrial and domestic use.[4][5]

Process characteristics

Ultrasonic cleaning uses cavitation bubbles induced by high-frequency pressure (sound) waves to agitate a liquid. The agitation produces high forces on contaminants adhering to substrates like metals, plastics, glass, rubber, and ceramics. This action also penetrates blind holes, cracks, and recesses. The intention is to thoroughly remove all traces of contamination tightly adhering or embedded onto solid surfaces. Water or other solvents can be used, depending on the type of contamination and the workpiece. Contaminants can include dust, dirt, oil, pigments, rust, grease, algae, fungus, bacteria, lime scale, polishing compounds, flux agents, fingerprints, soot wax and mold release agents, biological soil like blood, and so on. Ultrasonic cleaning can be used for a wide range of workpiece shapes, sizes, and materials, and may not require the part to be disassembled prior to cleaning.[6]

Objects must not be allowed to rest on the bottom of the device during the cleaning process, because that will prevent cavitation from taking place on the part of the object not in contact with solvent.[2]

Design and operating principle

In an ultrasonic cleaner, the object to be cleaned is placed in a chamber containing a suitable solution (in an aqueous or organic solvent, depending on the application). In aqueous cleaners, surfactants (e.g., laundry detergent) are often added to permit dissolution of non-polar compounds such as oils and greases. An ultrasound generating transducer built into the chamber, or lowered into the fluid, produces ultrasonic waves in the fluid by changing size in concert with an electrical signal oscillating at ultrasonic frequency. This creates compression waves in the liquid of the tank which 'tear' the liquid apart, leaving behind many millions of microscopic 'voids'/'partial vacuum bubbles' (cavitation). These bubbles collapse with enormous energy; temperatures and pressures on the order of 5,000 K and 135 MPa are achieved;[7][8] however, they are so small that they do no more than clean and remove surface dirt and contaminants. The higher the frequency, the smaller the nodes between the cavitation points, which allows for cleaning of more intricate detail.

Transducers are usually piezoelectric (e.g. made with lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate, etc.), but are sometimes magnetostrictive. The often harsh chemicals used as cleaners in many industries are not needed, or used in much lower concentrations, with ultrasonic agitation. Ultrasonics are used for industrial cleaning and are also used in many medical and dental techniques and industrial processes.

Cleaning solution

In some circumstances, ultrasonic cleaners can be used with plain water, but in most cases, a cleaning solution is used. This solution is designed to maximise the effectiveness of ultrasonic cleaning. The primary solvent may be water or a hydrocarbon (historically, toxic solvents such as carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,1-Trichloroethane were used industrially, but have been phased out[9]). There are several formulations, dependent on the item being cleaned and the type of contamination (e.g., degreasing of metal, cleaning of printed circuit boards, removing biological material, and so on).

Reduction of surface tension increases cavitation, so the solution usually contains a good wetting agent (surfactant). Aqueous cleaning solutions contain detergents, wetting agents and other components, which have a large influence on the cleaning process. The correct composition of the solution is very dependent upon the item cleaned. When working with metals, proteins, and greases, an alkaline detergent solution may be specifically recommended. Solutions are typically heated, often around 50&#;65 °C (122&#;149 °F), however, in medical applications, it is generally accepted that cleaning should be at temperatures below 45 °C (113 °F) to prevent protein coagulation that can complicate cleaning.

Some ultrasonic cleaners are integrated with vapour degreasing machines using hydrocarbon cleaning fluids: Three tanks are used in a cascade. The lower tank containing dirty fluid is heated causing the fluid to evaporate. At the top of the machine there is a refrigeration coil. Fluid condenses on the coil and descends into the upper tank. The upper tank eventually overflows and relatively clean fluid runs into the work tank where the cleaning takes place. The purchase price is higher than simpler machines, but such machines may be more economical in the long run. The same fluid can be reused many times, minimising wastage and pollution.

Uses

Most hard, non-absorbent materials (metals, plastics, etc.) not chemically attacked by the cleaning fluid are suitable for ultrasonic cleaning. Ideal materials for ultrasonic cleaning include small electronic parts, cables, rods, wires, and detailed items, as well as objects made of glass, plastic, aluminium, or ceramic.[10]

Ultrasonic cleaning does not sterilize the objects being cleaned, because spores and viruses will remain on the objects after cleaning. In medical applications, sterilization normally follows ultrasonic cleaning as a separate step.[11]

Industrial ultrasonic cleaners are used in the automotive, sporting, printing, marine, medical, pharmaceutical, electroplating, disk drive components, engineering and weapons industries.

Ultrasonic cleaning is used to remove contamination from industrial process equipment such as pipes and heat exchangers.

Limitations

Ultrasonic cleaning is used widely to remove flux residue from soldered circuit boards. However, some electronic components, notably MEMS devices such as gyroscopes, accelerometers and microphones can become damaged or destroyed by the high-intensity vibrations they are subjected to during cleaning. Piezoelectric buzzers can work in reverse and produce voltage, which may pose a danger to their drive circuits.

Safety

• Ultrasonic cleaners can produce irritating, high-frequency noise and hearing protection may be needed in case of continuous exposure.
• It is recommended to avoid using flammable cleaning solutions because ultrasonic cleaners increase the temperature even when not equipped with a heater. (Some industrial units are specifically certified as explosion proof.)
• When the unit is running, contact with the cleaning solution could cause thermal or chemical injury; the ultrasonic action is relatively benign to living tissue but can cause discomfort and skin irritation.

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• Ultrasonic cleaners are electrically powered, meaning there is a risk of electric shock in case of malfunction, especially if the cleaning solution comes into contact with electrified components.

See also

References