Reliance was approached by a C-N-C machining company interested in evaluating ultrasonic vapor degreasing to resolve cleanliness issues, rework, and customer rejections caused by manual aqueous cleaning using Kyzen Metalnox 6094, of their precision brass parts with blind holes.

4 Objectives:

1. Eliminate intermittent cleanliness issues
2. Reliably clean blind holes 
3. Produce consistent, repeatable results 
4. Justify the investment as a long-term production solution

CLEANING STEPS AND TIMES using  an ULTRA 2012 LE WITH ULTRASONICS and AEROTRON-100 Solvent:

1. First, a 10 second initial vapor zone dwell

2. Second, 120 seconds of ultrasonic immersion with 5 oscillations 

3. Lastly, 30 seconds in the refrigeration zone for final flash off

TOTAL Cleaning cycle time: 3 Minutes

The RESULTS

The company determined there was significant ROI justified by reduced cleaning process times and reduced part rejection across various reoccurring customer projects. An ULTRA 2012LE & AeroTron-100 system was purchased.

1. All machining oils and residues removed

2. Blind holes noticeably cleaner with no trapped residue

3. Significantly reduced Total Cleaning time