Taken to the Cleaners
Here are some innovative industrial parts washing systems that effectively eliminate the manual aspect of cleaning so that your shop can reduce costs and increase profit.
Posted: May 8, 2015
Time is money, so if a metalworking shop can install an effective piece of cleaning equipment that allows them to eliminate the manual aspect of cleaning, it obviously saves cost and increases profit. To do this, parts cleaning machines and the media used with them must keep up with new innovations that adhere to the environmental laws and regulations. Here are some of the latest systems that are now available.
COMPACT, ECONOMICAL, ECO-FRIENDLY INDUSTRIAL PARTS CLEANING
Walter Surface Technologies Inc. (Windsor CT), a world leader in innovative performance solutions for the metalworking industry, offers CleanBox Flow, the newest addition to the family of Bio-Circle manual industrial parts washing systems. Suitable for the bulk cleaning of small to medium sized parts, the compact-sized CleanBox Flow is specially designed for use with Bio-Circle CB 100, the powerful, natural water-based solvent that is biodegradable and VOC-free. Together, the CleanBox Flow and CB 100 offer a safe, efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly replacement to solvents in virtually any type of MRO environment including shops, maintenance departments, garages, mining sites, sawmills, paper mills and food & beverage processing facilities.
Today’s forward-looking, environmentally responsible companies, including those with lighter applications, are demanding highly efficient, safe and non-toxic cleaning solutions that replace harsh and potentially dangerous solvents. The innovative and user-friendly CleanBox Flow system clearly answers that call. It ultimately helps contribute to a safer and healthier working environment by cost-effectively replacing the need for harsh industrial solvents. The CleanBox Flow and CB 100 help improve the health and safety of workers by minimizing dangerous chemicals that create fire hazards and toxic exposure risks, while also reducing the need for costly waste removal, ventilation systems and insurance policy premiums.
The CleanBox Flow parts washer system consists of a sink and flow through cleaning brush, a basin and heavy duty pump that circulates through heavy oils, greases and contaminants. When paired with CB 100, it enables the quick and easy removal of hardened greases, oils, and residues on small to medium industrial parts. Its heavy duty construction and ergonomic design withstands rugged manufacturing environments. This entry level system comes complete with an array of accessories making it versatile for a wide range of customer uses:
- The Bio-Circle Air gun facilitates the quick drying of industrial parts reducing the risk of flash rusting.
- The CleanBox Flow two-level cart puts the parts washer at the ideal height for working and makes the system mobile.
- The CleanBox Flow lid prevents dust and other contaminants from entering the system.
- The system is compact and allows for easy storage in any work environment.
CB 100 is an all-natural, water-based solvent and is considered an advanced technology emulsion. CB 100 contains Nature Boost, Bio-Circle’s exclusive new raw material derived from vegetable extracts that acts as a natural solvent with water to create an extremely powerful natural cleaner and degreaser. CB 100 easily removes greases, stubborn ink, rubber marks, tar, wax, carbon, soot, pastes and many other industrial contaminants. Its ready-to-use formula provides impressive cleaning potential at room temperature making it the obvious choice for manual cleaning, cleaning by immersion or pre-soaking as well as for use in ultrasonic baths. CB 100 is non-corrosive, bio-degradable and NSF certified. It is compatible with steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and non-ferrous metals. The Bio-Circle CleanBox Flow system is now available across North America.
MODULAR ULTRASONIC CLEANING SYSTEM
Blackstone-NEY Ultrasonics Inc. (Jamestown, NY), a division of Cleaning Technologies Group, LLC (Cincinnati, OH), introduces an innovation in aqueous parts cleaning, offering a modular plug and play configuration Multi-Tank Cleaning System. The Modular Aquarius® Ultrasonic Cleaning System is characterized by individual modules that can easily be integrated together to offer maximum flexibility to the end user. Standard wash and rinse stages can be mixed and matched to provide the exact cleaning system required for today’s application. The Modular Aquarius comes standard with our patented Multi-Frequency technology in each tank.
The Modular Aquarius cleaning system also features the latest Siemens programmable controller and operator interface screen. This controls platform boosts system flexibility for automation integration, process control and data logging while offering an intuitive user interface. The new Modular Aquarius cleaning system is designed for exceptional maintenance access. Each module includes removable panel that allows for 360 deg accessibility.
NEXT GENERATION IMMERSION CLEANING PARTS WASHER
Ransohoff, a division of Cleaning Technologies Group LLC (Cincinnati, OH), introduces their new generation Lean-Jet® RB-FLEX+ immersion cleaning system, one of most flexible and scalable platforms that can be configured for a variety of parts and capacities, from camshafts to locomotive engine blocks weighing over 20,000 lb. The washer cleans using a patented “triple action” batch cleaning process washing and rinsing process of agitation, sprays impingement, hydraulic purging through immersion and rotation, and heated blow-off drying. Options such as clamp and flush, precision probes and manifolds or ultrasonics can be added if even more focused cleaning is required.
The Lean-Jet RB-FLEX+ parts washer also features the latest Siemens programmable controller and operator interface screen. This controls platform boosts system flexibility for automation integration, process control and data logging while offering an intuitive user interface. Customer specific basket designs are available to accommodate larger parts.
Ransohoff also offers its next generation Lean-Jet™ RT-18 robotically tended cellular parts washer that uses an innovative, patent pending drive system that adds an entirely new level of flexibility to this already extremely effective cellular design. While the previous generation did provide planetary part rotation at each processing station, this new design allows for each individual table to be programmed to rotate a part in multiple directions, at varying speeds, or to pause and position a part for dedicated spaying or probing of critical holes or difficult to address areas. As table position is tracked throughout the cycle and parts are positively located at the load and unload station, this design is a perfect match for a robotically tended manufacturing cell.
This cellular washer is available with various configurations offering not only the ability to wash and dry your parts but also rinsing or part cooling if necessary. The RT-18 accommodates a wide range of part sizes, weights and geometries and will produce up to one part, or a table of parts, every 30 seconds depending on the application. The new generation Lean-Jet RT-18 is available with an Allen Bradley or Siemens PLC and HMI package.
CLEANING FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS SURFACES
Kyzen Corporation (Nashville, TN), a global leader in innovative cleaning technologies, surface preparation and metal finishing, offers Metalnox® M6380, a modified alcohol-based solvent cleaner blend that is designed to clean a wide range of polar and non-polar soils from ferrous and non-ferrous surfaces. Effective in immersion, manual and vacuum applications, M6380 dries completely without leaving a residue. Additionally, the solvent is designed to remove machining oils/coolants and metal fines.
The company also offers CP90S, an aqueous blend of organic and inorganic inhibitors specially designed for long-term protection from oxidation during in-door storage. CP90S is safe to use on a broad spectrum of substrates, and eliminates flash rust and galvanic corrosion. Easy to use, CP90S is diluted further with water as desired to provide the degree of protection needed. Both Metalnox M6380 and CP90S are available in five, 25 and 200 liter drums.
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