Ultrasonic cleaning is used throughout the industrial world to remove a variety of contaminants ranging from dust to metal chips to carbon fibers to oil to baked-on polymers.
This variety of contamination requires a variety of cleaning frequencies to choose from to optimize cleaning performance. There is not a “One Frequency Fits All” out there.
Effective cleaning requires choosing the correct frequency to accomplish any given task.
Typical cleaning frequencies range from 25 – 170 kHz. Because ultrasound has this vast vibrational range, ultrasonic systems have the most versatile cleaning abilities in the industrial parts cleaning universe.
Heavier contamination requires a lower frequency such as 25 kHz to shake it loose from the physical surface (or substrate) it is attached to. Lower frequencies don’t vibrate as fast, are larger in size and volume, and thus have more vacuum pressure to do the heavier lifting necessary. When that larger bubble hits a surface, more power is released than with higher cleaning frequencies.
You might also consider 25 kHz for larger mass items you may be trying to clean. Think of a large cast iron block used for injection molding or a massive steel cutting tool or large stainless steel plates. The contamination is right there on the surface, not buried deep in a threaded blind hole. It just takes a little more punch to knock it off.
The contamination can also be difficult to remove if it is burnt-on carbon or industrial mold release. Both are adhered to the surfaces at incredibly high temperatures so they are tough to remove. Think about the times you’ve left something on the stove too long and burned it beyond recognition. Do you remember how hard that pan was to clean? Or did you just throw it away and hope your wife doesn’t notice its missing? Trust me, they always notice.
Many times larger tanks are retrofitted with 25 kHz. Why is this? Well generally if the physical tank is being built large, it is likely because the parts being clean are large. So it figures 25 kHz is making the right choice here.
So remember, 25 kHz is the Heavy Weight Boxee
For more information on Ultrasonic cleaning visit the Omegasonics website or find us on LinkedIn.