Precision Cleaning
What is Precision Cleaning?
In order to reach a certain level of cleanliness, precision cleaning removes contaminants including dust, filth, fibers, grease, oil, and other minute impurities utilizing equipment of various cleaning processes.
The precision of cleaning typically depends on a number of variables, such as the design and make-up of the materials that need to be cleaned, the kind and quantity of contaminants present, and the level of cleanliness that the business demands. In order to achieve this, different precision cleaning methods can be employed:
Spray Equipment: This method involves using aerosols, specialty spray equipment and devices, or commercial power washers to achieve cleanliness across a material’s surface.
Ultrasonic Cleaning: Utilizing sound waves, this method agitates the chemical solution and removes impurities from the equipment parts.
Aqueous Cleaning: Materials are immersed in water-based cleaning solutions for this method. Since water is mostly used in the cleaning process, it is also regarded as an environmentally friendly cleaning option.
Solvent Cleaning: The utilization of chemicals to get rid of contaminants across a material’s surface. Chemical solvents can be utilized in any of the aforementioned cleaning methods as well.
What is a Cleaning Solvent?
Solvent cleaning agents are used to get rid of impurities such as solder flux, grease, and other types of oil. These contaminants are eliminated from parts, electronic components, products, tools, machinery, equipment, vessels, floors, walls, and other production-related workspaces for a variety of reasons, including safety, operability, and to prevent contamination in product development. Often, the cleaning solvents utilized in these activities are not only used for cleaning but also for other purposes.
Several industries utilize solvents for cleaning or material processing:
Industry | Application |
Electronics | Utilized in the assembly of electrical and electronic parts such as printed circuit boards to remove solder flux, grease, oil, and residual dust that may reside following production. |
Aerospace | Solvents may be used to clean aviation parts and components such as system controls, turbine blades, engine parts, and even landing gear such as brake assemblies and wheels. |
Optics | Solvents may be used to clean optical devices such as microscopes, telescopes, light detection devices, and fiber optic glass. |
Forensics | Solvents may be used in the forensics industry in mixed solutions for fingerprint development on porous surfaces at crime scenes or in laboratories. |
Metal Fabrication & Finishing | Solvents may be used in the metal fabrication industry to remove contaminants from materials such as steel, brass, aluminum, and copper. |
Medical Devices | Solvents may be used in the medical equipment manufacturing process to clean medical instruments, monitoring and information systems that are attached to the body, and implants. |
Automotive | Solvents may be used in the automotive parts manufacturing process to remove greases and oils. They may also be used further down the production line as a thinner or cleaner for lacquer and certain coatings. |
Examples of Cleaning Solvents
To clean a surface, a solvent must first dissolve the soil, break it up into smaller particles, and then move those smaller particles into the solution and away from the surface. Many solvents have the benefit of fast cleaning, allowing dirt to dissolve and run off of the substrate with minimal preparation, processing, or drying time.
Because of their cleaning prowess, solvent-based cleaners continue to be widely used in industrial settings as they can get rid of thick, baked-on oils, grime, contaminants, solder flux, and greases. Strong cleaning agents include acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, nPB, and trichloroethylene (TCE), to name a few.
Hydrofluoroether (HFE) cleaning solvents are widely used by many industries due to their environmentally friendly properties. HFE solvents feature an ozone-depleting potential of zero, a short atmospheric lifetime, and a low greenhouse effect index. Due to these excellent properties, HFE has been used as a direct replacement for trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PERC), 1,1,1-trichloroethane, HCFC-141b, Freon, and other hazardous or discontinued vapor degreasing, ultrasonic, and manual cleaning solvents.