If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times … “You can’t machine until you clean.” And here we go again.
This time we’re going to talk about Ultrasonic Cleaning. Several years ago we mentioned this cleaning method in another blog post, but at the time it was cost prohibitive to get into for a small shop. Things have changed with increasing availability of tabletop Ultrasonic Cleaners. In fact, Goodson now carries two models – 3.6 gallon capacity or 6.0 gallon capacity. These units are ideal for shops that clean a lot of small parts such as carburetors, throttle bodies, lifters, push rods, roller rockers, etc.
But before we get into the features of these machines, let’s spend some time looking at how ultrasonic cleaning works and the benefits of the process.
Here’s the definition of Ultrasonic Cleaning from Wikipedia:
“Ultrasonic Cleaning is a process that uses ultrasound (usually from 20 to 40 kHz) to agitate a fluid. The ultrasound can be used with just water, but the use of a solvent appropriate for the item to be cleaned and type of soiling present enhances the effect.”
Now we could get all scientific on you, but this pretty well explains the process. One of the other sources we found on the subject describes it this way, “The sound waves create a gentle, yet powerful scrubbing brush action in the fluid that cleans all surfaces of the objects, including deep pores and crevices.” - https://sonicpro.com/how-does-ultrasonic-cleaning-work/
Reasons to Use Ultrasonic Cleaning
- Cleaning Speed. Multiple parts can often be cleaned in as little as 3 to 6 minutes when using Ultrasonic. Heavily soiled items may take longer, but while the parts are in the cleaner, you can be doing other things.
- Gets into hard-to-reach areas. Water (or solvent) can easily reach into spaces that your fingers or a brush can’t. In fact, you might not even have to disassemble some parts.
- Gentle, yet thorough cleaning. Since the only impact on the parts to be cleaned comes from sound waves and water, parts will last longer than if you used other cleaning methods where a part might be damaged.
As we said before, Goodson now carries two Tabletop Ultrasonic Cleaning Machines that are manufactured by UltraSonic, LLC. For an informative article about Ultrasonic Cleaning and the automotive industry, check out, “Why the UltraSonic LLC Racing Team Uses UltraSonic Cleaning” over on their website.
One of the most important things about these machines is their power. According to Phil Esz, UltraSonic LLC CEO, "Power is key and our machines offer maximum watts per gallon." Sure, you can buy less expensive machines, but they aren't going to give you the power you really need.
We recommend adding an Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine to your shop to eliminate tedious cleaning of small parts. Our tabletop units (below) are ideal for cleaning carburetors, throttle bodies, bearings, lifters, push rods, roller rockers and so much more.
One last recommendation; pre-clean any heavy soil, grease, oil before you immerse the part into the ultrasonic cleaner.
Goodson also carries three Ultrasonic detergents and accessories which we'll talk about in another post soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this or any other technical topic, contact the Goodson Techxperts by phone, 1-800-533-8010 or email. You can also post any questions you have in the comments section below.