Ultrasonic Cleaner Guide: Working Principles and Applications - Drawell (2024)

You may be curious about theultrasonic cleaner, thinking about how this thing can clean things at once. This article will introduce you to the principles and uses of the ultrasonic cleanerin detail.

What Are Ultrasound Waves?

It can be divided into 3 types: namely infrasound, sound waves, and ultrasound.

The frequency of infrasonic waves is below 20Hz. The frequency of sound waves is 20Hz to 20kHz. The frequency of ultrasonic waves is above 20kHz.

The infrasound and ultrasonic waves are generally inaudible to the human ear. Due to their high frequency and short wavelength, ultrasonic waves have good directionality and strong penetrating ability, which is why ultrasonic cleaning machines are designed and manufactured.

Ultrasonic CleanerGuide:Working Principles and Applications - Drawell (1)

The Working Principle of Ultrasonic Cleaner

How does ultrasonic cleaner work? The ultrasonic cleaner uses the cavitation, acceleration, and direct flow of ultrasonic waves in the liquid to, directly and indirectly, affect the liquid and dirt, so that the dirt layer is dispersed, emulsified, and peeled off to achieve cleaning. Purpose. In the currently used ultrasonic cleaners, cavitation and direct flow are more widely used.

1. Cavitationof Ultrasonic Cleaner

Ultrasonic waves are transmitted to liquids in the form of high-frequency conversion of compression force and decompression force at more than 20,000 times per second.

When the pressure is reduced, the phenomenon of vacuum nucleus group bubbles will be generated in the liquid. When the compression force is applied, the vacuum nucleus group bubbles will produce a strong impact force when crushed by pressure, thereby peeling off the dirt on the surface of the object to be cleaned, so as to achieve Precision cleaning purposes.

During the ultrasonic cleaning process, the bubbles visible to the naked eye are not vacuum nuclei and group bubbles, but air bubbles, which can inhibit cavitation and reduce cleaning efficiency. Only when the air bubbles in the liquid are completely removed can the cavitation effect of vacuum nuclei group bubbles achieve the best effect.

2. Straight-forward Flow Effect of Ultrasonic Cleaner

The phenomenon that ultrasonic waves flow along the sound propagation direction in liquid is called straight-forward flow.

When the sound wave intensity is 0.5W/cm2, the naked eye can see the straight flow, the flow is perpendicular to the vibrating surface, and the flow velocity is about 10cm/s.

The micro-oily dirt on the surface of the object to be cleaned is stirred by the above straight flow, and the cleaning liquid on the dirty surface also produces convection, and the dissolving liquid that dissolves the dirt is mixed with the new liquid to speed up the dissolution and play a significant role in the transportation of dirt.

3. Acceleration of Ultrasonic Cleaner

The acceleration is generated by the promotion of liquid particles. For ultrasonic cleaning machines with higher frequencies, the cavitation effect is not significant. At this time, the cleaning mainly relies on the acceleration of liquid particles under the action of ultrasonic waves to impact particles for ultra-precision cleaning of dirt.

The Use of Ultrasonic Cleaner

Laboratory equipment will inevitably be adsorbed and polluted by dust and dirt during use, and the maintenance of equipment must be inseparable from cleaning work. The equipment in the warehouse also needs regular cleaning and maintenance, which can also play the incomparable role of ultrasonic cleaning. The scope of application involved in the specific ultrasonic cleaners can be roughly divided into the following aspects:

1. Biochemical Instruments

Biochemical instruments are easily polluted by dust, grease, grease, grinding powder, rust, and oxide film. Manual cleaning is labor-intensive and takes a long time. An ultrasonic cleaner can solve the above problems well.

2. Various Electronic Equipment

After long-term use of electronic equipment, it is easy to absorb dust between the pins of the integrated block, the pins of the components, and the printed circuit board, and some connectors are also easy to be stained with oil and dust. pollution, or the formation of an oxide film. These situations will definitely leave relatively large hidden faults in the regular use of electronic equipment and cause damage to electronic equipment. Ultrasonic cleaners can clean these pollutions simply and conveniently, so as to ensure the perfect use of the equipment.

3. Mechanical Equipment

The scope of mechanical equipment is very wide, such as the transmission equipment used in CNC machine tools and various types of parts, etc. If these equipment or parts are polluted by dirt, grease, grease, grinding powder, rust, and oxide film, it is definitely impossible to clean it by manual cleaning alone, but ultrasonic cleaner can be said to be pervasive, and can thoroughly clean every tiny hole and crevice.

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Ultrasonic Cleaner Guide: Working Principles and Applications - Drawell (2024)

FAQs

What are the principles of ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Ultrasonic cleaning by acceleration causes water molecules to be accelerated and strike the workpiece, and the impact causes particles to be stripped from the workpiece. The higher the frequency, the more effective the ultrasonic cleaning is, and it is effective in removing very fine particles with weak adhesion.

What is the best liquid to use in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

We recommend UP 132-B, a mild phosphoric acid solution designed to safely clean at low temperatures. This environmentally-friendly detergent is commonly used on brass instruments but is suitable for many other applications. It's compatible with copper, aluminum, stainless steel, bronze, plastics, glass, and ceramics.

What not to put in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Never fill the tank of an ultrasonic cleaner with alcohol, gasoline, or any other flammable liquids. They will vaporize, and could cause a fire or explosion, or release harmful gasses into the workspace.

How does an ultrasonic cleaner work? ›

How Does Ultrasonic Cleaning Work? Ultrasonic cleaning works through high-frequency sound waves transmitted through liquid to scrub clean the surface of immersed parts. The high-frequency sound waves, typically 40 kHz, agitate the liquid solution of water or solvent, and cause the cavitation of solution molecules.

Do you need special solution for ultrasonic cleaner? ›

You must use the ultrasonic cleaning solution according to the contaminant you want to remove. For example, if you want to get rid of contaminants like grease or any oily contaminants, you will need an emulsifying cleaning solution formulation.

Do you use water or solution in ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Typically our ultrasonic cleaning solutions are mixed at 10% cleaning solution vs 90% water. For some tougher cleaning jobs the concentration may need to be increased. This is usually done through trial and error to find the perfect balance.

Can I use tap water in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Using tap water is sufficient. Purified water or distilled water has the same cleaning effect as regular tap water for ultrasonic cleaning. When cleaning silver or copper items where oxidation has darkened the items, special solutions such as SeaClean2, needs to be added to the water to remove the oxidation.

Can I use isopropyl alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

The short answer almost always is, NO, don't do this. It can be extremely dangerous.

Can you use soapy water in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

In some cases, deionized water may be sufficient, but most applications require an ultrasonic soap. Most detergents are diluted with water before use, with the ratio dependent on a couple of factors including the level of cleaning required and the hardness of the water.

What is the best homemade solution for ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Make sure you have some white vinegar, a cup of water and some dishwashing liquid. Yes, it's pretty simple, we told you! Take a measuring cup or any other container and mix the equal parts of vinegar and water (ratio 1:1). Basically, if you add a one cup of water, just add a cup of vinegar in there too.

What happens if you put your finger in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

It will feel to you like a mild electrical shock. And it will remove the dirt from deep within your skin and the oils you don't want to leave your finger in the ultrasonic cleaner for very long because it will clean the oil right out of your skin and you'll wind up with a very dehydrated finger.

Do you use hot or cold water in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Heat helps to make the cleaning solution more effective; making the solution less viscous which aids the formation of cavitation bubbles.

What frequency is best for ultrasonic cleaning? ›

In ultrasonic cleaning, the frequencies used can range from 15 kHz to 400 kHz. It is rare, though, to find parts that need frequencies at such extreme highs and lows in order to be cleaned. The typical frequency used for ultrasonic cleaning applications lands near 40 kHz.

How long should I run my ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Soft Films or Soluble Materials: Typically, anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the solubility. Hardened Deposits: The process might extend well beyond 20-30 minutes for contaminants like caked-on grease, especially if the system incorporates heat.

How often should I change the water in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Change the solution every day. Sometimes this may need to be done multiple times a day, but at a minimum, it needs to occur every single day. If you open the lid to the ultrasonic bath and the water is murky, or you can't even see the bottom of the tank, it is time to change the water.

What liquid to use in an ultrasonic cleaner for electronics? ›

Selecting your Ultrasonic PCB Cleaner Solution

For PCB cleaning we recommend elma tec clean A1 formulated to clean PCBs, mother boards, electronic parts, fine optics and plastics. Elma tec clean A1 should be diluted to 3 to 10% with water before use.

Can you put anything in an ultrasonic cleaner? ›

Non-Ultrasonic

Instruments such as brass can be cleaned in the ultrasonics. Never put a wood instrument in the ultrasonics it can warp and crack it. Compact disk can be cleaned in the ultrasonics, max temperature 150 degrees, remove any paper inserts. Never put anything with a speaker in the ultrasonics.

Can I use Windex in my ultrasonic cleaner? ›

I usually use warm water, 5 sprays of Windex, and a tiny squirt of Dawn.

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