Production Machining

AUG 2017

Production Machining - Your access to the precision machining industrial buyer.

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34 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: AUGUST 2017 PARTS CLEANING Vacuum Degreasing Offers Lean and Green Technology A lot of OEMs encounter issues with new lubricants or machine coolants that do not react with existing cleaning processes. New synthetic lubricants will not clean in the same process or system as organic- based lubes. High temperature lubes often require more mechanical action and sometimes even a different cleaning chemistry. Various grade metals react with forming, machining processes or dies, and most metals often require corrosion protection. ese modifications in parts cleaning are generally affected by the ever-tightening environmental regulations including restrictions on air emissions, waste discharge/disposal and personal safety. Vacuum degreasing technology is now being applied to small parts/high volume production methods to yield superior cleaning, environmentally preferred features, various processing options and lower total cost of ownership. e process is leading the way to replace old solvent cleaning systems as well as some alternate aqueous cleaning processes. New vacuum degreasing equipment is designed to offer a variety of cleaning applications in one central piece of equipment using one chemical cleaning agent for all soils and processes. The 'All in One' Cleaning Machine Most new vacuum degreasers offer many process options inclusive in one machine, which helps with shortening the overall process time. e end user simply selects the cycle program and functions that match the needs of the parts being processed. e human machine interface controls everything from desired wash stages to dwell times to the type of mechanical action required. Small parts in high-volume applications generally require immersion cleaning to ensure all part surfaces are exposed to the cleaning agent. Soils to be removed include cutting oil or lube (non-polar in nature) or water-soluble coolants (typically polar in nature). Most bulk parts in common work baskets require mechanical action to enhance the soil removal, such as rotation or basket rocking action, ultra- sonic, bath turbulation (spray under immersion) and multiple stages of washing (hydraulic flooding effect). ese mechanical actions combined with the cleaning agent's chemical compatibility and operational temper- ature create the process required to remove the soils in a desired timeframe and provide the cleanli- ness level to meet a shop's produc- tion requirements. e process can reach the center of the work basket where parts are shielded from external impingement actions. Contributed by Joe McChesney :: Degreasing is especially effective for parts with complex geometries because of solvents' ability to penetrate the smallest tolerances.

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