Ultrasonic Wire Cleaning
Manufacturing wire and cable, rods, tapes, tubes and fasteners requires lubrication. Before further processing, such as galvanizing, extrusion or welding, the lubricant residues need to be cleaned off. Hielscher Ultrasonics offers you a unique ultrasonic cleaning process for efficient inline cleaning.
Ultrasonic Cleaning – Powerful and Reliable
Ultrasonic cleaning is an environmentally friendly alternative for the cleaning of continuous materials, such as wire and cable, tape or tubes. The effect of the cavitation generated by the ultrasonic power removes lubrication residues like oil or grease, soaps, stearates or dust. In addition, the pollution particles are dispersed into the cleaning liquid. By that, a new adhesion to the material to be cleaned is avoided and the particles are flushed away.
By the use of an innovative proprietary ultrasonic technology, very strong cavitation fields are generated, so that very good cleaning results at high line speeds can be accomplished. As the cleaning effect is based on the physical cleaning effects of the ultrasound, it can be used for any ferrous and non-ferrous material, e.g. stainless steel, copper, aluminum, but also plastic or glass. Most commonly ultrasonic cleaning machines are used for drawn wire, e.g. before cladding or extrusion. By the concentration of the ultrasonic power to a low liquid volume, a very compact design can be realized. This can be easily integrated into existing or new production lines, e.g. directly after drawing or reel payoff. Cavitation is an effect, that is generated in liquids by intensive ultrasonic waves. The resulting pressure waves create vacuum bubbles, that implode subsequently. As a result of these implosions, very high pressures and temperatures occur in combination with liquid jets of up to 1000km/h. At surfaces, these mechanical forces loosen impurities, so they can be flushed away with the cleaning liquid. For an intensive cavitation – and by that for an intensive cleaning – high amplitudes and a low ultrasonic frequency (approx. 20kHz) are needed.
Cleaning Systems – Tailored to Your Needs
The compact design contains everything that is needed to clean a wire or tape. In addition, the cleaning tanks, pumps, heaters, filters and oil-skimmers, air-wipes for the final drying are installed in the system, too. The whole cleaning system is made of stainless steel, so that there are no problems with corrosion. A sound protection cover reduces the sound emissions to a level below usual international limits for the production area. The manual operation is reduced to a minimum of uncomplicated moves and switches, in order to take off work from the operator. The liquid regeneration inside the system allows for a prolonged use of the cleaning liquids. This in combination with the efficient transformation of electrical power into mechanical cleaning enhances the environmentally friendly balance of the complete system.
Customized design serves for an optimal adaptation of the system to the requirements of the particular cleaning process. In a range from individual modules for low cleaning speeds to high speed cleaning systems various designs are possible. Besides the appropriate ultrasonic power and a PLC for an automatic operation control, features, such as the geometry of the complete system can be adapted to restricted space conditions or particular line heights. In addition, special drying devices are optionally available, in case drying with compressed air is insufficient for the particular wire.
Hielscher's ultrasonic wire cleaning system DRS3500 provides high power ultrasound for the inline cleaning of continuous materials, such as wires, cables, tapes and rods. Due to high intense cavitational forces, dirt and residues (e.g. soaps, lubricants, dust etc.) will be removed. Visit www.hielscher.com/wire!