TPT September 2007

Panel 2: Examples continued Another very complicated cleaning problem occurs when tubes are produced from one very easily alterable material such as, for instance, copper, ceramic, aluminium or carbon steel. In this case, the temperature or chemicals can change their shape and dimensions (figures 15, 16 and 17).

› Figure 4 : Stainless steel medical needles

the achievement of good cleaning results. However, this kind of machine can be very complicated (ie a minimum of 10 treatment phases in 10 different tanks, using more than 1 type of detergent). The continuous search for better solutions has led to a very efficient and compact machine with an advanced mode of ultrasound associated with the dedicated flux action. With these technological

› Figure 15 : Automatic equipment (outer and inner) for ultrasonic cleaning, rinsing, passivation and drying of carbon steel tubes for air conditioning and heating plants

› Figure 5 : Stainless steel medical needles in a cleaning basket

innovations, the most recent washing machine now consists of only one multipurpose tank, allowing better cleaning performances and reduction in consumption. To attain a set of positive characteristics, this multipurpose machine firstly depends on the fact that there is only one process tank. In this process tank it is possible to achieve all the required treatments such as cleaning with water based detergents, rinsing, drying, degreasing, pickling, and passivation. The process tank, containing a dedicated ultrasonic group, is in stainless steel AISI 304. It is connected, through pumps and a valves system, with two or more reservoirs. One reservoir is fi Figure 6 : Cleaning equipment (inner and outer) for ultrasonic washing, rinsing and drying of stainless steel medical cannulae

› Figure 16 : Automatic equipment (outer and inner) for ultrasonic cleaning, rinsing, and drying of ceramic insulators

€ Figure 17 : Ceramic insulator

164

S eptember /O ctober 2007