Neometrix / Cleaning Equipment / Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine / NMX-UCM-87

NMX-UCM-87 · ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — FILL · DEGAS · LOAD · CLEAN · RINSE · DRY

Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine. Degas first, then clean.

Name: Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine
Brand: Neometrix
SKU: NMX-UCM-87

An ultrasonic cleaning machine cleans parts by sound. Transducers on the base of a bath send sound through the liquid, and cavitation bubbles in the liquid scrub every surface they reach, blind holes and threads included. Neometrix engineers it as a machine: a stainless bath, transducers and a generator, a heater, a lift and basket, filtration, a rinse bath and a dryer.

So the machine has to degas the liquid, put the sound where the parts are, and rinse and dry what it cleaned.

Discuss an ultrasonic cleaning machine Capability note (PDF)

An ultrasonic cleaning machine on a plain white studio background: a rectangular stainless bath with a rounded rim on a low pale grey frame, a perforated stainless basket with a few plain metal cylinders hanging from a lifting arm on a tall column at the back, a pale grey generator cabinet with a blank front beside it, a small stainless filter housing at the left and a drain with a ball valve at the front, and no people

Fig · 01 — An ultrasonic cleaning machine: a stainless bath with a basket on a lift, a generator cabinet and a filter on one frame — illustrative render.

The result

a part cleaned in every holeand rinsed and dried

The liquid

degassed before the load goes inthen held at its working temperature

The sound

matched to the partswept so no spot stays dead

The load

in a basket, off the basespaced so the sound can pass

Status

engineered to orderno delivered machine claimed

ISO 9001ISO 14001ASTM G131 reference standard

Overview

Why the sound is the easy part, and the liquid and the load decide the clean.

Because the transducers make sound whatever is in the bath, and what that sound can do depends on the liquid it passes through and the parts it has to reach.

A bath base plate turned over on a plain white studio background: a flat rectangular stainless plate with a regular grid of identical plain round steel transducer housings bonded to it in rows, grey cables running along the rows to a plain pale grey junction box at one end, and no people

Fig · 02 — The underside of a bath base: transducers bonded in an even pattern, with the cables gathered to one junction box — illustrative render.

Degas first, then clean.

What the machine is for

It cleans parts that brushes, jets and soaking do not reach: valves, injectors, filters, heat exchangers, instruments, tooling and electronic assemblies. It lifts oil, grease, flux, swarf and light scale from the surface and from every hole, thread and crevice.

Why the liquid is degassed first

Fresh liquid holds dissolved air. The air goes into the cavitation bubbles and cushions them, so they collapse weakly. A fresh bath cleans poorly until the gas has gone. So the bath is run with nothing in it, and the load goes in only when the cavitation is steady.

Why the frequency is matched to the part

Lower frequencies make larger bubbles that clean hard and fast. Higher frequencies make smaller bubbles that are gentler and reach small openings. Low frequencies can damage soft metals such as aluminium. So the choice is made for the part, not for the machine.

Why the load rides in a basket

The transducers are on the base, and a part resting on the base takes the whole force in one spot. So the load is held off the base in a basket. It is not packed tight either, because the outer parts absorb the sound and the middle stays dirty.

Why the generator sweeps

Sound in a bath sets up standing waves: peaks that clean well and dead spots that barely clean at all. A generator that sweeps its frequency a little moves the peaks, so no part sits in a dead spot for the whole cycle.

Why the temperature has an optimum

Heat helps the liquid dissolve oil and grease. Past a point it hurts, because the bubbles fill with vapour and collapse with less force. So the heater holds the temperature the solution is made for, and a thermostat stops it overshooting.

Why the rinse and the dry come last

A part wet with dirty liquid and detergent is not clean. The load goes to a rinse bath and then to a dryer, so that nothing is left to dry onto the surface.

The method

Fill, degas, load, clean, rinse, and dry.

Six steps in a fixed order. The degas and the rinse are the two that a quick job skips.

1 · Fill

The bath is filled to its working level with the cleaning solution the parts and the dirt call for, and the heater brings it to its temperature.

2 · Degas

The transducers run with nothing in the bath until the dissolved gas has gone and the cavitation is steady.

3 · Load

The parts go into a basket, spaced so that sound can pass, and the lift lowers it in so that it never rests on the base.

4 · Clean

The generator sweeps its frequency for the set time while the filter circulates the liquid and takes out what has come off.

5 · Rinse

The basket moves to a rinse bath that carries away the dirty liquid and the detergent.

6 · Dry

Warm filtered air dries the load, so that nothing is left to dry onto the surface. The record for the batch is kept.

Which cleaning, which job

Cleaning	How it cleans	What to watch
Soaking and brushing	the liquid loosens the dirt and a hand removes the rest	it does not reach blind holes and fine threads
Spray and jet washing	a jet strikes the surface and flushes the dirt away	it cleans what the jet can see, not what it cannot
Solvent vapour degreasing	hot solvent vapour condenses on the part and runs off carrying the oil	it cleans by solvent, not by sound, and it is a separate machine
Ultrasonic cleaning (this page)	cavitation bubbles scrub every wetted surface, holes and threads included	the liquid must be degassed, the load must let the sound through, and soft metals need care

The step people underrate is the degas. A fresh bath cleans poorly until its gas has gone, and nobody can see why.

Work content

What the machine contains, element by element.

Read it as a checklist: a machine missing a row will make noise in a bath, but it will not clean a part you can rely on.

A three-station ultrasonic cleaning line on a plain white studio background: two open rectangular stainless baths and a stainless dryer cabinet with a flat hood on one low pale grey frame, joined by short pipes, a slim overhead rail carrying a hoist with a pale grey housing and a perforated basket above the middle bath, a pale grey control cabinet with a blank front on a stand at the right, and no people

Fig · 03 — A wash, rinse and dry line: three stations on one frame, an overhead hoist that carries the basket from station to station, and a control cabinet at the end — illustrative render.

Element	What it does	What matters
Bath	holds the liquid and the load	stainless, with a sloped base to a drain, an overflow and a level switch
Transducers	turn electrical drive into sound	bonded to the base in an even pattern, so that the sound spreads across the whole bath
Generator	drives the transducers	with a frequency sweep, power control and a degas run
Heater and thermostat	hold the working temperature	a heater that is always covered by the liquid, a thermostat and an over-temperature cut-out
Lift and basket	carry the load	a perforated basket held off the base, raised and lowered without a knock
Filter and circulation	take out what has come off	a pump and a filter that keep the bath clear while it works
Drain and overflow	empty the bath and carry skimmed oil away	a drain valve at the bottom of the bath and an overflow that takes the floating oil
Rinse bath	carries away the dirty liquid	a clean bath with an overflow, set after the wash
Dryer	removes the rinse liquid	warm filtered air through the load
Controls	run the cycle and keep it safe	a timer, the sweep, the temperature, and a low-level interlock so that the heater and the transducers cannot run dry
Procedure and record	fix the sequence and keep the evidence	fill, degas, load, clean, rinse and dry, the same for every batch, with one record for each
Testing & documentation	prove the machine first	the cavitation checked across the bath with aluminium foil, the interlocks exercised, and a record the customer can inspect

The elements that decide the clean are the degas run and the layout of the transducers, and the one that decides whether it stays safe is the low-level interlock. The first two put the sound in the right place, and the third stops the machine running dry.

Full specification — expand

System	A stainless bath with a sloped base, a drain, an overflow and a level switch; transducers bonded to the base in an even pattern; a generator with frequency sweep, power control and a degas run; a heater with a thermostat and an over-temperature cut-out; a lift and a perforated basket that is held off the base; a pump and a filter that circulate the liquid; a rinse bath with an overflow; a dryer with warm filtered air; controls with a low-level interlock; a written procedure; a record for each batch; and testing and documentation before handover
The One Idea	Degas first, then clean.
Why The Liquid Is Degassed First	Fresh liquid holds dissolved air, which goes into the cavitation bubbles and cushions them, so they collapse weakly and a fresh bath cleans poorly until the gas has gone; the bath is therefore run with nothing in it before the load is lowered in
Why The Frequency Is Matched To The Part	Lower frequencies make larger bubbles that clean hard and can damage soft metals, and higher frequencies make smaller bubbles that are gentler and reach small openings, so the choice is made for the part
Why The Load Rides In A Basket	The transducers are on the base, a part resting on the base takes the force in one spot, and a tightly packed load absorbs the sound before it reaches the middle, so the load is held off the base in a basket and spaced so that sound can pass
Standards	ASTM G131 covers the cleaning of materials and components by ultrasonic techniques. This page prints none of its frequencies, power densities or limits, and no edition year: those come from the standard the customer names and from the maker of the solution. Approval of a part, a machine or a process rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here
Configurations	A single-bath machine, a wash, rinse and dry machine, and a hoist-fed line
Scope Boundary	This page is the ultrasonic cleaning machine, which cleans parts by cavitation in a liquid. It is not a chemical cleaning bay, which is a heated detergent wash bay for parts (see chemical cleaning bay), not a high-pressure water jetting machine, which cleans with a jet (see high-pressure water jetting machines) and not an engine compressor washing rig, which washes a compressor in place (see engine compressor washing rig). It is not a machine for flammable solvents. No certification or accreditation is claimed here
Status	Neometrix has quoted against successive ultrasonic cleaning machine requirements, and no delivered ultrasonic cleaning machine is claimed.

Configurations

One method, three ways to build the machine.

The method, the degas run, the transducer layout and the record are shared. What changes is how many stations the work needs and how the basket moves between them.

Single-bath machine

One bath, one generator, a basket and a lift, for batch work

For a workshop that cleans in batches by hand: one bath with its transducers and generator, a heater, a basket on a lift and a filter, with the rinse done at a separate sink.

Wash, rinse and dry machine

Three stations on one frame, from a dirty part to a dry one

For work that must leave dry and clean: a wash bath, a rinse bath with an overflow and a dryer, with the basket moved from station to station by hand or by a lift.

Hoist-fed line

The same stations, with the basket carried by a hoist on a set cycle

For a steady flow of work: the wash, rinse and dry stations in a row, with an overhead hoist that runs the cycle and keeps one record for each batch.

And the part that is not equipment at all, yet decides all three: the procedure and the test plan. They fix the solution, the temperature the customer supplies, the order of the steps, the checks at each and what is recorded. They are written from the customer's own parts and dirt, not from the machine.

The drawings

A reference set, drawn as real CAD sheets.

Two sheets of one reference configuration: the process and instrument schematic of an ultrasonic cleaning machine, and its general arrangement with three details. They show the cycle and what holds or releases it, the layout of the line, the transducers, the basket held off the base and the standing waves. They carry tags and letters only. Every frequency, power, temperature, time and size is fixed by design for the customer's parts and solution.

Reference drawing sheet one, the process and instrument schematic of an ultrasonic cleaning machine. A machine controller sits above three stations served by an overhead rail with a hoist carriage. The wash bath has a basket held off the base, a heater, a temperature sensor, an over-temperature switch and a low-level switch; transducers bonded under its base are driven by a generator; a pump and a filter circulate the liquid back into the bath; and an overflow and a drain leave it. The rinse bath is fed with clean liquid and overflows and drains. The dryer takes air through a filter, a blower and a heater, with a temperature sensor and an over-temperature switch, and exhausts above. A legend, a table of holds and releases, eleven notes and a title block stamped reference configuration, not for construction

Fig · 04 — Sheet 01, the process and instrument schematic: the wash, rinse and dry stations, the degas run, the circulation and what holds or releases the cycle. Reference configuration, tags only.

Reference drawing sheet two, the general arrangement and details of an ultrasonic cleaning machine. A front elevation and a plan show a wash bath, a rinse bath, a dryer and a control cabinet on one frame under an overhead rail with a hoist carriage and a basket, with dimension letters for the lengths, the depth and the height. An item list numbers eleven parts. Detail A shows transducers at an even pitch on the underside of the bath base. Detail B is a section through the wash bath with the basket held off the base, the heater against the wall and the overflow. Detail C shows standing waves with their peaks and nodes and how the sweep moves them. A title block stamped reference configuration, not for construction

Fig · 05 — Sheet 02, the general arrangement and details: the line in elevation and plan, the transducer pattern, the basket held off the base and the standing waves that the sweep moves. Reference configuration, letters only.

Every real machine is drawn for its own parts, solution and site. These sheets are the arrangement and the order of control that a project set starts from. Approval of any drawing rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

PDF · two sheets

Reference drawings — schematic and arrangement

PDF · capability sheet

Ultrasonic cleaning machine — what Neometrix engineers

Where it is used

Wherever a part has holes, threads or crevices, and a brush cannot get in.

The common thread is small, fine or complicated parts, dirt that sits in the places a hand cannot reach, and a result that has to be clean all through.

Precision and tooling workshops

Where machined parts, tools and gauges leave the cutting fluid and the swarf in every hole.

Fluid-power and fuel-system overhaul

Where valves, injectors, filters and manifolds have to be clean through their small passages before they are rebuilt.

Laboratories and instrument rooms

Where glassware, instruments and sampling parts have to be cleaned without scratching them.

Electronics assembly and repair

Where boards and fittings carry flux and residue that a wipe leaves behind.

Watch

See it in motion.

A short walkthrough video of the ultrasonic cleaning machine.

FAQ

Common questions.

Longer answers, for readers who want the reasoning.

Q · 01 What does an ultrasonic cleaning machine actually do?

It cleans parts by sound. Transducers on the base of a bath send sound through the liquid, and the sound makes tiny bubbles form and collapse. That is cavitation, and it scrubs every surface the liquid touches, including blind holes and threads. The machine adds what the bath needs around that: a heater, a generator that sweeps, a basket on a lift, a filter, a rinse bath and a dryer. It does not choose the cleaning solution for you: that comes from the dirt and the part, and the machine holds it at the right temperature.

Q · 02 Why degas the liquid first?

Because fresh liquid holds dissolved air, and the air goes into the bubbles and cushions them. A cushioned bubble collapses weakly, so the first stretch of a fresh bath cleans poorly, and nobody can see why. Running the transducers with nothing in the bath drives the gas out, and the cavitation becomes steady. Only then is the load lowered in. The same reasoning is why a bath that has just been topped up is degassed again before the next batch.

Q · 03 Why does the frequency matter, and how can it damage a part?

Lower frequencies make larger bubbles that collapse with more force, so they clean hard and fast. Higher frequencies make smaller bubbles that collapse more gently and reach small openings. The force that lifts heavy dirt can also erode a soft surface, and low frequencies are known to damage soft metals such as aluminium. So the frequency is chosen for the part and the dirt together, a generator that can change it is worth having, and a test piece is run before a batch of valuable parts.

Q · 04 Why a basket, and why not pack the load?

The transducers are on the base, so a part resting on the base takes the whole force in one spot and can be marked or worn. A basket holds it off the base. A tightly packed basket has the opposite problem: the outer parts absorb the sound, and the parts in the middle stay dirty. So the load is spaced so that sound can pass, and parts are kept from touching. The generator sweeps its frequency a little as well, because sound in a bath forms standing waves with peaks and dead spots, and sweeping moves them.

Q · 05 Is this the same as the chemical cleaning bay, the water jetting machines or the compressor washing rig?

No, and the differences are worth stating precisely. The chemical cleaning bay page covers a heated detergent wash bay for parts, and mentions ultrasonic agitation in one line. The high-pressure water jetting machines page covers cleaning with a jet. The engine compressor washing rig page covers washing a compressor in place. This page is the ultrasonic cleaning machine itself, for parts cleaned by cavitation. It does not replace any of them, and it does not claim what they claim a second time.

Q · 06 Has Neometrix built one of these?

We would rather answer this plainly than let a page imply otherwise. Neometrix has quoted against successive ultrasonic cleaning machine requirements, and no delivered ultrasonic cleaning machine is claimed. What stands behind the offer is adjacent: Neometrix engineers a chemical cleaning bay (see the chemical cleaning bay page), high-pressure water jetting machines (see the high-pressure water jetting machines page) and an engine compressor washing rig (see the engine compressor washing rig page). The transducers, generator, pump, filter, heater, hoist and controller are catalogue items, bought in, not invented. What Neometrix engineers is the machine around them: the bath and its base, the layout of the transducers, the heating, the filtration, the lift and basket, the rinse and dry stations, the interlocks, the procedure and the record. So the honest position is that the machine is engineered to order, the neighbouring disciplines are in the building, and the first machine of this exact kind will be built around the customer's own parts and dirt rather than taken off a shelf.

Q · 07 Which standard applies, and what can the machine not do?

ASTM G131 covers the cleaning of materials and components by ultrasonic techniques. This page prints none of its frequencies, power densities or limits, and no edition year: those come from the standard the customer names and from the maker of the solution. The machine cleans, rinses and dries parts. It is not a machine for flammable solvents, which need a purpose-built design and not a bath made for water-based solutions, it does not choose the cleaning solution, and it does not replace the customer's own cleanliness check: this page claims no certification or accreditation. No frequency, power, temperature, time, size or quantity figure is printed here, and approval for use rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

Q · 08 What do you need from us to quote?

Six things, and most of them describe your parts rather than the machine. First, the parts: what they are made of, how large they are and how delicate. Second, the dirt: what has to come off and where it sits. Third, the solution: what you use or want to use, and the temperature it is made for. Fourth, the work: how many parts come through and whether they arrive in batches. Fifth, the site: the floor, the supplies and the drain. Sixth, the record: what you want kept for each batch. From that we come back with a machine concept, a written test plan you can check, and a budgetary price.

The neighbouring pages, and how they differ from this one.

Three neighbours: one is a wash bay, one cleans with a jet, one washes a compressor in place.

↗ Wash bay

Chemical Cleaning Bay

A heated detergent wash bay for parts - cleaning by liquid and filtration, where this page cleans by cavitation in the liquid.

↗ Jets

High-Pressure Water Jetting Machines

Cleans with a jet that strikes the surface - it cleans what the jet can reach, where this page cleans the holes and threads a jet cannot.

↗ Washing in place

Engine Compressor Washing Rig

Washes a compressor while it stays assembled - a different job from the parts that come off and go into a bath.

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Get a quotation

Tell us the parts,
and the dirt on them.

The projects desk replies within two working days with a machine concept, a written test plan you can check, and a budgetary quotation. Write to [email protected] or use the form.

Enquire — ultrasonic cleaning machine Capability sheet (PDF) +91 7777 876 876

ISO 9001 / 14001 ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — ULTRASONIC CLEANING MACHINE FILL · DEGAS · LOAD · CLEAN · RINSE · DRY — DEGAS FIRST, THEN CLEAN ENGINEERED IN NOIDA · INDIA