Piezoceramic-based chlorofluorocarbon-free tunable ultrasonic cleaning system

Abstract

960-964Use of piezoceramic based ultrasonic cleaning is becoming increasingly popular, since it is free from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) solvents and removes tough contaminants (yet gentle enough not to damage the delicate substrate), grease, soil, oil, abrasive dust, blast debris, swarf, paint, corrosion etc., from the surface of components either individually or coming off the product lines. The critical component manufacturers and surface treaters are therefore preferably using lead zirconium titanate (PZT) based cleaning systems for intricately shaped components. The significant advantages of this technique are an ability to clean the delicate and complex shapes in a short time without damaging the materials geometry. This paper highlights the design and manufacturing technique of a tunable ultrasonic cleaning system using indigenously developed PZT elements in which the output frequency and duration of cleaning cycle can be adjusted for a particular application