Today, component cleanliness is just as much a quality criterion as dimensional accuracy. It is defined by given particulate – and increasingly also thin-film – cleanliness specifications. Meeting these reliably can be quite a task. For operations to be cost-effective, it is becoming ever-more important to design cleaning processes in line with user requirements and for reproducible cleaning results.

Regardless what industry sector, parts cleaning today has become one of critical processes in manufacturing. For one, parts must be sufficiently clean for subsequent processing steps like coating, printing, heat treatment and assembly. For another, product quality and functionality are crucially dependent on clean components. In recent years, the focus has been on removing particulate contamination, including chips produced in machining and forming processes, but also burrs and particles generated from abrasion. Meanwhile, thin-film contamination has also taken on a more prominent role. This is because the tiniest residues of machining oils and emulsions, cleaning media, drawing, forming and release agents, etc., can impair the quality of the joints in joining processes such as laser welding, soldering and bonding. When it comes to thin-film contamination, cleanliness specifications are often defined in terms of surface energy or surface tension (mN/m = milli-newtons per meter). Compliance can be checked comparatively easily with test inks and by measuring contact angles.

Tailoring wet chemical cleaning processes to the task
For the vast majority of parts, specifications regarding particulate and/or filmic cleanliness can be met using wet chemical cleaning processes. The parts are generally cleaned in batches, either in bulk or arranged in part carriers. However, a stable and reproducible process quality and consistently good results can only be attained if the cleaning chemicals as well as the system engineering and process technology are optimally tailored to the cleaning task.

Choosing the right cleaning medium for the contamination
When selecting the cleaning medium, the chemical principle of “like solves like” can serve as a guideline. This means: polar contaminants such as cooling emulsions, polishing pastes, salts, particles from abrasion and other solids are normally removed using water as a polar cleaning medium in conjunction with pH-neutral, acidic or alkaline cleaners. For mineral oil-based (organic, non-polar) contaminants such as machining oils, greases and waxes, solvents like non-halogenated hydrocarbons or chlorinated hydrocarbons are generally used. Modified alcohols (3-butoxy-2-propanols) have lipophilic and hydrophilic properties and are therefore capable of removing both non-polar and polar contaminants to a certain extent.
To determine exactly which cleaning medium is best for effectively removing the contaminants adhering to the respective parts, cleaning trials with original contaminated parts are recommended. In its technology centres around the world, Ecoclean GmbH disposes of a variety of cleaning systems for all types of media. They are used to conduct tests on parts made of metallic materials, plastics, ceramic materials, glass and combinations thereof. In addition to the achievable cleaning result, the team also checks that the materials of the components to be cleaned are compatible with the cleaning media used.

Minimizing cleaning costs with suitable process technology
The faster and more effectively the predefined cleanliness specifications are met in the cleaning process, the lower the proportion of costs that are incurred for each cleaned part. The cleaning effect of the medium is therefore enhanced by various physical process technologies such as spraying, vapor degreasing, dipping, ultrasonics and injection flood washing, as well as high-pressure cleaning, which is used to deburr the parts at the same time.
During spray cleaning, the kinetic energy of the jet boosts the effect of the cleaning chemicals used and removes impurities from the component surface. Pressures between 2 and 20 bars are applied to all or specific areas, for example boreholes and blind holes. Especially with pinpointed spray cleaning, the cleaning result depends on how the nozzles are directed at the surface to be cleaned. The result can be improved if the part is moved relative to the spray nozzle or vice versa. Where particulate cleanliness requirements are high, spray cleaning can also be used as a final cleaning step to remove any small particles still adhering to the surface.
During vapour degreasing, which is carried out in the closed working chamber of a solvent cleaning system, the cleaning medium is heated to boiling point and the resulting solvent vapours are directed at the components to be cleaned. The temperature difference between the hot vapours and the cooler component causes the solvent to condense on the surface of the workpiece so that the solvent condensate has a rinsing effect. Steam degreasing is used to remove contaminants such as oils, greases and emulsions from lightly soiled parts.
In immersion cleaning, which can be carried out with water-based media and solvents, contaminants are primarily removed by the chemical action of the medium. This effect can be enhanced by swiveling and rotating the parts. The process is mostly used for parts with complex geometries, such as blind holes or undercuts, and frequently combined with injection flood washing (IFW) and/or ultrasonic cleaning.

Injection flood washing is used in almost all cleaning processes involving components that are heavily contaminated with chips and oil or emulsion. The parts are subjected to pressures between three and 15 bars in an immersion bath. Since this is done below the level of the liquid, high volume flows are generated which can easily penetrate the cavities even of very complex workpieces.

The cleaning effect of ultrasonic units is based on cavitation: the electrical signals generated at a specific frequency by an ultrasonic generator are transmitted by a transducer as sound waves to the cleaning liquid. This results in an interplay of negative and positive pressure, with microscopic cavities forming in the negative pressure phases, which collapse (implode) in the ensuing positive pressure phase. This creates microcurrents in the liquid, which virtually ‘blast’ and wash away any particulate and thin-film contamination adhering to the parts. For the cleaning effect, the following applies: the lower the frequency, the larger the cavitation bubbles and the higher the energy released.

Deburring and cleaning in a single step
The use of water jetting at high pressure, usually in the range of 300 to 1,000 bars but sometimes higher or lower depending on the application, makes it possible to reliably remove machining-generated feather burrs from parts and clean them at the same time. High-pressure cleaning is also used to remove sand residues from castings and stubborn soils from part surfaces, including welding residues and scale. The pressures used depend on the type and level contamination as well as on the test results obtained in Ecoclean’s
Technology Centres.

In addition to the cleaning medium and the system technology, the personnel operating the cleaning system influence the quality of the process. Knowledge of the interrelationships and processes of the parts cleaning step in manufacturing is therefore crucial in order to meet cleanliness requirements reproducibly and cost-effectively.

www.ecoclean-group.net

Until now, customers needed to update their simulation software to obtain the latest injection moulding databases from providers, with a significant lag between new material availability and public database updates – sometimes more than a year. They also needed to reach out to multiple contacts on a regular basis to check for the latest resource availability from material providers.

DOMO is changing this paradigm by providing a valuable new service to customers, comprising frequent updates of its injection molding simulation database for Autodesk Moldflow. Comparable injection material cards for other software (Moldex3D, CADmould, etc.) will also be made available upon request or through your sales and technical manager.

“We are at the cutting edge in our approach to provide high quality data for injection moulding and integrative structural – MMI* simulation in the fastest and most direct way to our customers,” says Alexandre Chatelain, Simulation Models Database Manager at DOMO. “

 “This project is part of a broader scope aimed at improving our overall digitalization capability and is an instrumental contribution to our commercial digitalization strategy” Chatelain added.

By enabling customers to always have the latest injection molding simulation data from DOMO Engineered Materials, this will save them time and effort in getting the appropriate data for their projects. These fitted and validated measurements for more precise simulation will enable shorter development time for customers, and faster time to market.

Moreover, these direct updates will include new offerings from DOMO’s development pipeline as well as newly validated data beyond the standard injection moulding process characterization, such as fiber orientation prediction optimization.

“At DOMO, we provide unique data – like fiber orientation model parameters calibration and validation – to optimize polyamide part performance,” adds Chatelain. “We understand that it is a burden for our customers if they have to update their simulation software to obtain the latest injection molding data from providers whenever there is a new release. That’s why we now provide injection moulding database updates independently from software releases to ensure our customers are always up to date.”

https://www.domochemicals.com/

Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions, announced the release of its annual subscription payment program, now available for its color formulation software products Datacolor Match Textile and Match Pigment, as well as for its color management software Datacolor Tools.

The annual subscription program provides customers in the textile, paint and coatings and plastics industries with a cost-effective alternative to use the same software available as a one-time perpetual license, reducing the initial investment needed. The software offering includes access to the Company’s latest digital color management software as well as software updates and access to Datacolor’s customer support.

“Our annual subscription payment program is one of many Datacolor solutions designed to meet evolving customer needs. By reducing the barriers of accessibility to our core color management software we can help more customers digitize and optimize their color workflow,” said Albert Busch, President and CEO, Datacolor.

Color workers who take advantage of the annual subscription program can expect to benefit from all future software enhancements and receive support for new operating systems.

https://www.datacolor.com/

Tank Holding, North America’s largest rotational molder, has acquired Missouri based blow and injection molder Semco Plastic Company, Inc. effective May 9, 2022. Semco manufactures a variety of high volume custom and proprietary products serving the recreational, commercial, outdoor, engine and other industries. Products such as OEM fuel tanks, portable fuel containers, equipment components, refuse containers, backboards and more are designed, tooled, manufactured, assembled, packaged and shipped utilizing turnkey solutions and services to a diverse customer base with the experience and capability to produce high quality molded products out of a single facility.

“The acquisition of Semco is consistent with our strategy to invest into adjacent plastic processing technologies while continuing to demonstrate our commitment to provide our customers further capabilities. We believe there is tremendous opportunity for us to utilize blow molding to expand our proprietary product offering while also complementing our commitment to custom molding. The addition of blow molding and injection molding capabilities to our vast rotational molding network provides us with the unique position to offer more plastic molding options to our valued customers. Semco, with its successful seventy-five year history and continuous investment in equipment and capability, delivers the competency and scale we desired to enter into these complementary molding technologies,” said Greg Wade, CEO of Tank Holding.

The Semco acquisition provides synergy opportunities with Tank Holding’s core business along with several recent acquisitions, including six last year and Dutchland this year which were focused on custom molding and proprietary products. These market leading brands and multiple molding capabilities provide the industry with the broadest product portfolio and the largest footprint of manufacturing facilities.

“Semco has been in our family for four generations and we have built a great business with great people. We’re proud of our significant investments in the business with modern technology and building expansions to keep up with growth and offer competitive value to our customers. As we reached a family decision to sell the business, we quickly concluded that Tank Holding, with its resources and strategy to invest in molding, was the best partner to purchase the business and continue the growth for our employees and customers,” said Chuck Voelkel, CEO of Semco.

The Semco announcement represents Tank Holding’s 19th acquisition in the past three years and further enhances the company’s penetration into custom molding.

Besides being a world leader in the design and manufacturing of polyethylene tank and container products, Tank Holding also maintains major market positions with many other proprietary products, including intermediate bulk containers, insulated material handling bins, laundry and linen carts, refuse containers, specialty pallets and custom products.

Tank Holding, which includes the brands of Norwesco, Snyder Industries, Bonar Plastics, Bushman, Chem-tainer, Meese, Stratis Pallets, and Dura-Cast, owned by Olympus Partners and the management team, currently operates 42 manufacturing plant locations and employs over 1,7000 people throughout North America, prior to the Semco acquisition.

https://www.tankholding.com/

UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from unsorted household waste, announced today that it is partnering with Polymertal, which develops cutting-edge metal plating processes for the creation of cost-effective metal-polymer parts. Through this partnership, Polymertal is releasing SPP-50XX, a new sustainable material with metallic properties that contains UBQ™, a substitute for durable plastics converted entirely from unsorted household waste, including all organics. The inclusion of UBQ™ in SPP-50XX’s base substrate enables this material to achieve a lower carbon footprint – as compared to aluminum, a favored lightweight metal, bringing roughly a 50% reduction in CO2e emissions, as verified by World Watchers.

A key challenge for sustainable materials in competing with lightweight metals like aluminum is to achieve the necessary toughness, thermal resistance and electromagnetic shielding, features essential to applications across automotive, industrial and consumer product manufacturing.

Polymertal’s SPP-50XX will comprise 20% UBQ™ and 80% polypropylene. On top of this substrate, a layer of copper and nickel of varying thicknesses will serve as the metal plating. Surfacing a polymer substrate with a lean metal plating allows SPP-50XX to remain lightweight and exhibit key metallic properties, including durability, stiffness, heat resistance and electromagnetic shielding.

“We are proud to launch our sustainable materials series, the S series, including SPP-50XX and its climate-friendly thermoplastic, UBQ™,” said Ran Carmeli, CEO of Polymertal. “Countless applications require materials that are lightweight, withstand high-temperature environments, and are thermally and electrically conductive. SPP-50XX exhibits all these features, and the presence of UBQ™ brings sustainability earlier in the supply chain, making it even easier for manufacturers to reduce the overall carbon footprint of their end products.”

“UBQ™️ can be combined with metals to create carbon-reduced products with important metallic properties for functional applications in tough environments,” said Albert Douer, Chairman and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “Through work with Polymertal, our novel material is helping manufacturers create products that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.”

https://www.ubqmaterials.com/