Product category:
Cleaning media and cleaning systems
News Release from: Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools | Subject: Durr Ecoclean at Witon ngineering
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 February 2008
Industrial washing system cleans deep
small holes
Cleaning 15mm deep-drilled 1mm diameter holes in brass is done by the combined rotary and swivelling movement of the load with injection flood wash, ultrasonics and vacuum drying.
Although the drilling of 1 mm diameter, 15 mm long blind holes in batches of brass probes was a simple job for a precision turned parts subcontractor like Witon Engineering, the cleaning of them was not The company found that its dip tank and other conventional aqueous and solvent-based washing equipment were not good enough for removing oil and swarf from the fine holes
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Aug 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Based in Barnstaple, UK, Witon upgraded its finishing department by installing a German Durr Ecoclean industrial washing machine, supplied by Durr's UK agent, Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools.
The machine meets current legislation - the Solvent Emissions Directive - which came into force on 31st October 2007 to govern the use of industrial cleaning systems.
* Cleaning gun-drilled holes - to clean the fine, gun-drilled holes, the operator chose one of eight editable washing programs that combined rotary and swivelling movement of the load with injection flood wash, ultrasonics and vacuum drying.
After the cycle, all components were free from chips and sticky cutting oil, right to the bottom of the holes, as stipulated by the customer.
Geo Kingsbury told manufacturingtalk.com that the process was successfully trialled in its Gosport technical centre before Witon placed an order.
The Minio 85C non-halogenated, hydrocarbon-based washing machine cleans all of Witon's turned parts output from its 30 single-spindle lathes and four Index CNC multi-spindle automatics, all of which run 24 hours a day.
Components are mainly ferrous up to 60mm diameter and are cleaned in batches of up to 50kg.
Yet the Minio 85C only has a compact 1m x 2.65m footprint, said Geo Kingsbury.
Witon's managing director, Ian Sheldon, said: "Components are becoming more and more complex and difficult to clean, yet at the same time customers are asking for higher levels of component cleanliness.
The automatic washing cycles in the Durr machine are less labour intensive and more efficient at cleaning our components.
Many customers have commented on the improvement.".
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