FAQ

Low-pressure hot-water cleaning combines high temperatures — up to 95 °C — with low pressure between 3 and 14 bar. The high temperature dissolves greases, oils and other contamination quickly and thoroughly, while the low pressure is sufficient to carry away the loosened contamination without damaging sensitive components. This makes the method particularly suitable for complex surfaces, sensitive components and oily or greasy contamination.

Three key differences: firstly, the pressure — we work at 3 to 14 bar instead of 100 to 500 bar, and therefore without any risk of damage to sensitive parts. Secondly, the temperature — 95 °C dissolves greases and oils, which a conventional high-pressure cleaner often cannot manage. Thirdly, consumption: 1.8 to 2.8 litres of water per minute compared with 10 to 20 litres for a high-pressure cleaner. In concrete terms, that means up to 90 % less water, chemicals and disposal costs.

Originally developed for brake cleaning in the car workshop (together with Mercedes in 1987), it is now used worldwide: in metalworking, in mechanical and plant engineering, in the automotive and transport sector (cars, commercial vehicles, public transport, rail, aviation, shipping), in the food and pharmaceutical industry, in building cleaning and in the municipal sector. You can find a complete overview on the Industries page.

In most cases, our devices amortise within 6 to 12 months. The exact amortisation period depends on the application, the method being compared and the frequency of use. Our amortisation calculator is available for a specific calculation — or arrange a free demonstration at your plant.

ph-cleantec uses about 20 times less water than typical high-pressure cleaners. With water recycling in a closed loop, this figure can be reduced further to as little as 1 %. Cleaning agents are — if used at all — added only at a concentration of 1 to 3 % and are likewise reused several times. In the thermal disinfection of cooling lubricants, biocides can be dispensed with entirely.

That depends on the cleaning medium, the part size and mobility: for parts cleaning with water, the SR series (with integrated tray) or the SR-Tower is suitable. For machine cleaning with cooling lubricant, the SRE or SRK series (mobile, without tank). For large parts, the 1500 SR-DP or 1500 SRE-DP with 14 bar. For hygiene-critical applications with deionised water or acids, the stainless steel devices ESR or ESE. For the thermal disinfection of cooling lubricants, the Thermo-EK or a 1000 SR/SRE with the EK option. The easiest way to clarify this is in a free demonstration on your premises.

SR: standard device with a mounted parts-cleaning tray and 60-l tank, versatile in use. SRE: similar to the SR, but without a tray — for machine and large-part cleaning. SRK: compact, without a tank — fits in an estate car, ideal for mobile service providers. ESR and ESE: stainless steel variants for deionised water and acids — food, pharmaceuticals, precision engineering. Thermo-EK: a pure disinfection device for cooling lubricants.

Yes. All devices are mobile and fitted with castors. They can easily be moved to the machine tool, the lifting platform or the pit. The SR and SRE models have an integrated 60-litre tank and therefore work completely self-sufficiently, without an external water connection. The SRK range is so compact that it can be transported in an estate car — ideal for mobile service providers.

In most cases, no. The cleaning effect is produced primarily by the high temperature. For particularly stubborn contamination, an alkaline cleaner can be added at a concentration of 1 to 3 % — thanks to the water recycling, it is then used several times. For machine cleaning, we use the machine tool’s own cooling lubricant from its tank, so no external cleaner at all.

Compared with conventional methods, our customers regularly report 80 to 90 percent time savings. Concrete examples from practice: a tool magazine with 60 slots — under one hour. A cylinder head — 5 to 10 minutes (instead of 2 hours at the cold-wash table). A large machine being retrofitted — one day instead of one week.

Thermal disinfection is a process for killing bacteria and fungi in cooling lubricant by heating it to about 65 °C. Since proteins — and thus the building blocks of life of bacteria and fungi — are destroyed at approximately 60 °C, this method is almost one hundred percent effective. You know the same principle from the food industry under the name pasteurisation.

Yes, completely. In a study by ph-cleantec with 107 customers and 75 different cooling lubricants, all bacteria were reduced to zero in 90 % of cases. Fungi were killed 100 % in all 29 cases in which fungal infestation was present. Even with severe bacterial infestation of 10⁶ to 10⁷ germs per millilitre, no bacteria at all remained in 23 of 26 cases. This means that the use of biocides is dispensable in practice.

No. Thermal disinfection runs in a bypass — at the front the machine tool works, at the back the cooling lubricant is drawn off, disinfected and returned germ-free. This means there are no downtime costs. On the contrary, it makes sense to use thermal disinfection precisely during ongoing production, so that the cooling lubricant in the lines is treated too.

Our customers report a significant extension of service life. However, concrete figures depend on a large number of factors, from the cooling lubricant and the machine geometry to the metal being machined. Bharat Forge, for example, was able to considerably extend the change intervals in tooling forging production and dispense with additive chemicals. Lower cooling lubricant consumption means lower procurement costs, fewer disposal costs and less machine downtime for changes.

UV irradiation works well with transparent liquids, but fails with the milky nature of cooling lubricants. UV rays only penetrate the surface, so the cooling lubricant would have to be reduced to an extremely thin film — difficult to implement in practice. The results are often only 60 to 80 % germ reduction, in some cases under 50 %. Thermal disinfection, on the other hand, achieves nearly 100 %.

Yes, in almost every respect. Cost: spray cans are cheap per application, but add up to considerable sums with intensive use — a hot-water cleaning device often amortises within a few months. Environment: A1 sprays release 100 % of the solvents they contain into the atmosphere as VOCs; the loosened dirt ends up on the workshop floor. Health and occupational safety: fire risk with A1 spray due to a very low flash point of 21 °C versus cleaning with hot water; consequently there is also no exposure to VOCs and no risk of allergies. Efficiency: with the ph-cleantec method the brake dust is collected — compliant wet cleaning in accordance with DGUV Rule 109-009 (formerly BGR 157) is ensured.

Yes. The devices are mobile and are moved directly to the lifting platform, the pit or the vehicle. The waste-water collection tray (KW tray) can be adapted to any pit size. This eliminates travel time to the wash room and, in many cases, the removal of the parts.

For a truck, bus or agricultural-machinery workshop we typically recommend the 1500 SR-DP or 1500 SRE-DP with 14 bar — the higher pressure level is ideal for stubborn contamination on brakes, engine and gearbox. Combined with a KW tray, you can work directly at the pit. For the exact selection depending on workshop size and application, we recommend a demonstration.

Yes, free of charge and without obligation. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and most European countries, our adviser (or that of our partner) comes to your plant, brings the right device and tries out with you whether and how low-pressure hot-water cleaning works on your specific contamination. This way you see directly how the process works for you and which model suits best.

ph-cleantec offers a telephone hotline with experienced technicians, UVV safety inspections, spare parts from its own shop and, in many cases, loan devices for maintenance or repair periods. Our partners abroad look after customers on site worldwide.

Yes. In the online shop you will find common original parts for mechanics, electrics, heating rods, hoses and lances — suitable for all device series. You can find which spare parts you need in the operating manuals. If that does not work, simply send us a photo or give us a call.

In Kernen im Remstal, Baden-Württemberg. ph-cleantec GmbH was founded in 1987 as Schickert GmbH in Fellbach im Remstal, was renamed ph-cleantec GmbH in 2007 and moved to Kernen in 2025. ph-cleantec produces exclusively in Germany – with over 40 years of experience in mechanical engineering and industrial cleaning.

ph-cleantec supplies the entire German metal industry, from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen to Siemens and Liebherr, right down to the two-person business. You can find a (by no means) complete reference list and customer testimonials on our References page.