Cleaning cast parts

As a leading provider of innovative cleaning technologies, we at ph-cleantec GmbH know how important a thorough, fast and environmentally friendly cleaning of your castings is.

Foundries produce with high temperatures and varied materials. In the process, residues such as sand, slag, oils and lubricants arise that settle on the cast parts. In addition, the parts are often burdened with grinding and machining residues. The combination of various contamination and complex geometries makes cleaning here particularly demanding; at the same time, cleaning has to be done quickly and be cost-effective – this poses considerable challenges for companies.

In this article you will learn what matters in cleaning cast parts, which challenges exist and why the ph-cleantec units are in many cases the ideal solution for your cleaning processes.

Cleaning cast parts – particularities

Cast parts are often burdened with residues of dirt, oil, grease, sand and abrasives. When cleaning, these residues have to be removed completely to avoid corrosion, contamination and impairments in further processing. Especially with castings made of aluminium, steel or stainless steel, the choice of the right cleaning process is important to avoid material damage and increased rejects.

It is also important that cleaning is carried out gently to preserve the surface quality. Chemical solvents can be effective here, but are often environmentally harmful and expensive. Therefore, modern operations increasingly rely on sustainable alternatives.

Challenges in cleaning cast parts

When cleaning cast parts, particular challenges arise again and again:

• Stubborn residues: Sand, abrasives and oils are often difficult to remove, especially with complex geometries.
• Various materials: Different materials require adapted cleaning processes to avoid damage.
• Difficult accessibility: Interiors, cavities and hard-to-reach spots make thorough cleaning difficult.
• Environmental protection: The use of environmentally harmful chemicals is increasingly restricted, which makes alternative solutions necessary.
• Corrosion with cast parts made of steel: Cast parts made of steel corrode very quickly in practice. To prevent this, a corrosion protection such as our B1200 can be added to the cleaning medium.

Traditionally, chemical cleaning agents, ultrasonic cleaning or manual processes are used. However, these methods are often time-consuming, expensive and environmentally burdensome. In addition, they are not always effective with large or complex cast parts.

When are ph-cleantec units the better solution?

Our innovative low-pressure hot-water units rely on a gentle but effective hot cleaning with low pressure. With this technology, residues are removed quickly and thoroughly without damaging the sensitive surfaces. Through the low pressure – up to 7.5 or up to 14 bar – resources are saved and at the same time damage to the workpieces is avoided. The pressure is, however, entirely sufficient to transport contamination away, and also to be able to clean effectively in interiors, crevices, blind holes and corners.

The high cleaning effect of the ph-cleantec units, however, results from the high working temperatures of up to 95°C: with these, greases and oils in particular are loosened quickly and efficiently. Compared with traditional methods, this saves working time and chemicals, and the energy consumption too is minimal in relation to other methods.

The units can be used both for manual cleaning (with small batches) and as part of automated processes (with larger quantities).

The benefits of the ph-cleantec units can therefore be summarised as follows:

• Fast and efficient: Short cleaning times with optimal results, especially also with complex geometries.
• Environmentally friendly: Use of environmentally friendly cleaning media without harmful solvents.
• Cost-saving: Less consumption of chemicals, energy and labour.
• Versatile: Suitable for the most varied materials, sizes and degrees of contamination.
• Gentle: Preservation of the surface quality and avoidance of material damage.

With the ph-cleantec units you clean your cast parts, motors and machine parts significantly faster, easier and more sustainably – and save costs in the process.

Typical units for cleaning cast parts are the 1000 SR and the 1500 SR, or a 1500 SRE combined with a separate collecting tray:

For many of our customers it is also relevant that with our low-pressure hot-water units they can effortlessly and quickly clean not only the cast parts, but also the casting machines, the moulds and the machine tools on which the freshly cast blanks are finished.

Contact

Does cleaning faster, easier and more cost-effectively sound interesting to you? Have a look around our website ph-cleantec and discover how our innovative units can help to make your cleaning process more efficient, more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective. Contact us for individual advice or a free demonstration – we look forward to your enquiry!