Maintaining the safety and operational efficiency of aircraft engines is paramount in the aviation industry. For Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs), Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organizations, and airline maintenance facilities, adhering to rigorous procedures outlined in aircraft engine maintenance manuals is non-negotiable. Ultrasonic technology has emerged as a critical tool in this sector, providing significant advantages in both the cleaning of aircraft engine components and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) operations. This guide explores the diverse applications of ultrasonic energy in aircraft engine maintenance, highlighting its effectiveness and benefits.

Instead of “Knowledge is Good,” the Faber College motto in “Animal House,” we propose “Clean is Good.”  This is not a joke, when it comes to “clean” in keeping costly equipment up to peak performance.  Here’s how ultrasonic parts cleaners promote peak performance across a broad range of products.

An Ultrasonic Parts Cleaner?  Why Is It Important?

Cleaning parts, whether new or being refurbished, can represent a significant amount of time and, without the proper equipment, can be unpleasant or uneconomical. 

For example:

• Solvent spray tanks, aerosol sprays, manually scrubbing with flammable solvents, abrasives and other alternatives – beside yielding unsatisfactory results – can raise environmental, health and safety concerns.
• Complex parts – the methods above often can’t reach parts with cracks, crevices and blind holes.
• Labor – time clocks run during parts disassembly, manual cleaning and reassembly.  The power of ultrasonic energy can substantially reduce labor costs, insure superior cleaning results and free personnel to attend to other tasks.

In many cases ultrasonic energy is the “go to” solution when it comes to meeting challenges associated with cleaning large parts. Cleaning large parts calls for a large ultrasonic cleaner – one that accommodates parts size and has added features facilitating the entire cleaning cycle. This means more than considering a unit with the capacity to hold parts being cleaned. 

Calculating Large Ultrasonic Cleaner Capacity

Remember the old saw about the guy who builds a boat then can’t get it out the door?  When specifying an ultrasonic cleaner, the point to remember is parts must fit in the tank.

You most likely have parts cleaning challenges not easily resolved by brushes, solvents, wash tanks, sprays and other manual methods that fail to yield satisfactory results. These can all be solved with an ultrasonic parts cleaner.

Here you will learn that cleaning parts, whether new or refurbished, is best accomplished in an ultrasonic parts cleaner.  And why mechanics, hobbyists, collectors, manufacturers and others dealing with dirt of most any type rely on an ultrasonic parts cleaner for fast, damage-free results. 

Examples Where Ultrasonic Parts Cleaners Shine

• Ultrasonic cleaning eliminates risking damage that can result from manually removing post-molding contaminants such as flashing, grease and other residues from costly plastic injection molds.
• Ultrasonic parts cleaning is unsurpassed in terms of speed and thoroughness when it comes to removing dried grease, varnishes and other contaminants from carburetors, fuel injectors and other critical engine components.
• Cleaning diesel particulate and exhaust gas recirculation filters
• Cleaning once fired brass cartridge casings prior to reloading. 
• Cleaning finely machined parts to remove cutting oils and abrasive compounds
• Nondestructive testing aircraft engine components as part of maintenance and operations

The old saw “the key to good work is using the right tool for the job” applies equally well to ultrasonic cleaning jobs. In this case the “tool” is selecting one of the many ultrasonic cleaning solutions available to assure the desired results. As you will learn here, there are many cleaning solution formulas available.  This post will help you make the right choice(s). There may be instances where you may need more than one formula.

The Ultrasonic Cleaning Solutions Market

Definitions might seem confusing.  In some cases cleaning solutions are called chemicals, in other cases “soaps.”  In any case, these solutions represent a major market.  According to a Dataintelo report “The ultrasonic cleaning chemicals market was valued at USD 2.1 billion in 2018.  The report projects a “CAGR of 4.4% during 2019-2030.” 

First Step in Cleaning Solutions Selection

To help assure best results, you must be aware of these critical points.

• What is being cleaned?  As you might surmise the requirements to clean engine and drive train assemblies, plastic injection molds, PCBs, and surgical instruments vary substantially.
• What are the contaminants?  Gross deposits of grease and grime; burned on residues, oils, flashing and grease; solder flux, blood and other contaminants require different procedures.
• What is the product made of?  Aluminum, steel, glass, plastic, and composites are examples. (Note that chromium-plated products are not suitable for cleaning with ultrasonic energy.)
• Product configuration is important.  Simple?  Complex?  Characterized by blind or narrow holes?
• Are there post-cleaning requirements?  Some may require one or more rinsing steps to remove cleaning bath residues either for sanitation reasons or to prepare the product for further finishing steps such as painting, plating or powder coating.