Cross-contamination is a constant concern in all laboratory practices and can be addressed by strict operating procedures to assure equipment is thoroughly clean before use. Thorough fine mesh lab sieve cleaning used in analytical, science and testing laboratories can be crucial in meeting GLP standards.

Lab sieves, because of their design, present special cleaning challenges to assure residues from prior screenings are completely removed from fine mesh screens.

Manually scrubbing the sieves is not a sure-fire means to clean them. A time-consuming operation in itself, the chief area of concern is potential contamination of subsequent products being processed because 100% of the particles may not be removed. Moreover, manually scrubbing fine mesh lab sieves can damage them.

Tovatech offers two options for ultrasonic sieve cleaning

One is the SRH 4/200 designed to be used in conjunction with a standard Elma ultrasonic cleaner with a size 300 tank, and the other is one of the uniquely designed Easy 50R or Easy 350R ultrasonic cleaners from Elma. These two cleaners can also be used for cleaning small instruments and for sample prep.

The Elma SRH 4/200 Cleans Up to 4 Fine Mesh Lab Sieves

Safely cleaning fine mesh sieves is achieved with Elma’s cleverly designed stainless steel SRH 4/200 sieve rotation holder. It is electrically powered and easily fits onto a 300 size Elmasonic ultrasonic cleaner, such as the heater-equipped EP300H or Select 300 ultrasonic cleaners.

Up to four 200 mm (8 inch) diameter lab equipment sieves from various manufacturers are placed into the unit much as plates are loaded into a dishwasher, and held in place by rollers. Once the sieves are clamped into the holder ultrasonic energy is applied while the sieves rotate into and out of the ultrasonic cleaning bath.

Ultrasonic cavitation produced by the EP300H or Select 300 generator-powered transducers creates billions of minute bubbles that implode vigorously against the screen mesh to quickly but safely dislodge trapped particles.

A report by Polaris Market Research citing ultrasonic cleaner market size through 2032 notes that ultrasonic cleaning “has become a preferred choice because it provides thorough and consistent cleaning, effectively eliminating contaminants, including from intricate and hard-to-reach areas.”

The Polaris report cites markets where ultrasonic cleaner machines find application. This post offers equipment and cleaning solution suggestions related to certain of these markets.

For information on the ultrasonic cleaning process please check how ultrasonic cleaners work.

The global plastic injection molding machine market was valued at $10.4 billion in 2022 and projected to grow to $12.4 billion by 2027 according to a Markets and Markets report.  Unrecognized in such reports are the importance and costs of plastic injection molds that support this growth and the role of ultrasonic cleaning in plastic injection mold maintenance.

Ultrasonic Cleaning and Injection Mold Maintenance

According to Rex Plastics, “A small and simple single cavity plastic injection mold usually costs between $1,000 and $5,000. Very large or complex molds may cost as much as $80,000 or more. On average, a typical mold that produces a relatively simple part small enough to hold in your hand costs around $12,000.”

For cost reasons alone injection mold maintenance should figure high on a list of priorities for companies involved in producing injection-molded parts.  Here you’ll learn how ultrasonic cleaning plastic injection molds preserves investments without causing wear or the use of harsh chemicals.

The consumer electronics market size was valued at over USD 1 trillion in 2020 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of more than 8% from 2021 to 2027, according to a Global Market Insights report.   It defines electronics as computers, laptops, mobile devices, smart wearables, TVs, appliances, etc.  Ultrasonic electronics cleaners contribute to reliable operation from manufacturing through servicing these products.

Common to most if not all consumer electronics products is the ubiquitous printed circuit board or PCB.  That’s why PCB fabricators or those who sell or service equipment incorporating PCBs and other delicate electronic components include an ultrasonic electronics cleaner in their equipment inventory.

Ultrasonic cleaning is fast and safe way to remove mold support and other surface contaminants from simple and complex 3-D printed parts.  Results are far superior to time-consuming water soaking and the risk of possibly damaging part geometries if manually cleaned using brushes.  Here you’ll learn how 3-D printed parts are made, then how ultrasonic energy is used to remove 3D printing mold support from your parts.

How 3-D Printed Parts are Made

3D part printing techniques use a variety of plastics and resins.  Examples include ABS, PLA, polyamide (nylon), glass filled polyamide, stereolithography materials (epoxy resins), silver, titanium, steel, wax, photopolymers and polycarbonate.   

A popular technique combines two moldable thermoplastic formulations such as ABS for the part itself and PLA for removable mold support.  This is a quick means to produce highly complex configurations.

In this instance a key to the efficiency of the process is fast, safe removal of the PLA mold support without risking damage to the ABS part.  An ultrasonic cleaner is proven far faster, safer and more effective than water sprays or manual scrubbing.

Other techniques called SLA (stereolithography) and LFS (low force stereolithography) use lasers to build the part without the need of mold support. In these cases uncured resin on the finished product requires removal best accomplished by ultrasonic energy.