One of the most important steps in any manufacturing process is cleaning the parts before assembly. This ensures that they are free of debris, oils and other aids that can affect their performance and service life. The use of a workpiece carrier system efficiently protects the components to be washed.
Cleaning components can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but it is critical to the manufacturing quality and longevity of the final product.
To make this process more efficient, many manufacturers use workpiece carriers. These can hold and transport parts during cleaning. In this way, the surface of highly complex components can be protected from micro-scratches and damage .
In this article, we explain the basics of parts cleaning and the advantages of using workpiece carrier systems.
Workpiece carriers help ensure that parts are cleaned thoroughly and evenly .
The workpiece carriers hold the parts securely in place during the cleaning process and ensure that every surface comes into complete contact with the cleaning solution.
This also enables gentle cleaning with ultrasound . Oils, greases and other deposits can be removed even from hard-to-reach places by the high-frequency sound waves that move the cleaning solution.
The aim should be to clean contaminants without leaving any residue so that the component can be further processed or assembled without any problems after it has dried.
Workpiece carriers allow several parts to be cleaned simultaneously in one batch.
ZELL has also designed its leading systems in such a modular way that several different carriers from different manufacturing processes, with the same surface area, can be inserted into one washing basket.
This not only significantly reduces the amount of work. The individual component no longer has to be removed separately. Operating costs are also reduced, as fewer washing operations are required overall.
The usual sheeter dimensions (sheeter 2 = 450x300 mm and sheeter 1 = 630x450 mm) are achieved by using cleaning frames. Several options can be seen in the picture. Thus, ZELL can ensure space-saving solutions for stacking in industrial cleaning lines and on Euro pallets. In addition, the company offers baskets, which are manufactured directly as shepherd dimensions .
In particular, workpiece carriers with inserted plastic baskets not only offer the possibility of gently cleaning smaller components as bulk goods , but also represent clear storage compartments for the automation components (e.g. removal robotics from a CNC machine), so that pre-sorting of the components is possible.
The adapted workpiece holder(clip or Multiclip) is developed to precisely enclose the component. At the same time, the plastic surface of the clip protects the surface quality of the component. This is difficult to achieve when using conventional stainless steel wash baskets, where the workpieces are free to move and vibrate, and the friction of the parts against each other inevitably leads to a rough, irregular surface finish.
The workpiece carrier system is configured in such a way that the carriers used can be completely closed off with a "closing lid" or "clamping lid" (shown here with 4 clamping clips). This prevents the parts from moving on the vertical axis. This is important because in many cleaning systems, the baskets are rotated or swiveled. If a component were to come loose here, this could damage the cleaning system.
The clear fixing of the component therefore guarantees not only automation but also safety throughout the entire production process.
Components made of stainless steel and high-quality polyamides are very durable. Together with a modular overall system, ZELL guarantees its customers a sustainable solution for cleaning components efficiently and gently, in large series.
This is the only way to fully automate the entire production chain up to logistics.
With our GRID® system, even heat-treated components(electroplating up to 1,200 degrees) can be easily inserted into a washing basket and washed afterwards, thanks to their special workpiece carriers. This increasingly avoids recharging processes.
Whether bulk goods or highly complex assemblies, ZELL offers its customers a wide range of systems and components for professional component cleaning.