Industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International is now offering a multistage Kerry Microclean aqueous cleaner which is capable of degreasing, defluxing and phosphating a varied component mix. The Microclean machine can operate either as an integral part of a full production cell, being an inter-stage and final stage washer or work solely as a final stage washer. Typically this type of high volume multistage degreasing machine is used in manufacturing environments for removing mineral oils prior to operations such as brazing on sub-assemblies, which then need to undergo a final wash and phosphating before painting or coating.

The multi-tank Microclean system (pictured) comprises a series of nine stainless steel tanks: 835 mm (left-right) x 900 mm (front-back) x 650 mm (depth) with each tank holding a volume of 488 litres. Typically a complete system could be set-up to provide ultrasonic immersion defluxing in stage one, ultrasonic immersion degreasing in stage two, mains water immersion and spray rinse in stage three, rust preventative spray rinse in stage four, mains water spray rinse in stage five, phosphate spray in stage six, mains water rinse in stage seven and then hot air drying in stages eight and nine.

All the cleaning tanks and their weirs are fitted with low water level protection to prevent the tanks running dry and lip extraction to remove any fumes from the operating environment and the whole system is fitted with extensive filtering and chemical auto dosing and auto water top up facilities.

A Guyson Autotrans Mk 5 ‘Major’ automatic work handling system can move baskets of up to 100 kg of components through the cleaning process and varies the stages visited dependent on the cleaning program running. The Microclean machine can be directed by vision detected ‘flags’ on the baskets informing the machine which program to run for which basket of parts. The machine can have various baskets of parts simultaneously running through the machine at the same time, all programmed to visit different stages in sequence, dependent on the process they are next involved in.

In-feed and two out-feed conveyors are located at each end of the machine. The appropriate out-feed conveyor is chosen dependent on whether the parts are exiting the cell as finished items or returning back into the cell for further operations. A full safety enclosure surrounding the entire machine completes the system.

Potential customers of Guyson’s automated cleaning systems are encouraged to submit sample components for free feasibility testing to the company’s extensive Component Finishing Centre at Skipton, England and initial enquiries for similar ultrasonic cleaning systems are invited now.