Choosing Spray Cleaner for Electronic Equipment: Four Factors

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Spray cleaner for electronic equipment is used to remove dirt and grime that accrete on electronic components over time. However, within this broad classification of spray cleaner exists several types of products, not all of which are appropriate for all types of electronic component cleaning operations. That is why it’s essential to consider the four factors below before your organization places an order for a new spray cleaner for electronic equipment.

  1. Spray Method

Spray cleaner for electronic equipment is typically applied using one of the following methods of dispersal: aerosol dispersal, pump action spray bottle dispersal, and electronic spray equipment dispersal (e.g., power washers and spray cabinets). Each method has its own unique benefits.

The first method is an excellent choice for cleaning precision parts that require minimal spray. The second method is a good option for cleaning precision parts that require a more significant volume of spray. The third method is a fine choice for uniformly applying spray to multiple parts simultaneously (e.g. spray cabinets) or cleaning tough equipment housing (e.g., power washer).

  1. Cleaner Residue

Because the goal is to clean the equipment thoroughly in order to keep it soil-free as long as possible, you should ideally choose a spray cleaner for electronic equipment that is residue-free. In addition to potentially causing current transmission problems for electrical contacts, residual cleaner can also have the undesirable effect of attracting dirt and grime. Over time, this phenomenon can lead to a vicious cycle of applying more and more residual cleaner.

  1. Dielectric Formulation

A dielectric spray cleaner for electronic equipment contains a dielectric formulation that serves as an insulator between the spray nozzle and the electronic equipment that is sprayed clean. Consequently, choosing a dielectric spray cleaner is especially important for cleaning energized equipment such as engines and switchgear. Dielectric spray helps prevent, explosions, fires, and serious injuries that can result from using liquid cleaners that lack an electrical buffer.

  1. Material Cleaned

It’s also essential to choose a spray cleaner for electronic equipment based on the material that must be cleaned. For example, if you need an electrical contact cleaner, be sure to choose one whose ingredients will not corrode the metal from which contacts are made. If cleaning rubber wire sheaths and harnesses is necessary, make the same consideration for these components.

Need a New Spray Cleaner for Electronics?

If so, you have come to the right place. Ecolink has a rich history of supplying companies and organizations with best in class, industrial spray cleaners that are suitable for cleaning various types of electrical equipment. As you browse through our products, there is a good chance that will find exactly what you require. If not, simply share your cleaning requirements with us, and we will formulate a custom spray cleaner for electronic equipment that meets all of your needs.

For help choosing the best solution for your equipment cleaning needs, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Electrical Contact Cleaners: Why Use Electron Dielectric Aerosol?

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The term dielectric refers to an electrical insulator that can be polarized and subjected to an electrical field without electricity from the field transmitting through the insulator and back to the source that emits the substance that contains the dielectric. This crucial safety factor is one reason why we recommend ELECTRON dielectric aerosol over other cleaners for electrical contact cleaning. Additional reasons why we promote the solution for contact cleaning are:

High Flash Point
ELECTRON has a TCC flash point above 145°F, which classifies the cleaner as a non-flammable liquid. This aspect of ELECTRON is highly important when it is used to clean contacts in equipment that must remain energized during the cleaning process. Using a flammable aerosol cleaner that has a low flash point for this application could result in a fire that destroys the equipment that is cleaned and injures the worker who applies the cleaner.

Fully Evaporative / No Residue
Electrical contact cleaners should be fully evaporative to avoid leaving residue on contacts that causes dirt and grime to collect. Because these substances can inhibit the flow of electricity when they come between electrical contacts and their contact points, proper procedure dictates that contacts must be residue-free only a short time after dielectric contact cleaners are applied. ELECTRON is applied in two rounds: one to break up grime, and another to wash it away.

Water-Free Formulation
Because most electrical contacts are made of metal that can oxidize in the presence of water-based moisture, electrical contact cleaners should ideally have a water-free formulation. ELECTRON exhibits this important characteristic. When you apply the cleaner to electrical contacts, you can rest assured that the metal will not experience water-induced oxidation.

No Hazardous Ingredients
ELECTRON Contains no OSHA PEL or ACGIH TLV listed ingredients. Nor does it contain SARA or RCRA listed ingredients. When choosing an electrical contact cleaner, the last thing you want is to select a product whose hazardous ingredients could result in it being regulated to the point that you could no longer use it to perform crucial contact cleaning operations on the schedule on which they must be performed. ELECTRON dielectric solvent prevents this issue.

Precision Contact Cleaning
ELECTRON in aerosol form is an excellent solution for precision cleaning electrical contacts that are difficult or impossible to reach with hand wipes. Why not use trigger spray form instead of aerosol? Aerosol emits particles evenly over the surface of contacts and produces little if any excess solvent that makes its way into the waste trap. You may invest slightly more to get the aerosol form of electrical contact cleaners, but they could help reduce waste disposal costs.

Order Electron Today
If your organization is in the market for electrical contact cleaners, consider the many benefits that come with using ELECTRON in aerosol form. For additional information about the solution, check out the cleaner’s data sheet located on our website, or call us today at (800) 563-1305. We look forward to supplying you with the best electrical contact cleaner for your operations!

Contact Cleaners: Is Aerosol or Liquid the Right Choice?

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Electrical contact cleaners come in different forms, two of the most popular of which are aerosol and pure liquid. Although both types of formulations are capable of delivering the same level of cleaning power, there are often extenuating circumstances that make aerosol contact cleaners a better option than liquid contact cleaners, or vice versa. In this entry, we look at how aerosol contact cleaner compares to liquid contact cleaner based on five important considerations.

  1. Means of Dispersal

Because it emits cleaner at a steady rate of speed in particles of the same size, aerosol form is ideal for cleaning operations in which cleaner must be applied evenly to the contact area. Liquid form can be used to achieve a similar effect when it is placed spray bottles, but aerosol offers the gold standard when it comes to dispersing cleaner evenly across a small surface area.

  1. Evaporation Rate

Because aerosol emits a fine spray of evenly sized particles, it generally delivers a faster evaporation rate than liquid cleaner. However, there are also cases when liquid form dries faster than aerosol form because it is formulated to have an exceptionally high evaporation rate. Therefore, aerosols and liquids can demonstrate equal effectiveness in terms of evaporation.

  1. Cleaner Residue

Because cleaner residue attracts dirt and grime to electrical contacts and thus requires the contact cleaning process to be performed at greater frequency, always choose a cleaner that’s residue-free. Liquid form may leave more excess cleaner on electrical contacts than aerosol form, but as long as it evaporates quickly and is residue-free, this shouldn’t pose a problem.

  1. Cleaner Flammability

Because electrical contacts transmit current throughout the equipment’s circuits, users are generally recommended to choose a cleaner that has a low flashpoint or no flashpoint. This is especially the case when it comes to cleaning contacts in equipment that remains energized as it is cleaned. Concerning flammability, aerosol form and liquid form can be equally efficacious.

  1. Range of Application

Electrical contacts are often surrounded by rubber wire coatings and plastic wire harnesses. Consequently, it’s important to identify contact cleaners that don’t chemically react with these materials. With this concern, the main issue is how cleaner is formulated, not how it disperses. Aerosol form and liquid form can be formulated to offer the same range of application.

Contact Us About Contact Cleaners
Ecolink supplies new generation contact cleaners that have a better safety profile than earlier generations of contact cleaner. For example, our ECC (A) contact cleaner contains no 1,1,1 trichloroethane or HCFC-141b which makes it an excellent replacement for cleaners that use toxic CFC-113 and 1,1,1 trichloroethane to complete the cleaning operation. We also have the capability to create custom contact cleaner that meets unique contact cleaning requirements.

For assistance choosing the best cleaner for your needs, contact us today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to the contact page on our website. If you know what you need, and you are ready to make a purchase, place your order from the convenience of our online store. We look forward to supplying you with high-quality, eco friendly contact cleaners in the form that serves you best.

Choosing an Electrical Contact Cleaner: Essential Considerations

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Using electrical contact cleaner to clean electrical contacts is one of the key service measures for maintaining many types of electrical equipment. Over time, substances can coat electrical contacts and gradually form a barrier between the contacts and the metal parts to which they deliver an electrical charge — a situation that inhibits the rudimentary transmission of electricity throughout the electrical system and can cause the equipment to operate less efficiently.

Choosing an Electrical Contact Cleaner
Electrical contact cleaners are designed for a highly specific purpose: to clean electrical contacts. However, because different users have different contact cleaning needs, not every formulation of contact cleaner is the same. That is why it’s essential to define your contact cleaning needs before you place an order for cleaner. Below are three considerations that will help you choose an electrical contact cleaner that meets your equipment maintenance needs.

  1. Composition of Contacts

Electrical contacts are made from a variety of metallic alloys, such as copper-tungsten, stainless steel, and silver-graphite, to name a few. Because metal can be corroded by the ingredients in industrial cleaners, it’s essential to choose a product that is formulated for the type of metal you need to clean. Like the accumulation of dirt and grime on contacts, the corrosion of contacts can inhibit the flow of electricity and eventually create spent contacts that need to be replaced.

  1. Space Between Contacts

Electrical contacts are often tightly surrounded by components to which they deliver an electrical charge. When this is the case, using liquid cleaner in wipe-on form is generally inefficient. Instead of removing components to get a better entry point for cleaning contacts, a better option may be to choose an aerosol cleaner that is designed for cleaning precision electronic parts. The cleaner should be fast drying, have a high flashpoint or no flashpoint, and be residue-free.

  1. Purpose of the Cleaner

It’s also essential to identify a cleaner that is formulated to remove the type(s) of accumulation on electrical contacts. Grease, adhesive residue from electrical tape, and residue from airborne contaminants are common examples of substances that must be removed from contacts to facilitate the efficient transmission of the charge. If necessary, Ecolink can create a custom contact cleaner that is designed to remove two or more types of accumulation simultaneously.

Need a New Electrical Contact Cleaner?
Companies and organizations switch contact cleaners for numerous reasons. At a time when dedication to worker safety and environmental awareness is at an all-time high, one of the main reasons for switching is to implement a solution that is “greener” than the one it replaces. This is the type of contact cleaner we specialize in supplying. Our contact cleaners, such as ECC, are formulated to be safer than toxic cleaners while delivering the same level of cleaning power.

If you need assistance choosing a contact cleaner that meets your unique cleaning needs, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or refer to the contact page on our website. Whether one of our readymade cleaners would meet your needs, or you need a custom formulation, we’ll provide you with an electrical contact cleaner that addresses all of your requirements. Contact us today!

What are Electrical Contact Cleaning Solutions?

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Electrical contact cleaning solvents is a relatively new form of parts cleaning option available to industrial businesses needing to clean metals and materials. Electrical contact cleaning solvents are growing in popularity because of their effectiveness and simplicity as a parts cleaning agent. An electrical contact cleaning solvent is merely the use of compressed air, combined with a cleaning agent that will evaporate, such as isopropyl alcohol. An electrical contact cleaning solution is especially useful for cleaning electric components that have dirt, dust, rust, grime, oil, grease, or any other type of corrosive particles on them. Electrical contact cleaning solutions can dislodge these foreign elements and corrosive particles to thoroughly clean components.

One reason why electrical contact cleaning solvents have become such a popular solution for cleaning parts, metals, and materials is there are several brands of electrical contact cleaners available, and these cleaners can be found at many of the larger hardware stores, electronics dealers, and even hobby shops. In addition, electrical contact cleaning solvents are not expensive. Many consider this parts and materials cleaning option as an eco friendly – or “green” – alternative to using chemical compound solvents that are dangerous to people and are hazardous to the environment (Note: There are several types of industrial cleaning solvents, many of which are eco friendly. For more information, contact Ecolink).

When searching for eco friendly cleaners keep these key factors in mind:

  • Does the cleaner have a high flashpoint?
  • Will it fully evaporate leaving no residue?
  • Is it free from all hazardous ingredients as defined by EPA?
  • Does it meet numerous corrosion test requirements?

As mentioned above, Ecolink is an excellent point of contact for obtaining more information on industrial cleaning solutions. Ecolink is also a perfect source of information to learn more about the key factors that make a good electrical contact cleaning solvents. Ecolink has been involved in providing options for green alternative cleaning solutions for many years, and can be a great guide for finding the right type of electrical contact cleaning solvent for your needs. An Ecolink professional is ready to assist you, at your request.  Call today 800-563-1305.