Hot Tank Parts Washers: Commonly Asked Questions

An industrial parts washer is a significant investment. Consequently, first-time buyers often have questions concerning which kind of parts washing system they should target: a hot tank parts washer or a cold tank parts washer. The answer depends on the parts washing needs and goals of the user.

In this entry, we focus on commonly asked questions about hot tank parts washers to help you decide if they’re a good option for your parts washing requirements.

  1. Are hot tank parts washers the same as aqueous based parts washers?

In most cases, the answer is yes. Hot tank parts washers are typically aqueous based parts washers. This is because aqueous parts washing cleaners require hot water to dissolve the cleaning detergent — a combined process that produces the stringent cleaning action.

  1. What method of operation does a hot tank parts washer use to clean parts?

Each model is a different regarding construction and features, but hot tank washers generally operate in the following way: water and detergent are combined with heat to dissolve the detergent, then the parts washer performs a mechanical action often compared to a dish washer’s. The type of detergent used and length of the wash cycle determine the end result.

  1. Do hot tank parts washers make parts cleaner than cold tank washers?

It depends on what type of accumulation you need to remove. Cold tank washers generally use solvent based cleaners, which are designed to deliver chemical cleaning power without the need for heat; while hot tank washers use detergent that requires heat to achieve good efficacy. The goal is to match the parts cleaning job with the proper parts washer and cleaning agent.

  1. Do hot tank washers use the jet spray process or power wash process?

Hot tank washers use jet spray action or power wash action. The process used impacts the type of detergent used, how much detergent is used, the temperature to which water is heated, and the mechanical energy produced to perform the jet spray or power wash function.

  1. Does jet spray action offer better cleaning than power wash, or vice versa?

Wikipedia provides a succinct answer: “The power wash process is superior to the jet spray process for faster, more thorough parts cleaning cycles while minimizing detergent use and waste generation. The power wash process is generally effective for difficult soil removal applications, such as burnt hydrocarbons, paint, scale, varnish, carbon, mastic, or rubber.”

  1. Why should I purchase solvents for a hot tank parts washer from Ecolink?

There are several reasons to make Ecolink your supplier. We provide eco friendly stock solutions and custom solutions for hot tank parts washers. If a stock product isn’t a perfect match for your needs, we’ll create a custom solvent tailored to your requirements. In addition, we provide free test samples, so you can try a cleaner to see how it works.

To place an order or request information, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you select the right cleaner for your parts washing needs.

Gun Shop Parts Solvents: Properties for Perfect Gun Cleaning

In action movies, we see guns of all kinds firing round after round, as if the pistols and rifles were practically indestructible and incapable of failing. But this perception is far from the truth. Unlike the black powder rifles and firearms of yesteryear, today’s cutting edge firearms are essentially compact machines filled with hundreds of complex moving parts.

To ensure these guns deliver the highest performance, those parts need to be cleaned with gun shop parts solvents that are specially formulated for the job.

Gun Shop vs Private Ownership

Gun shop parts solvents are also available to private individuals for cleaning guns. But gun shop cleaning may be described as “precision cleaning” and is exceptionally important for both the mechanical operability of guns and, by extension, how safe they are for end users to fire.

This is why professional gun dealers often use a parts washing system to remove all residues and particulate matter from gun components before reassembling the rifle or firearm, whereas a private individual generally cleans his or her gun parts with hand wipe, aerosol, or pump spray applications.

Cleaning a gun manually with agents that are appropriate for the metal, plastic, wood, and other materials on the gun body and behind the plating doesn’t present a problem. However, after extensive use, it’s a good idea to take a gun to the gun shop and have it cleaned professionally.

Most frequently used guns need their mechanical components professionally cleaned to remove particulate matter that can build up during personal cleaning operations. Particulate matter is attracted to the parts due to the lubrication they receive to keep them functioning smoothly.

Some of the particulate matter can simply be wiped away, but particulates in tight seams and crevices need to be removed, as well — and gun shop part solvents are designed for the job.

Choosing Gun Shop Parts Solvents

If you own a gun shop, and you’re interested in using environmentally preferred gun shop parts solvents instead of old generation, toxic solvents that are good for neither you nor the environment, Ecolink is a great destination for the gun part cleaners you need.

We offer eco friendly cleaners that are compatible with the metal, plastic, rubber, and wood parts commonly found in today’s firearms, as well as vintage and antique firearms. If you sell reconditioned guns, our solvent solutions will help you make them look and function like new.

In addition to supplying a wide selection of stock solvents, we also customize solvents to address the requirements of specific users. If one of our readymade solutions doesn’t work, we’ll create a custom solutions that does. In addition, we supply free solvent samples on request. Order a sample, test it out, and decide if it offers the cleaning power you need.

Contact Us Today

To get started on choosing gun shop parts solvents, call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email using the contact form on our website. We look forward to supplying the solutions you need!

 

 

 

 

 

Choosing Tool Parts Cleaners: A 5-Step Checklist

In industrial settings, tool parts cleaners are one of the most-used classes of cleaning solvents. Consequently, the number of solvents marketed as tool part cleaners is practically endless. You could never evaluate them all and make an educated selection within a reasonable timeframe.

Consequently, it’s a good idea to start your search by creating a basic checklist — such as the one below — that will help move you along in the tool parts cleaners selection process.   

  1. Will an enclosed parts washing system be used?

If so, you’ll need to do more than match a cleaner with the types of soils that need to be removed. You’ll also need to choose a cleaner that’s compatible with the parts washing system. That typically means choosing an aqueous based cleaner for a “hot tank” system or a solvent based cleaner for a “cold tank” system.

  1. What kinds of part materials must be cleaned?

When we think of industrial parts cleaning, metal parts immediately come to mind. In most cases, it is metal parts that require cleaning, but not just any cleaner will do. For example, some cleaners that work fine for carbon alloys would cause chromium alloys to tarnish significantly.

Furthermore, for the sake of cost effectiveness and performance quality, many “metal” parts also have rubber and plastic components. This can complexify the selection of tool parts cleaners. You need a cleaner that works on the metal and any non-metallic components that are present.

  1. Will parts be cleaned while they are energized?

A tool part cleaner is usually applied to parts that have been removed from a mechanized assembly (if they were in an assembly in the first place). There are also situations when a tool part is cleaned while a machine remains in action. For example, degreasing tools in production equipment may occur while the equipment stays in operation to meet production quotas.

Long story short: In addition to needing a cleaner selected with the cleaning system and material(s) of the parts in mind, you’ll need a cleaner that has a dielectric. At the proper strength, the dielectric content will prevent electrical current from traveling through the solvent as you use it to clean.

  1. What types of soils must be removed from parts?

Used for various applications, industrial tool parts accumulate a variety of soils, from simple grease and oil that are used to lubricate, to tough organic accumulations such as bitumen and resins. Removing a tough accumulation doesn’t necessarily require a powerful, toxic cleaner.

You can use a strong, environmentally preferred cleaner instead. Choosing this type of cleaner is beneficial for more than the health of your workers and the environment. By avoiding cleaners that have ingredients that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considered hazardous, you avoid using a cleaner that the EPA may eventually regulate or ban.

In the Market for Tool Parts Cleaners?

If so, Ecolink is your destination for eco friendly cleaners that demonstrate excellent efficacy and lack many of the harmful ingredients common in popular solvents of the past. We provide an array of stock products, as well as custom products for when readymade solutions aren’t the best option. In addition, we let you request a free sample, so you can the results firsthand.

To choose tool parts cleaners for your business-critical cleaning operations, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or reach out to us through our contact form. We look forward to assisting you!

 

 

IPA Solvent Uses: 4 Examples of Industrial Use

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) has a wide variety of uses, from serving as a disinfectant for minor wounds to cleaning a variety of objects and surfaces in industrial settings. In this entry, we focus on the latter area of use, providing three examples of IPA solvent uses in industrial settings. The class of IPA we’re discussing is industrial grade IPA, whose purity exceeds 99%. This level of IPA density is generally unnecessary for commercial and residential IPA applications.

  1. Cleaning General Surfaces

IPA solvent uses include cleaning general surfaces. Types of metal and coated surfaces routinely found in industrial settings are generally unreactive to IPA. However, the cleaner is known to tarnish varnishes and ruin the erasability of dry erase boards.

Varnish and material coating dry erase boards aren’t common in industrial work areas, but IPA’s deleterious effect on these surfaces — an effect that depends partly on the purity of IPA — serve as notice that the compatibility of a material with IPA should be check before the cleaning operation commences.

  1. Cleaning Electronic Components

IPA solvent uses also involve cleaning electronic parts. The list is long, with some of the more popular IPA-cleaned electronic parts and apparatuses being contact pins in ROM cartridges,

magnetic tape, disk heads for legacy floppy disk drives, computer screens, optical disc drive lasers for CDs and DVDs, and IC packages.

What method of IPA deployment should be used to clean these and other components? The answer largely depends on the geometry of a component and where it’s situated in proximity to surrounding components. Due to aerosol particles’ ability to distribute evenly across intricate spatial configurations, IPA in aerosol form is optimal for parts that have complex geometries or are surrounded by parts that make them difficult to access.

  1. Minimizing Solvent Waste

From an industrial user’s standpoint, a potential drawback of IPA solvent uses is the fire hazard they entail. High-purity IPA has an an open cup flashpoint of 11.7°C (53.1°F; 284.8 K) and a closed cup flashpoint of 13°C (55°F).

IPA solutions can be diluted with water and made less flammable. But when it comes to solvent disposal, this isn’t quite the point. Rather, the high evaporation rate of IPA helps it evaporate before it enters the waste trap, especially when high-purity IPA is deployed as aerosol, or in the form of wipes. A potential benefit of IPA solvent use is reduced chemical waste disposal cost.

 

Suppliers for IPA Solvent

If your organization needs industrial IPA solutions for IPA solvent uses, Ecolink has them. We provide different purities of IPA across several IPA-based solutions, offering both stock solutions and custom formulations designed for your unique needs. Before you buy, we’ll send a sample of your stock or custom IPA product so you can test it out.

To get started on selecting a solution for IPA solvent uses, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to supplying solutions for your industrial, business-critical cleaning operations!

 

IPA Cleaning Liquid Vs. Other Alcohol Cleaners

For industrial cleaning, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is prefered over other types of alcohol for several reasons. In addition to IPA cleaning liquid, cleaning liquids containing methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and butyl alcohol are commonly used for various cleaning operations, from removing grime from work surfaces to cleaning away dirt from electronic components.

So, exactly why should you choose an IPA cleaning liquid over a cleaning liquid that contains a different type of alcohol? Once you see the drawbacks to using methyl, ethyl, and butyl alcohols, the answer is clear. You’ll want to use an IPA-based cleaner instead of cleaner that uses a different alcohol base.

Methyl Alcohol

IPA has a high vapor density that produces a high evaporation rate, but the vapor density of methyl alcohol is three times higher than IPA’s. In addition to profusely filling the work environment with head spinning alcohol fumes, the high evaporation rate of methyl alcohol makes it difficult to use efficiently, especially in the form of saturated wipes. Methyl alcohol wipes dry quickly, making them best for cleaning soils from a small surface area.

Ethyl Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol (a.k.a. ethanol) is found in most alcoholic beverages. For example, a beer that has 7.5% alcohol contains 7.5% ethyl alcohol per volume. Pure ethyl alcohol used for cleaning would taste wretched to drink, as it’s nearly 100% pure. But people have been known to consume it. This is why the U.S. Government regulates the substance, regardless of intended use.

According to an article from Berkshire, “In order to use pure ethyl alcohol (un-denatured) for wiping purposes would require applying for government permits and complying with usage tracking procedures — more trouble than it’s worth.”

Butyl Alcohol

Butyl alcohol has a lower vapor density than isopropyl, methyl, or ethyl alcohol, having about ? of the vapor pressure of IPA. On the downside, in addition to having an exceptionally pungent smell, butyl alcohol has a high hydrocarbon content that limits its solubility. A mixture of 90% water and 10% butyl is about the best you can do. In comparison, IPA cleaning liquid can contain any alcohol to water ratio.

As Berkshire notes, “The banana-like odor of butyl alcohol would render it objectionable to most cleanroom operators for long-term use. More importantly, the higher hydrocarbon content of butyl alcohol limits its solubility in water to about a 10 percent solution. By comparison, IPA is miscible in water at all concentrations.”

Need IPA Cleaning Liquid?

If so, Ecolink can supply a stock or custom solution that meets your needs perfectly with an eco friendly IPA-based cleaners.

We also supply high-purity industrial-grade IPA so you can use in it concentrated form or create your own IPA cleaning liquid. If you decide to use an IPA cleaning liquid from us, feel free to order a free sample, so you can see just how well it works.

For more information about how IPA cleaning liquid compares to cleaners containing other types of alcohol, or to place an order, please call us today at 800-563-1305, or send us an email through our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!