Tel: 860-571-3602  |  info@hartfordtechnologies.com
Tel: 860-571-3602  |  info@hartfordtechnologies.com

Requirements for Clean and Ultra-Clean Parts

Sources of Contamination

Contamination on parts often results from manufacturing operations: machining, grinding, deburring, polishing, etc. But when customers manufacture critical assemblies, extraordinary part cleanliness is often required.

Customer Requirements

High cleanliness requirements are common for parts manufactured for the automotive, micro-electronics, fluid power, and medical device industries.

Typically, specifications list restrictions on the number and size of particles allowed. In some applications, only “hard” particles (metal or abrasive particles from grinding and lapping, etc.) are of concern. In other applications, even “soft” particles such as plastic or fibers are prohibited. In many applications, customers are also concerned with contamination from liquids such as rust preventatives.

Whatever the requirement, Hartford provides appropriate, and cost-effective solutions.

Hartford Technologies Ultrasonic Cleaning Capabilities

Ultrasonic Cleaner | Hartford Technologies
Left: 5-stage ultrasonic cleaning system. Right: small parts are cleaned in a specially designed roto-tumbler.
Customers often specify that ferrous parts be protected with an anti-corrosion agent, such as a rust preventative oil or aqueous-based product. But increasingly, customers want parts to be dry, as well as protected from corrosion. In these instances, parts are shipped with VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) paper or packaged in a VCI bag.

Customers in the electronics industry also need to protect assemblies from electrostatic discharge. In this case, parts can be packaged in ESD (antistatic) bags. Parts are packed under vacuum to also protect from corrosion.

Meeting the Challenge

Hartford Technologies has, since its founding, invested aggressively in tools and systems that assure exceptional quality and predictability. To meet requirements for ultra-clean parts, we have an advanced five-stage ultrasonic cleaning system; parts cleaning and packaging is performed in a Class 10,000 cleanroom.

Ultrasonic cleaning works by rapidly oscillating between high and low pressure. This cycling creates micro-bubbles in the liquid which grow, then violently collapse. When this occurs near the part surface, it liberates particulate. The first four stages of our system use different frequencies, which target different sized particles.

The ultrasonic cleaner uses ultra-pure deionized water, which we produce in a closed loop system using reverse osmosis, activated carbon and mixed bed resin technologies.

Hartford Technologies manufactures precision balls, pins, rollers and custom bearings for industries worldwide. Whether specifications call for an ordinary wash process, VDA 19.1 or ISO/DIS 16232, we have the capabilities and experience to meet your requirements.