Keywords
Citation
(2005), "Component cleaning system", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777bab.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Component cleaning system
Component cleaning system
Keywords: Aircraft components, Cleaning
Subcontract small mill/turned parts specialist Unicut Precision of Welwyn Garden City, UK, has installed a Durr Ecoclean Minio 85C compact washing machine from StarragHeckert UK.
Maintains joint managing director Charles Kenny: “We investigated all the options available using different cleaning processes and carried out numerous trials using parts which tend to be very difficult to clean due to internal slots, cross drillings, intersecting holes and grooves which tend to trap swarf.” And indeed, the decision to buy the Durr Ecoclean was finalised after extended trials at the Brackley showroom of StarragHeckert UK to which Charles Kenny adds: “As achieving unbelievable results”.
Unicut Precision has 11 CMC sliding head and one fixed head mill/turn centre and as Charles Kenny reflects, we sometimes had up to £25,000 worth of components held up awaiting cleaning prior to dispatch. We tried contracting out to a cleaning specialist but the logistics, management, possibility of damage or loss of components from a batch and delays in delivery lead times to customers became a headache. He also maintains that: “Cleaning in house was taking up valuable time and changing legislation, health and safety and environmental problems always were becoming so critical that we decided to investigate the best methods we could find to semi- automate the process.”
The Durr Ecoclean Minio 85C machine is compact with a floor area of just 1000 x 2000 mm: It has a single front-loaded chamber with a basket size of 380 x 220 x 200 mm:
The fully programmable single stage immersion cleaning process is closed- loop with 360° rotation, injection flood washing, vapour degreasing and vacuum drying with the ability to maintain almost zero emissions.
Details available from: StarragHeckert UK Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)1280 705482; E-mail: sales@starragheckert.co.uk; web site: www.starragheckert.co.uk