Aluminum Realistic
Realistic Cleanliness Specifications
With parts cleaning technology increasing, manufacturers are eager to make use of the advanced capabilities that in process part cleaning systems can now offering. Cleaning specifications for these parts are now more stringent and demanding than ever. The logic behind more stringent cleaning specifications is sound on the surface. If the specifications are tighter, the parts will be cleaner, and the end product will run smoother. However, this is not necessarily accurate. A cleaning specification can be too tight- and move into the realm of unrealistic. An unrealistic specification can never be adequately met, and time, resources, and money will be wasted trying to reach it. The unrealistic specification becomes a burden for all involved in the project, but thankfully, it can be avoided with proper planning.
In order to design a realistic cleaning specification, various factors must be taken into account. Part material, the type of contamination to be cleaned, the known failure mode of the part, and the overall cleaning process are all important when crafting a realistic, attainable specification.
Part material is a major factor in how clean a part can be. Some materials naturally produce particles, and if the specification does not take this into account it will be impossible to meet the specification. For instance, cast aluminum is a popular material for parts in the automotive industry. Due to a variety of factors within the production process, and because of the nature of cast aluminum, the parts will continue to shed, or generate particles, once they have been produced. These small aluminum particles are impossible to eliminate. If a specification calls for these particles to be eliminated, it will be virtually impossible to properly meet it.
Knowledge of the kind of contaminant on the part is vital. A manufacturer may want to limit the size of a specific particle material and ignore other material. This is an option because a part may fail if enough particles of metal are not removed, but it may be unaffected if an even larger particle of another material is present. Before creating the specification, the manufacturer must know which types of particles will be present on their part and how they will affect the performance of the part. If 250 micron metal particles are unacceptable, then that should be included in the specification. However, if on the same part, a 250 micron piece of silicone or another material will not cause the part to fail, then the manufacturer needs to make sure that the specification states that no metal particles of over 250 microns can be present, as opposed to no particles over 250 microns. It may seem logical to eliminate all particles over that size, but different materials react differently and it may be unnecessary to focus on eliminating all the particles if they are irrelevant to the performance of the part.
This leads to testing the part for its known failure mode. Before any specification is finalized, the part needs to be tested until failure. An automotive exhaust manifold does not need to be as clean as a surgical tool. A specification should not be set just inside the failure mode, a certain amount of cushioning and wiggle room is acceptable. However, designers need to keep in mind the diminishing returns of cleanliness past a certain point. The cost of increasing cleanliness is not linear but rather it is exponential. If the part performs admirably with 1mg contaminant per part with no particles greater than 120 microns, there is no plausible reason to require a cleaning specification that requires less than .2mg contaminant with no particles greater than 50 microns. While the part would be very clean at that standard, the increased cost with no real benefit to performance makes it wasteful.
Finally, the cleaning specification must look at the process and manufacturing environment. Parts are often tested in a laboratory, under lab conditions. The result is highly accurate testing, but it is not repeatable under normal factory conditions. The laboratory test is vital to the design of the specification and should not be ignored- but keep in mind real world conditions when implementing the results. In a factory setting, the parts cleaning machine will not be as well maintained as the one used for testing. It will be subject to the opearators, who will not perform maintenance as regularly or thoroughly as the laboratory will. The general air condition of the plant will also be much dirtier than the lab where the part was originally tested. When designing the specification, these unavoidable facts must be taken into account. If a specification can only be met in the sterile conditions of the laboratory, it is of no practical value in the production process. The specification, if implemented before being refined for the true production process, will be a sticking point in production and result in inefficiency.
Manufacturers who have their parts tested by an experienced parts cleaning laboratory can avoid many of the pitfalls trying to achieve a cleaning specification. By using an experienced laboratory, the manufacturer can draw upon that experience to offer suggestions and recommendations on how best to attack an application. In this scenario, the manufacturer and the cleaning process developer can work together to craft a specification that addresses the key issues affecting the part and is practical as well. The co-operation between the two will result in a better, more efficient cleaning process and the best possible quality part.
About the Author
Matt McQuillan works for Midbrook, Inc. For more information, please visit: http://www.midbrook.com/
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