A guide to parts washers

For those who are not aware, a parts washer is an important piece of equipment used to clean and remove any form of debris including dirt, oil and grease, cutting fluids, as well as ink and paint from industrial parts and other work pieces. This is a short guide to help you understand how parts washers work.

How parts washers work

Parts washers were developed after vapour degreasers and they proved to be much more effective in how they work. Parts washers are able to clean for two main reasons: high mechanical energy provided by the hydraulic force and higher cleaning temperatures. The higher cleaning temperatures is one of the reasons as to why parts washers are very effective. For instance, a temperature rise of about 15 degrees Fahrenheit is noted to double the chemical reaction of the detergent used to clean within the parts washers. Due to this increased chemical reaction and the fact that contaminants have a lower viscosity at higher temperatures, the cleaning cycle is much faster. In general, you may find two types of parts washers in the market: aqueous-based or solvent-based parts washers.

Solvent-based parts washers

These are parts washers which have several gallons of solvent stored in the settling pan which is located directly at the bottom of the washer. Through the use of an electric liquid pump which is flame tight, the solvent is pumped from the settling pump to flexible pressure washer nozzles located where the metal component to be cleaned is located. Pumping is carried out at low temperatures and dirt and grease fall and settle at the bottom of the tank.

Aqueous-based parts washers

The aqueous-based parts washers are similar to dish washers in their primary function. It works through the use of mechanical force and high temperatures to provide effective cleaning.

Processes for cleaning

The different aqueous-based parts washers in the market may use one of two cleaning processes to remove contaminants: power wash process and jet spray process. Jet spray process The aqueous parts washers which use the jet spray process of cleaning work through flooding the parts with a hot chemical solution which is predetermined based on the temperature and chemical solution required to clean the parts. Power wash spray On the other hand, the aqueous parts washers which use the power wash process use a very low concentration of cleaning detergent and hydraulic force to clean the parts. As the cleaning agent is at a lower concentration, it can be used for longer before disposal. This also allows for an easier cleaning and rinsing cycle, saving money on water. Final word Typically, you would consider aqueous based parts washers which use the power wash process if you want a more efficient cleaning cycle.