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recognized a desire to streamline operations so that parts cleaning equipment doesn't take up as much space as in the past. Jenfab will be displaying its LeanClean line of rotary basket parts washers that rotate parts under the solution, which aids in removing chips and oils from blind holes and complex shapes and features. Models range from a single- basket design to others that hold as many as eight baskets per cycle, and the machines are all front loading for ergo- nomic purposes, self-contained with a small footprint to preserve valuable shopfloor space and feature a 10-minute cycle time. Process Improvements Cheryl Larkin, who is in sales and marketing at Miraclean Ultrasonics, says she and her colleagues have noticed a push toward using automation for parts loading and unloading, which in itself enables the process of data capture. With data-driven manufacturing increasing in popularity—espe- cially with its emphasis on machine and process moni- toring—Larkin says job shops are seeking more information from their parts cleaning systems. Customers can now establish the extent of the data they wish to gather when they're making equipment choices, including process times, solution temperatures and the concentrations of chemicals and particulates found in the process. Larkin says data such as this helps dial in a process to meet a shop's exact require- ments, often dictated by the company's own customers, so there is "actionable" working knowledge as well as a record supporting the cleaning process's effectiveness. The staff at Ultrasonic has noticed that, as part geom- etries become more complex—especially tiny parts for aerospace and medical applications—manufacturers have more and higher requirements than ever before, says Lauren Arnold, the company's office manager. That is why its machines feature varying degrees of agitation, oscilla- tion and rotation to assist the cleaning fluid in dislodging and dissolving contaminants in deep crevasses and other hard-to-reach places on a finished part. Arnold says side- mounted transducers eliminate "dead spots" within the cleaning chamber, ensuring active and consistent ultrasonic action without the use of solvents. Dave Melton, marketing manager of the Ransohoff division of Cleaning Technologies Group, sees automa- tion as a main driver of new equipment purchases in recent years. Two machines in particular were specifically designed to incorporate robotic loading and unloading of parts, among other processes: the Ransobotic TT-180, which features robot-operated spray nozzles, and the Modular RT-Flex, which is tended by robots and has multiple rotary drying tables with moving cleaning and drying manifolds. The company will also have a LeanJet RB-1 on display, an immersion system that accepts a single basket per cycle, but clears 10 baskets per hour. The company's parts washing process involves agitation, spray n Precise, Flexible Parts Cleaning: Patented Indexing Rotary Table Design. n Robot-Ready. n Easy to Operate: Powerful Siemens Controls. n Maintenance-Friendly: Easy Access, and QR Codes to Simplify Parts Replacement. ctgclean.com | 8 00.24 8.9274 Now THAT'S... The New LEAN JET ® RT-18 Parts Washer SMA RT ! Consider Contact us today to learn how we can improve your cleaning and stripping applications and save you time and money. Natrium ® Soda Blast More Productive Less Dust 866-635-3417 www.natriumsodablast.com PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 25 PARTS CLEANING