In fabricating a component, companies require the piece be returned to the client in a certain kind of condition. Specifications and requirements of the customer will guide the overall selection of what process will produce the best results. In most cases, the fabricators will need to clean the metal. The timing of such metal cleaning services can and does occur in one of two stages during the entire fabrication process from start to finish – at the start and/or at the end.
Metal Cleaning
Metal cleaning involves preparing the surface. It means smoothing away any flaws or removing any contaminants that can interfere with the performance of many metal components. In fact, the cleaning of the surface can help in two specific ways:
- It prepares the metal to receive the coating, plating or other treatment
- It helps to improve the final product in appearance or by introducing specific properties
Any type of metal treatment begins with a cleaning. This is a pre treatment cleaning. In general, the types of cleaners utilized fall into two categories:
- Solvent-based – This cleaner used to dominate the field. It is now falling into decline
- Aqueous – Today, aqueous cleaners are in wide use in metal cleaning services. These cleaners may be categorized as acidic, neutral, or alkaline
Various elements come into play when choosing the right cleaner.
Factors Affecting Cleaner Selection
When a fabricator has to select the cleaner, he or she takes into consideration several factors. They will influence the choice of what specific type of cleaner to employ. Among the elements are the following:
- Surface to be cleaned: What is the metal requiring cleaning? Is it aluminum, brass, copper, stainless steel or an alloy?
- Material to be removed: What type of soil is to be removed? Is it a grease? Is it a scale or burrs? Is it a chemical or oxide?
- Surface Conditions: What are the current conditions of the surface? What are the desired conditions?
- Surface Geometry: Is the metal a complex or simple shape? Does it feature valleys, twists and/or turns?
- Cleaning Equipment: What type of equipment does the shop have? Can it electroclean? Does it have the right degreasing equipment? How sophisticated is the available technology?
- The soil to be removed: drawing and stamping lubricants, oils and grease, fingerprints, marking inks, buff compounds, carbonaceous, scale and oxide, etc.
By paying careful attention to these factors, a fabricator can employ the right tools and the right material to clean the metal piece properly and according to specifications.
Metal Cleaner Services
Metal cleaning is a pre and a post process matter. Fabricators carefully select the cleaner based on diverse factors. By combining their knowledge of the properties of the metal with those of the cleaner, companies can make certain the metal cleaning services will not negatively affect the surface metal of the component.
