Defines clean surfaces as a service provided by the equipment manufacturer

The wage cleaning is carried out in one of the three specialized test and service centers, depending on the task. (Image source: Ecoclean GmbH)

The wage cleaning is also an optimal solution for new parts with very high purity requirements, as investments in the appropriate equipment, such as system technology and cleanrooms, are often not made immediately, and suitably trained personnel are lacking. (Image source: Ecoclean GmbH)

Bottlenecks in cleaning capacity, too low part throughput, workshops with higher cleanliness requirements – there are many reasons speaking in favor of component cleaning as a service. (Image source: Ecoclean GmbH)

The range of services in contract cleaning extends from the classic to fine and precision cleaning, as well as ultra-fine and high purity cleaning. (Image source: Ecoclean GmbH)

From coarse to intermediate, precision, fine, and high purity cleaning – the demand-oriented, economical, and sustainable cleaning of workpieces and assemblies requires not only the optimally adapted cleaning technology but also the appropriate cleaning know-how. In their three test and service centers in Germany, specialized for different cleaning tasks and cleanliness categories, Ecoclean not only enables the tailored design of cleaning processes but also acts as a service provider for contract cleaning of components made from various materials.

Whether high productivity, the quality of subsequent processes, long product lifespan, or improved competitiveness, component cleaning influences each of these points as an essential manufacturing step. The cleanliness requirements vary greatly depending on the industry, workpiece, manufacturing phase, and application area. Adapted to the very different demands for cleanliness, Ecoclean has been operating three test and service centers in Germany for years. They are specialized in different cleaning applications and equipped with state-of-the-art systems, process, and drying technologies for water-based and solvent cleaning, as well as connected laboratories for cleanliness testing, compatibility investigations, and quality assessments of cleaning media. This equipment allows, besides meaningful trials for designing and optimizing plant technology and processes under near-production conditions, the customized cleaning of components from almost all materials as a service.

Contract cleaning tailored to needs in three categories

The spectrum ranges from classic partial cleaning to fine, precision, and high purity cleaning. Additionally, high-pressure deburring and descaling are performed as services.

In the area of classic cleaning, known as category “A,” it mainly involves components produced in general industry, automotive suppliers, and other sectors in larger quantities, where no strict cleanliness requirements need to be met, for example, surface “particle- and grease-free.” Cleanliness control is carried out visually and with conventional measurement methods.

The category “B,” fine and precision cleaning, includes components and parts made from various materials and from different industries, such as automotive, aerospace, sensor, electronics, coating industry, and medical technology. Defined requirements regarding particulate and film cleanliness must be met, so these parts typically have undergone pre-cleaning. Typical applications in this area include cleaning housings, optical components, implants, medical instruments, and parts like bipolar plates before coating. For control of particulate and film residual contamination, for example according to VDA 19 or factory standards, microscopes, particle scanners, surface tension measurement systems, endoscopes, and a mobile cleanroom cabin are available. If validation of cleaning processes is required, such as in medical technology, the service offering includes appropriate support, e.g., through pre-validation.

Tasks in fine and high purity cleaning (category C), which require extremely high standards regarding particulate, film, and organic cleanliness, and where so-called “harmful” elements (Hydrogen Induced Outgassing = HIO substances) must be avoided, are carried out in a validated cleanroom of class 7 with zones ISO 6. Integrated treatment solutions for osmosis (RO), de-ionized (DI), and ultra-pure water (UPW) enable the use of all water qualities used in fine and high purity cleaning. Typical applications include cleaning components from laser, measurement, analysis, vacuum technology, space, and precision optics, as well as components for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Various, including customer-specific, measurement and analysis methods (e.g., microscopy, residual gas analysis, UV light, and fluorescence measurement) and a packaging station for cleaned parts ensure that the high cleanliness standards are met.

Contract cleaning – often the solution

There are many reasons why contract cleaning is the preferred solution. It starts with capacity bottlenecks in the company's own cleaning facilities or the investment in an appropriate cleaning system may not yet be justified for a new series part due to production volumes. Due to increased cleanliness requirements, new processes need to be developed. For certain parts, higher cleanliness standards must be met than for the rest of the product range. There is a lack of trained personnel to ensure compliance with very high cleanliness specifications.