When an aerospace structures manufacturer specified automated cleaning for production components, the answer was a four-tank multi-stage line: cooled ultrasonic wash, ultrasonic rinse, isopropyl dip and fan-forced air drying, with platform loading on 5–10 minute intervals. This study documents the engineered system.
Why a line, not a tank
Sequence integrity
Aerospace cleanliness fails between stages, not in them: parts exposed to workshop air between wash and dry pick up exactly what was just removed. The line closes the sequence.
Thermal control
The ultrasonic wash tank runs cooled — temperature-sensitive components and chemistry stability both demand it. Cooling is a specification, not an option.
Repeatability on the clock
Platform transfer on fixed 5–10 minute intervals means every load sees the same exposure — the process card runs itself.
The process
| Stage | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tank 1 | Ultrasonic cleaning | Cooled; aqueous chemistry |
| Tank 2 | Ultrasonic rinse | Cavitation-assisted rinse |
| Tank 3 | Isopropyl dip | No ultrasonics, no heating, cooled — water displacement before dry |
| Tank 4 | Air drying | Fan-forced cool air |
| Handling | Automated platform transfer | Manual load/unload; 5–10 min intervals |
What the engineering answers
Hardware
Engineered multi-stage lines
When the catalogue does not fit, systems are engineered to requirement — tank count, cooling, transfer automation and drying built around the parts and the spec.
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Aerospace chemistry
The Brulin aqueous range carries the approvals aerospace quality systems ask for — specified per process during system design.
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