The Sonic Touch II improves ROI with Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems
Ultrasonic cleaning technology already has a clear edge in ROI over other methods. The right controls can increase ROI even further. That's why Ultrasonic Power Corporation has introduced the Sonic Touch II console. Previously, UPC's precision industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems had basic controls and digital components,‚ Manufacturing Engineer Felipe Benalcazar says. Now you have, essentially, a computer. With the Sonic Touch II, the most important benefits are increased function control, performance monitoring and data collection. Putting the three benefits together allows you to create more efficient processes in your cleaning facility, and to know the status of your system at all times. Electrical Engineer Will Pedroza also points to ease of use. You're able to display a lot more information more concisely, in a way that people are used to interacting with information,‚ he says. It's especially useful in work environments where people are wearing personal protective equipment such as gloves, because the Sonic Touch II has a resistive screen, and does not require a person to remove their gloves to operate.
Control from anywhere, and ahead of time
The Sonic Touch II can be operated remotely from a telephone or tablet which improves the ROI by allowing staff to be more flexible with their time. You can access the system from anywhere in your facility, says Benalcazar, as long as the facility has a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This allows employees to either use their phone to set timers according to an optimal schedule, or control the cleaning system directly. The Sonic Touch II panel also allows users to set seven day timer schemes for the system, including the ultrasonics, heater, pumps, and oil skimmer. A cleaning unit can be up and ready at exactly the right work time, instead of requiring employees to spend time warming up the system; it's a real time saver and adds to productivity.
Optimizing cleaning with better monitoring
We're very proud of our patented Liquid Condition Sensor, or LCS technology,‚ Benalcazar says. Ultrasonics is half of the equation. You also have the fluid media.‚ LCS technology allows operators to monitor the condition of their cleaning liquid medium and how effective their settings are when cleaning various items. LCS can monitor what your cleaning status is and display how effectively you're cleaning. For example, an aluminum part versus a stainless steel part,‚ Benalcazar says. Or, say you're cleaning pump impellers versus drive shafts, and you see better or worse cleaning results. The LCS provides data that may explain why the results are not the same. Since the Sonic Touch II allows control of sweep, intensity, temperature, etc., users can adjust settings to deliver the best results for unique parts and contaminants. If you're seeing different results under the same settings,‚ he says, the LCS data lets you set it right, and choose the best configurations for certain parts. Your ROI will grow because you're spending less time cleaning as you have more efficient cleaning results. You spend less on detergents because you're making your detergents last longer, and this is a real pay back because you avoid premature change out of detergent, changing only when necessary.
Digital technology makes specialized cleaning easier and cheaper
Adapting the Sonic Touch II to special situations is much easier than with earlier generations. For example, a customer had purchased an automated system to move parts through the cleaning sequence. But they soon found they needed to add capabilities. In addition to the actuators it already controlled, they needed the ultrasonic system to be able to re-home‚ the system to keep it in alignment, and they needed additional automated controls to ensure parts remained properly processed. Instead of modifying physical hardware at the client site, Pedroza simply wrote new code. I never had to step in front of the machine,‚ he says. It was just email correspondence followed by sending them a USB stick, and their system was updated with new functionality.
Data collection allows you to find efficiencies and potential problems
With the Sonic Touch II, the run times and performance of all subsystems is recorded. It also logs alarms, and the resulting data can be downloaded to a flash drive. It can also be set to provide email or text alerts. This allows analysis of data to find inefficiencies. For example, if cleaning effectiveness, run time or the number of alarms varies between certain shifts or certain days this highlights an opportunity to improve your cleaning process, or possibly address user understanding of the ultrasonic cleaning process. This data gathering function is even more helpful in identifying components that need to be replaced. In the past, if an ultrasonic generator was delivering reduced performance and needed to be replaced, it might remain undetected for weeks or months. It also may not be possible to determine when the problem occurred. With the Sonic Touch II,‚ Pedroza says, the troubleshooting is done for you, including the precise time that the event occurred. You can immediately identify what needs attention and we can help you right away. Ultrasonic Power experts are ready to work with you and answer more questions about what we've covered. Contact us to learn what kind of precision industrial ultrasonic cleaning system will work best for your unique cleaning application. Get in touch with us today, and together we'll happily answer other questions you have. Remember, Our Technology, Your SolutionSM¬†is just a telephone call away.