Styles and Frequencies in Ultrasonic Cleaners

Because ultrasonic cleaners are used in a variety of industries to clean a variety of instruments, there are a few different kinds of tanks that use different frequencies. There are three main categories of these cleaners. The first is a very light duty tank with small transducers and simple generators. This means they are not very efficient and should not be used for critical cleaning jobs, but will work well enough for cleaning contact lenses and items of that nature. The second kind of ultrasonic washer are the small tabletop cleaners used in dental offices and labs to clean small parts and lab glass. These cleaners have a heavier transducer and a stronger generator. These can be used for longer periods of time, but there are some drawbacks, especially if heat is involved. Heat can interact negatively with the electronics, which can result in premature failure of the generator. The third kind of ultrasonic cleaner is the heavy-duty industrial cleaner. These employ heavy compound transducers and well-built generators that produce high wattage per transducer. The most efficient cleaning occurs with these tanks and can be used for production cleaning.

It is important to evaluate the kind of ultrasonic cleaner that would work best in certain environments and for certain products. Wattage and frequency are also important to consider. It is important to note that lower frequencies are stronger because they concentrate the power in fewer bands of cleaning, while high frequencies produce more evenly spread power. This is why higher frequencies are often recommended, but most important is to recognize the natural frequency of the transducer as this frequency will most likely work the best. Low frequencies over a long period of time can also cause cavitation erosion either to the part being cleaned or to the bottom of the tank. Careful consideration should be taken in terms of selecting the right tank and frequency for a given cleaning job. This will ensure the most efficiency and durability of the tank and the parts it is used to clean.