One electrical equipment specialist is relying on a cleaning system to ensure that a variety of stamped and turned parts are thoroughly degreased at their production facility.
The Moeller Group (Bonn, Germany) supplies systems and components for power distribution and building automation. Twelve to 13 tons of steel and non-ferrous heavy metal parts, some of which are galvanized, pass through its Dürr Ecoclean Universal 81C machine during daily production at the Moeller plant in Schrems, Austria.
Traces of the oil used in manufacturing adhere to the parts, so they must be completely degreased before being passed forward to the next process. The cleaning system uses non-halogenated hydrocarbons to remove oil and grease and offers a wide variety of process variants for hot and/or cold dip processes and subsequent steam degreasing.
Moeller originally used a perchloroethylene-based cleaning method at the Schrems plant. However, the implementation of the VOC Directive in the European Union made a new system necessary. The new system had to demonstrate the degreasing excellence of the perchloroethylene-based method and needed to operate on a three shift basis, seven days a week. A high level of process reliability and minimal maintenance requirements were also absolutely essential.
To demonstrate that the new cleaning system would effectively clean during constant use, almost five tons of dirty part samples were cleaned over a three-day period of continuous operation at the Ecoclean Technical Center at Filderstadt, supervised by a Moeller representative. The laboratory analysis that followed brought positive results: "The test run showed that the system was 100 percent able to meet demands," said Erich Zach, production manager at the Schrems plant. "In the end, the decision went in favor of the Universal 81C because it represents a reliable and cost-effective alternative, and it is easy to operate."
It is already foreseeable that, in comparison with the old cleaning system, considerable annual savings can be reached. The new machine has fully convinced Zach and his team. "The process time is longer than it was previously, but minimization of maintenance requirements-together with much lower costs for supplying fresh solvents and disposing of used ones-means we will be able, in comparison with the old system, to cut auxiliary production material expenditure and maintenance costs by more than 60 percent," Zach said.
