What's a Ultrasonic transducer?

The Ultrasonic transducer is a key component in ultrasonic cleaning machines. A Ultrasonic transducer is a device that produces sound above the range of human hearing, usually starting at 20 kHz, also known as ultrasonic vibration.

The Ultrasonic transducer consists of active components, backplane and radiant panel. Most ultrasonic cleaners use piezoelectric crystals as active elements. Piezoelectric crystals convert electrical energy into ultrasonic energy through the piezoelectric effect, in which the crystal changes size and shape as it receives electrical energy.

The backing of the Ultrasonic transducer is a thick material that absorbs the energy radiated from the back of the piezoelectric crystal.

The radiant plate in the Ultrasonic transducer is used as a diaphragm to convert ultrasonic energy into mechanical (pressure) waves in the fluid. Therefore, when the piezoelectric crystal receives the electric energy pulse, the radiation plate will respond to the ultrasonic vibration in the cleaning fluid.

What is an ultrasonic generator?

The electronic ultrasonic generator is the power supply. It converts alternating current energy from a power source, such as a wall outlet, into electrical energy suitable for powering a transducer at ultrasonic frequencies. In other words, the ultrasonic generator sends a high-voltage electrical pulse to the transducer.

The working principle of the ultrasonic generator is to send electrical energy pulse to the transducer, the energy is converted into mechanical (pressure) wave in the cleaning fluid, carry out vibration cleaning action.

Although 40 kHz is by far the most commonly used frequency for ultrasonic parts cleaning, some applications do require lower or higher frequencies to achieve optimal results. For example, a larger, heavily contaminated object might use a frequency of 20 kHz because it produces larger, stronger cleaning bubbles, but fewer bubbles per second. On the other hand, some very small, delicate items may require a higher frequency of ultrasonic cleaning, up to 200 kHz. In general, higher frequencies allow a higher level of complexity to be cleaned up.

What is the difference between a high-quality ultrasonic cleaner and a low-quality"Off-the-shelf" ultrasonic cleaner?

The internet and the huge influence of overseas manufacturers brought"Off-the-shelf" ultrasonic cleaning machines to the United States. In order to offer the lowest price, these manufacturers often sacrifice quality. Many end-users do not understand or recognize these quality sacrifices, so they buy low-cost ultrasonic cans, believing that it is the same as the us-made ultrasonic parts washer/cleaning cans. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

Let's look at some of the sacrifices:

The quality of piezoelectric crystal transducers varies greatly. Due to the nature of crystal formation, the transducer's ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical/acoustic energy naturally diminishes over time (typically 3-6 years) . Cheap, low-quality transducers will decay much faster than those made of high-quality crystals. This degradation or decay will greatly change the cleaning quality of ultrasonic machines. Cheap ultrasonic cleaning machines seem to work well in the new era, but usually in as little as 3-6 months there will be a decline in the quality of cleaning phenomenon.

Ultrasonic generators may be made from electronic component that lack the life expectancy of the end user. Combined with accelerated piezoelectric transducer decay, these low-quality ultrasonic generator assemblies can lead to extreme changes in the performance of ultrasonic part cleaners over time. This cleaning change in turn leads to more scrap and rework of parts. This not only represents a major cost issue for the enterprise, but may also result in processes that fail to pass validation protocols and specifications in medical devices, aerospace, and other areas.

Low-power Ultrasonic transducer can significantly reduce the cost of ultrasonic cleaning machines, but this sacrifice can also reduce cleaning effectiveness. Low-power transducers in ultrasonic cleaning machines also affect the ability to uniformly cavitate solutions.

The thickness of the water tank is very important. Over time, the frequent application of ultrasonic energy to the tank will lead to corrosion of the tank and may corrode the bottom of the tank. Signs of corrosion in the ultrasonic cleaning tank include the gray appearance of the stainless steel and the pit at the bottom of the tank. Low-quality ultrasonic cleaners use thinner stainless steel specifications that can show wear within months.