How Ultrasonics Work

What is Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology?

Ultrasonic cleaning technology is high frequency sound waves creating a phenomenon in a fluid called cavitating action, or cavitations. Cavitations, the superheated bursting of bubbles in a fluid, are what make ultrasonic cleaning work.

How Can Sound Waves and Ultrasonic Cavitations Clean?

When a sound wave travels through fluid, it stretches and compresses the fluid to transmit sound. When the sound wave's amplitude increases to a threshold level, when the fluid cannot hold the “stretch” of the sound wave, the sound wave energy literally tears the water apart and vacuum bubbles are formed.

Each vacuum bubble grows in size until it can grow no more – equilibrium is reached between the bubble and the fluid – at equilibrium, the bubble is compressed by the surrounding fluid pressure until it collapses. At collapse, a tiny liquid jet is created in the bubble’s place.

Each liquid jet creates estimated temperatures and pressures of over five thousand degrees celsius and ten thousand PSI when the collapse occurs. The extreme pressure and temperature of the jet provides the phenomenon responsible for the effective ultrasonic cleaning action. This action occurs millions of times, over and over, while the sound waves are traveling through the fluid.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Cleans Every Nook and Cranny

When the item being cleaned is submerged in the ultrasonic tank’s fluid, the millions of jets created by ultrasonic energy are capable of reaching into fine depressions and intricate details. Every surface area is exposed to the ultrasonic cleaning action; cracks, crevices and hard to reach corners of every nook and cranny get cleaned by the ultrasonic cavitating action. Ultrasonic sweep cleaning technology enhances the system’s ability to clean.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Power and Frequency?

Ultrasonic system power is rated in how much energy, in watts, is generated in the ultrasonic tank. Higher power systems generally mean shorter part immersion times in the fluid.

The ideal cleaning frequency is determined by the size of dirt being cleaned. Simply speaking, higher frequencies are more capable it is of removing smaller particles, lower frequencies are better suited for large dirt particles. Many SharperTek® ultrasonic systems can be configured with multi-frequency technology, giving you the benefit of multiple cleaning frequencies in a single design package.