Mobility & Transport Technology
COMPONENT CLEANING FOR MOBILITY.
CLEAN ENOUGH FOR THE NEXT STEP.
Whether it’s a combustion engine, an electric drive or a rail vehicle: many components in the mobility sector are produced by machining – and this generates swarf that gets lodged in cross-drilled holes, remains on sealing surfaces or becomes trapped in blind holes. Added to this are residues from the manufacturing process, such as coolants, machining oils, greases and particles. Removing these reliably is the key task of industrial parts cleaning and high-pressure deburring. Subsequent joining processes such as laser welding, bonding and electrical contact are also highly sensitive to contaminants that are often invisible to the naked eye. We therefore design cleaning processes to ensure both are achieved: the reliable removal of swarf and the required surface cleanliness.
Three segments, three approaches to cleanliness
The automotive, e-mobility and rail sectors all require the same level of manufacturing expertise – but demand very different cleanliness standards.
Automotive
High production volumes, tight cycle times, stringent OEM residual contamination specifications. Cleaning must not become a bottleneck on the production line – yet it must still consistently meet the specifications.
E-mobility & Propulsion Technology
In this context, surface function is more important than appearance: a component may look clean but still harbour a problematic organic film that renders the weld seam or bonding surface unusable. Added to this are particles in cooling channels, residual oil prior to laser welding, and sensitive aluminium surfaces.
Railway technology
This is where the most challenging combination comes into play: brand-new parts and components from maintenance operations in the same plant – with varying degrees of contamination, ranging from swarf and coolant to brake dust, corrosion and operational deposits. This calls for reliable degreasing, the handling of large and heavy components, and documentable processes.
Typical components
- Electric motor components, gearbox parts for electric axles
- Heat sinks, cooling plates, thermal management housings and channels
- Brake and clutch components, hydraulic components
- Gearboxes, traction motor components, bearing and wheel set components
- MRO and remanufactured parts
Typical types of contamination
- Coolant lubricants, machining oil, swarf, particles
- film-like residues, greases, fingerprints
- ionic and film-like contamination at contact points
- Residues in cooling channels and sealing grooves
- Brake dust, corrosion, operational deposits (remanufacturing)
Why we clean
Machining · Punching · Laser welding · Ultrasonic welding · Adhesive bonding · Sealing · Contacting · Bonding · Assembly · Technical cleanliness of electric drive systems and thermal management
Cleanliness that stands the test of the subsequent process
The most common cause of rejects is not the cleaning process itself, but recontamination between cleaning and assembly. That is why we consider not just the plant, but the entire process chain: We tailor the mechanical design to the component geometry, systematically drain internal cavities, separate cleaning and rinsing stages where required – and design the drying and handover processes to ensure the result remains stable right through to assembly.
Safe removal of swarf
from through-holes and blind holes
Cleaning and Deburring
combined in a single process
Design that minimises wear and tear on materials
for delicate aluminium
Safe degreasing
even when heavily soiled
OUR SOLUTIONS: TAILOR-MADE CLEANING SYSTEMS FROM SILBERHORN
Whether it’s mass production with a fixed cycle time or mixed batches comprising new parts and maintenance parts: our systems remove swarf even from cross-drilled and blind holes – combined with high-pressure deburring in the same process, if required.
If the subsequent process requires more than just a clean finish
Some components are free of swarf after cleaning but are still not ready: before laser welding, bonding or sealing, an organic residual film determines whether the joint will hold – and this film is not visible to the naked eye. Where these requirements go beyond conventional component cleaning, we utilise our own processes and equipment.
Services – have it cleaned, have it checked
Contract cleaning without any investment on your part.
We can take care of cleaning your components as part of our contract cleaning service – during periods of peak demand, at the start of production runs, or if it is not yet cost-effective to operate your own facility.
In-house VDA test laboratory.
Residual contamination analysis in accordance with VDA 19 / ISO 16232 – to verify your cleanliness class and optimise processes.
Frequently asked questions on mobility and transport technology
Can new and used components be cleaned in the same system?
Yes, provided the system is designed for it. In the railway sector, brand-new parts and components from maintenance often pass through the same system – with very different levels of contamination: swarf and coolant on the one hand, and grease, brake dust and corrosion on the other. This is resolved through separate programmes, appropriate filtration and a system design that can handle even heavily contaminated parts without compromising the bath quality for the new parts.
How does Silberhorn remove particles from cooling channels and sealing grooves?
It is crucial that the cleaning fluid enters the bore – and comes out again along with the swarf. To achieve this, we move and rotate the component during the process, align the nozzles and workpiece holders to its geometry, and use high pressure where necessary. It is equally important that channels and blind holes drain completely afterwards – otherwise the swarf will remain inside or the part will not dry out.
Why is visual cleanliness not sufficient prior to laser welding?
This is because an organic residual film is invisible to the naked eye, but releases gases during welding, causing pores, spatter or adhesion defects. It is therefore not the appearance that is crucial, but the measurable surface cleanliness.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR
CLEANING TASK
Please tell us about your cleaning requirements. You’ll receive a no-obligation reply directly from our team of experts within 24 hours.
