CLEANING OF COMPONENTS
Drying processes for components.Something is only clean if it is dry.
The drying process determines two things at once: the quality of the component and your cycle time. If you dry for too long, you sacrifice throughput. If you dry for too short a time, you negate the benefit of the cleaning stage that precedes it.
Vacuum drying evaporates liquids even at significantly lower temperatures and reaches into blind holes and cavities. The combination of compressed air pulses and hot air breaks up droplets and significantly shortens the drying time. We select the option that offers the best balance between results and effort for your component.
Drying processes at a glance.
| Method | Degree of dryness | Cycle time | Typical for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compressed air pulse drying | Standard | Very short | Simple geometries, open surfaces |
| Hot-air drying | Increased | Medium | Higher requirements without cavities |
| Combined compressed air pulses and hot air | High | Significantly shorter than hot air alone | Cost-effective standard method for high dryness |
| Hot air with humidity measurement | High, defined | On-demand rather than fixed | Variable load, energy efficiency |
| Vacuum drying | Highest | Short | Drill holes, blind holes, cavities |
Compressed-air pulse drying
Targeted pulses of compressed air blow the adhering liquid off the component. This is the quickest and most energy-efficient method – suitable whenever the residual moisture requirement falls within the standard range.
Silberhorn cleaning machines that use compressed air pulse drying:
Hot-air drying
Heated air evaporates any remaining moisture from the surface of the component. The process can be easily adapted to the material and component by adjusting the temperature and duration. It meets higher dryness requirements, but takes longer than the compressed-air-only method.
Silberhorn cleaning machines that use hot-air drying:
Combined compressed air pulse and hot air
The compressed air pulses break up the droplets on the surface into many small ones or even remove them completely from the component. The resulting significantly larger surface area allows the hot air to evaporate the residual moisture in a considerably shorter time. In practice, this combination is often the most cost-effective way of achieving a high level of dryness.
Silberhorn cleaning machines that combine compressed air pulses and hot air:
Hot-air drying with humidity measurement
A sensor continuously monitors the humidity during the process. As soon as the humidity falls below the defined value, the system automatically stops the drying process.
The difference compared to a fixed drying time is significant: a fixed time must always allow for the worst-case scenario. Controlled drying runs for exactly as long as necessary, automatically compensating for variations in components and loads, thereby saving time and energy.
Silberhorn cleaning machines that use hot-air drying with humidity measurement:
Vacuum drying
If the air pressure in the chamber is reduced to below 10 mbar, liquids evaporate at temperatures as low as around 50 °C. This significantly speeds up the drying process and shortens the cycle time of the entire system.
Vacuum drying meets the most stringent dryness requirements and is the first choice for components with bores, blind holes and cavities – wherever air alone can no longer reach. Furthermore, evaporation removes heat from the component. The parts therefore leave the chamber considerably cooler than after hot-air drying and can proceed to the next process stage without requiring any additional cooling time.
Silberhorn cleaning machines that utilise vacuum drying:
- MWS 4
- MWS 6
- MultiLine
- Multiline light (in conjunction with a cell-to-cell link)
- RTM
- RTM Ministar
- Multidip
- Ultra Fine Dip
- Robot cell
Which process is right for your component?
Cleaning and drying go hand in hand. Which drying process is the right one depends on the geometry, material, subsequent process and cycle time – and on how the parts were cleaned beforehand. That is why we consider both aspects together: in a free cleaning trial using your original parts, including an assessment of the results in our own VDA-accredited test laboratory.
Your direct point of contact:
ThomasHumpmayer
Head of Cleaning & Technical Services Department