Is Your Ultrasonic Cleaner Working, Or Just Making Noise?

The easiest way to check if your ultrasonic cleaner's working up to par is to run the "foil test." A tried and true simple test that can tell you if your ultrasonic cleaner is doing what it should be doing or if it's just making noise.

Using standard aluminum foil, insert a piece that spans approximately two-thirds the length and depth of the ultrasonic bath vertically and hold in place for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds remove the foil piece and examine - there will be impressions (dents) in the foil where the micro-jets of solution have blasted into. The pattern should be consistent throughout the immersed section of foil - if there are any areas that appear unaffected larger than 1/4 square inch (6.35 square mm) then the unit would have failed the test and service may be necessary.

The intent of the foil test is to take an imprint of the action within the bath - not to see if holes will develop in the foil and is why the quick 30 second immersion test is used. If the foil is left in the bath for longer periods of time the ultrasonic action will certainly erode holes in the sample piece - first at the stress points or creases which are the weakest areas then throughout the foil sample depending upon the performance of the unit. Again, this is not the concept - an image of uniform cavitation throughout the bath is what you are looking to capture.

Don't trust the noise factor, do your own "foil test" on a regular basis to make sure your ultrasonic cleaner is up to par.

California Dental Association Show Specials

The CDA Meeting starts this week and Sonix IV has just released it's "Show Specials." Our most popular table top units will be on sale through May 21, 2009 - products included in the special are the 3 quart, 4 quart, 10 quart, and 14 quart sizes.

The SS-Series products on sale include stainless steel baskets, stainless steel covers, and of course the Power, Performance, and Reliability that users world-wide have come to trust since 1972.