Thumbs up for ultrasonic record cleaning

Machine is a rebranded ElmaSonic P60H (Fisher Scientific). My thinking was that Fisher is a lab supply company, and so the machine would have to pass two levels of QC. Still going strong after 6000 records, plus misc cleaning chores. Works wonders on wine glasses!

All,

An inherent problem with using ultrasonics to clean PVC is that as a plastic, it is going to absorb ultrasonic energy  http://www.zenith-ultrasonics.com/part_positioning.htm, and https://techblog.ctgclean.com/2011/11/reader-question-baskets-for-ultrasonic-cleaning/, noting that John Fuchs with Blackstone ultrasonics has been in the business of UT cleaning for over 25 years, and is a recognized expert.  This is a good article addressing some of the basics written by John Fuchs, https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19950025362.pdf.

If you overload the UT tank with records, you are going to significant reduce the power available to clean.  Note UT came into promenance 25 years ago when the elimination of CFC solvents forced the industry to develop environmentally suitable aqueous cleaning solutions.  But, this was mostly for metal cleaning.  You can compensate the high plastic load with more power, that is variable, but you are talking industrial units starting at over $2K.  Check the units at Blackstone and Crest Ultrasonics, these companies have been manufacturing USA made UT tanks/consoles & systems for over 25 yrs. 

@antinn

Thank you! That explains why power per record a relevant parameter. If I had ever known that, I had forgotten. Just like I had forgotten some of the basics (i.e. how cavitation bubbles form).

@antinn,

You're post seems to confirm what I heard in my experiments.

@antinn 
Thank you for your interest in this topic and your contributions.

Fwiw, we are talking about units costing more than $2k.  At least I am; I don't know what Terry9's machine cost.. I tried the cheap Chinese route and it proved unreliable.

If I'm willing to spend a lot more time with a lot more mess, I can get a record as clean with a one-at-a-time horizontal machine and enzymes (eg Loricraft and AIVS) as I can an ultrasonic with filtering.  My goals were to maximize throughput, reduce the time needed to spend on cleaning while still obtaining clean records.  My setup and technique are designed to meet those goals. 

Your comments seem largely related to sizing.  I'm sure we can agree that issues will occur with a rig improperly sized to do the job that one asks of it. Generalities warrant assessment against specific set-ups.

An inherent problem with using ultrasonics to clean PVC is that as a plastic, it is going to absorb ultrasonic energy

Everything vibrates and everything absorbs energy. That PVC absorbs energy is not an inherent problem to the use of ultrasonics for cleaning records, at least to the point that whatever "problem" may exist is not a deterrent to its use.. The successful use of ultrasonics for cleaning records - and it can be successful - is demonstration of its efficacy.

There is no standard for measuring what counts as clean. There is no effective way to compare techniques or methods.  You cannot clean the same record twice.  When do you stop cleaning?  My rule is: if it sounds clean it is clean.

I'm familiar with Fuchs and Zenith and consider them knowledgeable resources. Apart from observing that plastic baskets absorb energy, It is unclear how basket design is relevant in the case of cleaning records which uses no basket.

If you overload the UT tank with records, you are going to significant reduce the power available to clean.

There are many sized tanks. This statement begs the question.  As Fuchs points out tank size, surface area, proximity to transducers, etc. are relevant.  So what counts as overloading?  This argument simply says a tank is overloaded when there is a significant reduction of power availalbe to clean.. 

Energy asorbed within the tank is not the energy used to power the transducers whose output is independent of what is absorbed. If the tank and its transducers are insufficient to do the job then there's a sizing problem.  It's not like absorbed energy reduces the overall energy in a tank at a given time.  Transducers continually cavitate, continually cause the creation of vacuum bubbles for the length of a cycle.  Records continually rotate across working transducers.