Faster component cleaning for British Airways
A
3M Speciality Materials product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Sep 5, 2001
For the maintenance of precision aircraft components, British Airways Component Engineering has replaced its trichloroethylene systems with a faster, more efficient co-solvent cleaning system
For the maintenance of precision aircraft components, British Airways Component Engineering (BACE), at Hayes, has replaced its trichloroethylene systems with a faster, more efficient co-solvent cleaning system, using Novec Engineered Fluids, from 3M.
This co-solvent process delivers improved cleaning performance and the low toxicity and zero ODP of Novec fluids also provide enhanced safety and environmental properties, for an all round advantage.
British Airways was seeking a more effective method for removing all trace of oil, grease and carbon deposits from the components of hydraulic, pneumatic and power generation systems.
Its previous trichloroethylene-based manual process had a tendency to leave some contamination on the components which then required scrubbing by hand.
The new automated process comprises two stage co-solvent cleaning with a combination of the HFE-based Novec solvent and a hydrocarbon solvating agent, using Microsolve equipment from Kerry Ultrasonics.
Both operations are ultrasonic assisted to increase penetration and ensure contamination is removed from even the most complex shaped components.
In stage one, the high grade steel and aluminium alloy components are immersed in the Novec fluid and solvating agent.
Here, the agitation of the hydrocarbon, by the boiling Novec fluid and ultrasonics, offers greater cleaning efficiency in taking up oil, grease and carbon, without the aggressive action of chlorinated or bromide solvents.
Once this is complete the components are transferred to a second integral bath, containing pure Novec fluid, to rinse off the hydrocarbon.
Vapour rinsing and drying complete the process.
This effective cleaning performance has eliminated the need for manual finishing and reduced costs.
With low toxicity and Zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) Novec Engineered Fluids offer substantial safety and environmental benefits over the chlorinated solvent previously used by British Airways.
Across manufacturing industry as a whole they are also widely acknowledged as the best viable long-term replacement solution for HCFCs.
3M Novec Engineered Fluids are distributed in the UK by Samuel Banner and Co.
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