The quality of downstream processes such as heat treatment, coating and bonding depend on part cleanliness just as much as the long-term flawless function of components and units like engines, turbines, gear units and undercarriages, as well as electronic systems. In this context, increasingly high cleanliness specifications are to be met consistently. Therefore the cleaning of parts and surfaces is one of the essential production processes in the aviation industry. Parts used in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) that are suitably and reproducibly cleaned are a prerequisite for these high-quality tasks and the safe and reliable functioning of components. Current and future developments such as energy-efficient engines, emission-free flying, e.g. with fuel cell engines and the increasing commercial use of drones are driving changes in parts, manufacturing technologies and processes. This also leads to new and modified requirements for the cleaning of components.

Expertise and technologies for cleaning parts for the aviation industry

As a full-range supplier of future-oriented, globally available equipment for industrial parts cleaning, surface processing and automation, Ecoclean and UCM – the division of SBS Ecoclean Group specializing in fine and precision cleaning – develop and manufacture cleaning solutions that are optimally adapted to the highly varied tasks in the aviation industry. They are based on extensive technological expertise, profound knowledge regarding applications and certifications in the aviation industry as well as numerous projects implemented for manufacturers, suppliers and maintenance staff around the globe.

The comprehensive portfolio contains standard and special solutions for batch and single part cleaning with aqueous media and environmentally-compatible solvents. Adapted to the specific requirements and applications of aircraft manufacturers and suppliers (e.g. production process, manufacturing technology, component dimensions, material, type of contamination and cleanliness requirements) as well as providers of MRO services, they ensure that the required particulate and thin-film cleanliness are achieved in a reproducible and sustainable way. For the deburring and cleaning of hydraulic components in one process for example, they provide innovative developments such as EcoCvelox. This also applies to effective and consistent removal of thin-film chemical contaminations, e.g. before coating. Innovative solutions for the selective in-line treatment of functional surfaces, e.g. before a bonding process or the cleaning of additively manufactured parts round off the program. Ecoclean’s dry cleaning technologies (steam, CO₂ and plasma-based cleaning processes) have also proven their effectiveness in a wide range of applications in the aviation industry and MRO sector.

For complex tasks in precision cleaning, UCM designs and builds future-oriented, multi-level ultrasonic cleaning systems. They are used in aircraft component manufacturing just as much as in maintenance, repair and overhaul. One of these is the new UCMSmartLine ultrasonic multi-bath immersion system, which can be configured almost freely from standard modules and expanded at any time.

Complementary to industry-specific expertise, it is possible to perform cleaning tests with originally soiled parts in technology centres for every cleaning task in component manufacture and for the MRO under near-production conditions. Based on the respective material, component geometry, type of contamination and cleanliness requirements, this enables us to develop individually tailored flexible cleaning solutions that are both technically and economically optimized and sustainable. They include continuous monitoring and recording of the key cleaning parameters.

Comprehensive services round off the portfolio offered by the cleaning experts. These include the IOS and Android Service App for maintenance and repair tasks, tailored service and maintenance concepts, developments related to digitizing cleaning processes, options for modernizing and adapting systems, as well as training programs for customer employees.

www.ecoclean-group.net