How to optimize processes and cut costs

In virtually every branch of industry, the cleanliness of parts has become a key quality criterion – and a competitive factor of decisive importance. As such, cleaning can be seen as a direct contributor to the business value of the products on offer. In order to achieve the requisite degree of surface cleanliness with lasting results and at minimal cost, it is necessary to know about the available technologies – what they can do and what they can’t do, and how best to use them. “The comprehensive range of exhibits at parts2clean enables users to get in-depth information about cleaning solutions for a wide range of applications, to make direct comparisons between offerings from different exhibitors, and thus to make informed buying decisions for the future”, said Olaf Daebler, Director of parts2clean at Deutsche Messe. The 14th Leading International Trade Fair for Industrial Parts and Surface Cleaning runs from 31 May to 2 June 2016 at the exhibition center in Stuttgart (Germany).

Industrial cleaning know-how creates added business value

But it’s not just the exhibitors’ displays that make the show so attractive and worthwhile for visitors: The Industry Forum, internationally renowned as a knowledge resource, is also a major attraction, offering lectures and presentations with German <--> English simultaneous translation. “This year we not only have a program of 25 presentations under five topic clusters, but also the first-ever Innovations Forum. Organized by the German industry association for industrial parts cleaning, this is a showcase for demonstrating the latest advances in parts cleaning”, announced Daebler. 

The first themed session is entitled “Cleaning processes and methods”. It includes contributions on the basics of designing processes and choosing plant for water-based cleaning, highlights the possibilities and limitations of washing solutions, both new and established, and offers advice on recognizing problems in cleaning, and how to avoid them. Also featured will be solutions for the cleaning of medical equipment, and for dry degreasing using natural mineral substances. The topics covered in the session “Upstream and downstream processes” focus on various concepts for vacuum drying, temporary corrosion protection, biofilms in cleaning plant, the recirculation of process water and cleanroom packaging to protect against contamination. 

On the second day of the show, the program gets off to a start with the special session “Innovations Forum on parts cleaning”. The latest innovations from exhibitors for different stages of the industrial parts cleaning process are presented here in the form of short talks. The main emphasis will be on innovative solutions for the chemical and process industries, plant engineering and accessories, measuring, testing and control, as well as technical support and servicing. The afternoon session at the Industry Forum is all about “deburring and stripping”. The talks deal with topics such as “When coatings become contaminants”, laser de-coating as surface preparation for heavy-duty corrosion protection, surface treatment with light, deburring with ultrasound as an alternative to conventional processes, and cleaning/degreasing/deburring and high-gloss polishing, all carried out in one operation with the aid of plasma-polishing technology.

The third day’s agenda begins with the session “Analytical processes and methods”, and offers talks on surface analysis solutions for quality control in medical technology, and an innovative optical system for particle detection in industrial cleanliness analysis. A case study documents a system for rapid particle analysis integrated into the production process. The speakers at this session will show how advanced analysis can provide more information about the origin and harmful potential of particles, how the cleanliness of tiny areas for spot-bonding can be checked by contact angle measurement, and how imaging inline inspection techniques can be used to examine the surfaces of engineering components. The final session is called “Industrial cleanliness”, and begins with a talk on industry alliance AdhäSa that focuses on chemical and filmic contaminants in the automotive industry. The subjects of the other talks are parts cleaning for industry newcomers; a process for monitoring the effectiveness of cleanliness analyses; and a technique for measuring surface cleanliness in just one second.

The complete program for the Industry Forum, which is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Cleaning Technology Alliance, can be found online at http://www.parts2clean.de/en/events/program/expert-forum/.

Taking place in Stuttgart right alongside parts2clean, from 31 May to 2 June 2016, are O&S, the International Trade Fair for Surface Tretments and Coatings, LASYS, the International Trade Fair for Laser Materials Processing, and AUTOMOTIVE Expo, an amalgamation of five trade shows covering various aspects of the automotive industry.