Requirements in precision manufacturing

In precision manufacturing, tightly toleranced functional surfaces require defined, reproducible cleanliness. Even the smallest residues can impair function and downstream processes — a stable, repeatable cleaning process is decisive.

The tasks range from small to large series; deburring is often part of it as well.

Typical components and materials

From this industry, we mainly clean:

Components: turned and milled parts, micro-turned parts, gears, shafts, valve and hydraulic parts as well as optics and precision engineering
Materials: stainless steels, non-ferrous metals, titanium, hard metal (carbide) and plastics
Contamination: cooling lubricants and machining oils, chips and burrs, polishing pastes as well as lapping and honing residues

Suitable processes

Which process fits best depends on the part, the contamination and the batch size — we advise on a technology-neutral basis. For this industry, the following are particularly relevant:

Ultrasonic cleaning — thorough cleaning of fine geometries and cavities in an immersion bath
High-pressure cleaning & deburring — cleaning and deburring with the high-pressure water jet
Laser cleaning — selective, contactless removal of defined contamination
Vibration cleaning — cleaning and deburring by vibration (Ossberger; the parts stay cold)
Wet-chemical cleaning — aqueous or solvent-based cleaning, also for oils and greases

Inline cleaning in step with the turning shop

A particularly economical approach combines manufacturing, cleaning and measurement: parts are removed from the lathes automatically and cleaned by Ossberger vibration cleaning — with the advantage that the parts stay cold. They are then measured, so that the machines can be corrected early, without producing scrap for hours. This use case fits many turning shops.

For this, Ossberger offers a shuttle solution in addition to the tunnel solution: a part-adapted cleaning shuttle travels in a timed sequence through various cleaning stations; the parts are targeted with cleaning medium via a part-specific nozzle and then dried again without evaporation energy. Suitable as a medium are aqueous neutral cleaners from ZET-Chemie, which do not foam.

In addition, degreasing systems from Karl Roll GmbH (type RCTS) are used — with continuous oil discharge and ultrasonic pressure-flood cleaning for the thorough cleaning of fine geometries.

Downstream processes: what the cleaning pays into

For precision parts, cleaning is typically followed by coating, assembly, bonding, measurement and packaging — in some cases also deburring. Because each of these steps demands a defined clean surface, the cleanliness target is set by the next process step.

Measurement and quality assurance

TeSe carries out part of the inspections in-house — the contact angle measurement (surface tension) as well as checks under the high-resolution microscope. More advanced inspections such as residual contamination analyses or scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are predominantly customer-defined processes that TeSe partly supports.

Frequently asked questions

Which precision parts does TeSe clean? Turned and milled parts, micro-turned parts, gears, shafts, valve and hydraulic parts as well as optics and precision engineering.

Do the parts stay cold during cleaning? Yes. Ossberger vibration cleaning cleans without heating the parts — advantageous for tightly toleranced dimensions.

Can cleaning be coupled with measurement? Yes. Automated removal, cleaning and measurement make it possible to correct machines early instead of running scrap for hours.

How are oily precision parts degreased? For example in degreasing systems from Karl Roll GmbH (type RCTS) with continuous oil discharge and ultrasonic pressure-flood cleaning; the medium is often non-foaming neutral cleaners from ZET-Chemie.

Test the process at TeSe

Whether a process meets your industry’s requirements on your actual part is shown by a trial: 1–2 hours of testing free of charge. In-depth feasibility studies: CHF 1’200 per day, 50% creditable against a machine purchase.