Monitoring of Cleaning and Treatment Baths

The cleaning and rinsing as well as the coating or treatment of components and surfaces is in many industries an essential part of the process chain. In cleaning baths film and particulate contaminants are removed from components, whereas in surface treatment baths anti-corrosion coatings are applied or surfaces are cured by active substances.

For a need-based pre-blending of the bath chemicals from supplied concentrates with the solvent, a monitoring of the concentrations is necessary. By using the LiquiSonic analyser from SensoTech (Germany) the control of the pre-mixture can be done directly in the bath or in a separate storage tank.

In the subsequent bath care, on the one hand, the process documentation is of importance. This provides a direct proof of compliance with quality-related parameters such as "bath concentration" and "bath temperature", which are traceable and documented by the LiquiSonic technology. On the other hand, the information about the bath concentration is used in the bath care for an automated replenishment of the cleaner or solvent to balance losses due to carryover or evaporation. So by using the LiquiSonic analyser a quality-assured and efficient process control is possible.

Measuring the bath concentration by the LiquiSonic sensor, the values will be sent via an analogue output, digital fieldbus or network to the process control system that regulates the readjustment or change of the bath fluid. The sensors consist entirely of stainless steel DIN 1.4571 and are installed preferably in the circulation pipe after the pump. Using a flow adapter, the sensors can even be applied in minimal flow rates and pipe sizes. As process connection different flange variants like Clamp, DIN or ANSI are available. The optional version with remote electronics housing allows a space-saving integration of the sensor in cramped installation conditions. By the LiquiSonic controller the measuring data are visualised, stored and prepared for analyses.