Rinsing Over Process Bath

Description

  • Rinse the parts with fresh water over the heated process bath
  • Use mist or spray rinsing nozzles, depending on the bath evaporation rate
  • Use air-assisted mist/spray rinses, or squeegees for the minimum water use

Advantages

  • Less contamination of rinse water, because less dragout is transferred on the part
  • Misting has been shown to reduce drag-out by 50%
  • Less process solution is lost

Limitations

Implementation Process

  • Investigate required equipment / determine cost effectiveness
    • rinse nozzles, water filter, switches, check valves
    • maintenance costs
  • Determine cost effectiveness
  • Install the equipment
  • Determine optimal operating flow rate
  • Determine optimal operating temperature range for the bath
    • Heat the tank at the upper end of its optimal temperature range. Heating lowers the liquid’s viscosity, allowing it to drip off more easily, reducing dragout
    • Monitor the temperature
  • train and monitor employees – give incentives for superior performance

Resources

  • Cushnie, George C. Jr. Pollution Prevention and Control Technology for Plating Operations. National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, 1994.
  • NMFRC: Vendor Resource Center
  • PF Online

Vendors