Achieving the required level of cleanliness at the end of a cleaning cycle is essential. In an industrial production environment, however, that result must also be maintained over subsequent cycles.

This is what repeatability in industrial cleaning means: the ability of a process to consistently meet the defined cleanliness requirements.

A successful individual cycle proves that the required result can be achieved. Repeatability, on the other hand, makes it possible to verify that the same result can be maintained under actual production conditions and become a stable part of the manufacturing process. This aspect is also closely related to production continuity in industrial cleaning.

What does repeatability in industrial cleaning depend on?

The cleaning result depends on a combination of several factors. The variables that need to be controlled vary according to the component, the contaminant, the technology used and the required level of cleanliness.

Component geometry and load configuration

Dimensions, materials, cavities, blind holes and difficult-to-reach areas affect the way the cleaning fluid reaches the surfaces to be treated.

The arrangement of parts inside the basket can also influence their exposure to the cleaning action and the subsequent removal of liquids.

Load configuration and movement must therefore be defined together with the cleaning cycle. In hermetically sealed solvent cleaning systems, for example, Firbimatic provides different load movement options depending on the characteristics of the components and the specific application.

Cleaning fluid and operating conditions

The conditions of the cleaning medium must also remain compatible with the parameters defined for the process.

In aqueous cleaning systems, factors such as detergent concentration, temperature and bath contamination can be particularly important. Monitoring the washing and rinsing phases makes it possible to control parameters such as pH, conductivity and the condition of the cleaning solution.

In solvent-based systems, other factors come into play, including solvent management, vacuum conditions, distillation and regeneration.

There is therefore no single set of parameters that applies to every system: the variables that are truly relevant must be identified for each specific application.

Cycle sequence, filtration and drying

Industrial cleaning consists of a sequence of stages that must be configured according to the component and the type of contamination.

Pre-cleaning, immersion, rinsing, vapour treatment, filtration, component movement and drying can be combined in different ways depending on the technology used.

Drying systems also contribute to the overall result: components must leave the system in the conditions required for the next stage of the production process.

Repeatability therefore also depends on the ability to reproduce the defined sequence while keeping the most relevant process parameters under control.

How can a repeatable cleaning cycle be kept under control?

Once the most suitable conditions for the application have been identified, automation and monitoring make it possible to manage them more consistently.

PLC systems can store and recall cleaning programs with specific sequences and parameters, reducing the need for manual adjustments between cycles.

Monitoring process values also makes it possible to identify deviations from the defined operating conditions.

Automation, however, does not replace correct process design: its role is to reproduce and control a configuration that has first been defined according to the actual characteristics of the application.

How can cleaning result repeatability be verified?

Verification starts with a clearly defined cleanliness requirement.

Depending on the application, this may involve surface residues, particulate contamination or other parameters established by customer or industry specifications.

For technical cleanliness assessment, standards such as ISO 16232 are used in certain industries as a reference for evaluating particulate contamination on components.

The process must then be assessed over multiple cycles under conditions representative of actual production. This makes it possible to evaluate not only the best result achieved, but also the system's ability to consistently meet the required specifications.

From preliminary cleaning tests to process definition

Preliminary tests make it possible to identify the conditions required to achieve the expected result before the cleaning system is defined.

Firbimatic carries out studies and tests on customer components, assessing part geometry, contamination and cleanliness requirements. These tests help define the most suitable industrial cleaning technology, load configuration and process parameters for the application.

The objective is therefore not simply to verify whether a component can be cleaned, but to define a process capable of maintaining the required result under the expected operating conditions.

Designing industrial cleaning for repeatable results

Repeatability is not an isolated characteristic of the machine itself. It is the result of the correct combination of component characteristics, contamination, cleaning technology and process parameters.

Firbimatic develops solvent-based and water-and-detergent cleaning systems starting from an analysis of the specific application and preliminary tests on customer components, in order to define a solution suited to both production requirements and the required level of cleanliness.

If you are evaluating a new cleaning system or want to assess the operating conditions of an existing cleaning process, you can contact Firbimatic and discuss your component characteristics, type of contamination and required cleaning result with the technical team.