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SilentUnicorn
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Does anyone know about this process? Good Points> Bad Points?
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Block Cleaning By Baking?
- Thread starter SilentUnicorn
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Here is a good overview of thermal block cleaning. Not all shops have the necessary equipment to do it. It's considered to be more "environmentally friendly" & less messy than the old tried & true hot tank.
https://www.promarengine.com/engines.asp
D
https://www.promarengine.com/engines.asp
D
martx-5
Yoda
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We use thermal cleaning at out facility. We remanufacture auto parts. We use it mostly for cast iron parts, such as brake calipers, as we can get the temperature high enough (about 800 deg F) to clean effectively.
There are several major advantages over traditional chemical, spirits, or hot water wash.
1. The heat will penetrate all areas of the casting. This includes all small passages such as oil galleys etc. The heat will turn any oils, dirt, grease etc. to an ash powder. The casting will come out clean on the inside and outside. This advantage serves the customer.
The other advantages serve the business.
2. No hazardous chemical to dispose of. All the ovens being made today have afterburners which render all the nasty stuff going out of the stack safe...think catalytic converter.
3. Time saved in shot blasting, as the castings are cleaner then with other methods.
The only disadvantage, is any low melting metal, such as brass or aluminium, will melt out during the process. There are alot of brass seats in the calipers that we rebuild that have to be replaced with new because of this. Probably just as well. We do clean aluminium with heat, but have to lower the temp to 600 deg F. The cleaning isn't as effective...cycle times are longer, but it does work. We've had the occasional batch of melted aluminium on the oven floor because someone forgot to lower the temperature! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cryin.gif
Heat cleaning is the same process that's used in self cleaning ovens. All that happens there is that the temperature is raised considerably, and all of the nasty baked on grease and schmutz gets converted into a thin layer of ash.
There are several major advantages over traditional chemical, spirits, or hot water wash.
1. The heat will penetrate all areas of the casting. This includes all small passages such as oil galleys etc. The heat will turn any oils, dirt, grease etc. to an ash powder. The casting will come out clean on the inside and outside. This advantage serves the customer.
The other advantages serve the business.
2. No hazardous chemical to dispose of. All the ovens being made today have afterburners which render all the nasty stuff going out of the stack safe...think catalytic converter.
3. Time saved in shot blasting, as the castings are cleaner then with other methods.
The only disadvantage, is any low melting metal, such as brass or aluminium, will melt out during the process. There are alot of brass seats in the calipers that we rebuild that have to be replaced with new because of this. Probably just as well. We do clean aluminium with heat, but have to lower the temp to 600 deg F. The cleaning isn't as effective...cycle times are longer, but it does work. We've had the occasional batch of melted aluminium on the oven floor because someone forgot to lower the temperature! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cryin.gif
Heat cleaning is the same process that's used in self cleaning ovens. All that happens there is that the temperature is raised considerably, and all of the nasty baked on grease and schmutz gets converted into a thin layer of ash.
As the Web site that Dave provided hints, after heat treatments like that, ALL the critical surfaces will most likely need to be re-honed. the heat will cause a reduction (change) in built in stresses in the block. As a result the alignment of just about everything can change a tiny bit.
With brake calipers of course this is irrelevant, so next time I need to rebuild the disk brake calipers I might just think about running them through the self cleaning cycle. Wonder what my wife would say /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif
With brake calipers of course this is irrelevant, so next time I need to rebuild the disk brake calipers I might just think about running them through the self cleaning cycle. Wonder what my wife would say /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif
OP
SilentUnicorn
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Thanx fellas,
I sent the block off today, i will post a pic when i get it back.
will heating it that high weaken any studs i may hav left in it?
mark
I sent the block off today, i will post a pic when i get it back.
will heating it that high weaken any studs i may hav left in it?
mark
