PARTICULATE CONTAMINATION
SO THAT YOU SEE WHAT WE SEE
Quality assurance, comprehensively and reproducibly clean:
Function-related parts of components and systems are often inside pipes, ducts, housings, tanks, pumps, valves or similar components. If fluids are used here, particles can be transported to sensitive areas. This situation can lead to impairment of functionality or cause system damage over the long term. For this reason, residual dirt analysis is a fixed element of quality assurance these days. Typical applications are initial sampling, evaluation, requalification as well as incoming and outgoing inspection and the monitoring of manufacturing processes.
A speciality at Quality Analysis is correlative particle analysis. Here we combine light microscopic analyses with various microscopy and spectroscopy methods to identify and characterise the particles: you receive not only results with the number, type and size distribution of particles, but also information about the chemical composition and the damage behaviour.
> Information advantage due to correlative particle analysis
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Technical Cleanliness Verification
EXTRACTION
To analyse particles on component surfaces, we must first detach them from the surface. This process is called extraction.
We have various methods with which we can extract the residual dirt and transfer it to a liquid medium: we spray, flood or rinse the component, or we use ultrasound. We collect the particles removed on a filter membrane and prepare them for further analysis.
EXTRACTION
- Cleanroom class 8 in accordance with DIN 14644
- Component dimensions:
- Weight: 5g - 2.500 kg
- Size: 1 - 2.000 mm
- Extraction methods:
- Spraying, rinsing, flooding, shaking
- Ultrasonic
- Air extraction (manual and robot-assisted)
- Without dynamic component excitation (rigid)
- With dynamic component excitation (oscillating/vibrating)
- Extraction media:
- Aqueous solution
- Solvent based cleaning medium
- Air (cleanroom class ISO 5)
- Standards:
- VDA 19/19.1/ISO 16232 as basis, possible to adapt to all other standards
PARTICLE ANALYSIS
With technical cleanliness verification we acquire and analyse contamination on the relevant surfaces of an inspection object as completely as possible. In this way you safeguard your product quality and prevent any contamination from the manufacturing process or environment causing damage such as jamming bearings or sliding surfaces, blocked valves or clogged filters and nozzles. Depending on the depth of analysis you require, we have various analysis methods.
The starting point is always reflected light microscopy, which we supplement with a further analysis method depending on your needs and requirements. With the combination of various analysis methods, together with you we ensure that harmful particles are clearly and reliably acquired.
Reflected light microscopy
Particle analysis with polarised light provides information on:
- Type of particle
- metallic shiny particles
- non-metallic shiny/ non-fibrous particles
- Fibres
- Quantity and size classes of the particles
- No material assignment
- No definition of the defectiveness
Scanning electron microscopy
Fully automated particle analysis with EDX provides information on:
- Type of particle
- hard metallic particles
- hard mineral particles
- soft particles
- Electrically conductive/non-electrically conductive particles
- magnetic/ non-magnetic particles
- Quantity and size of the particle
- Material assignment
- Definition of the defectiveness via hardness classes
RAMAN & FT-IR Spectroscopy
Fully automatic analysis of the particles via spectral comparison provides information on:
- Type of particle
- Fibres
- Plastics/elastomers
- Salts
- Quantity and size classes of the particles
- Material assignment
- Definition of the defectiveness
OPTICAL PARTICLE COUNTING (OPC)
Optical particle counting for liquids provides information about:
- Quantity and size classes of the particles
- No information on particle type
- No material assignment
- No definition of the defectiveness
TEST LABORATORY
Take a look at our test laboratory: in our accredited laboratory you will find everything that is necessary for a holistic residual dirt analysis. All the equipment, all the analyses, all the methods. In our class 8 cleanroom (in accordance with ISO 14644) all common particle extraction methods are available such as spraying, flooding, rinsing and ultrasound. The analysis of the particles extracted then follows. Here we rely on filtration, gravimetry, analyses using light and scanning electron microscopy, as well as RAMAN and FT-IR spectroscopy.
All this has just one goal: the highly precise identification and detection of the related particulate contamination.
All analyses are undertaken based on VDA 19/19.1 as well as ISO 16232.
Do you have your own standards? No problem, we would be pleased to adapt to any customer or works standard upon request.
