Thermal cleaning

When tools, plant parts or equipment are clogged with polymer, resin or paint residues, replacement is usually more expensive than reprocessing. Thermal cleaning frees such parts completely of organic deposits and gives them a second life – for plastics processors, the electrical industry and operators of paint shops.

The process in detail

Thermal cleaning uses the principle of pyrolysis to decompose organic deposits such as paints, plastics, resins and oils under controlled conditions. In the furnace the component is heated in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere; the reduced amount of oxygen prevents the parts from burning or distorting. The resulting gases are converted almost completely in an afterburner at around 850 °C.

The component is cleaned gently and without residue, with no damage to the metal structure – complex geometries and cavities are also reliably reached. We then remove the remaining fine ash layer by blasting or by high-pressure and steam jetting; on request the parts are afterwards passivated or preserved. Which groups of components are suitable for this is shown in the article on thermal cleaning of coating racks, gratings and tools; for conveying equipment, see stripping hooks, hangers and chains.

Suitable components and materials

Temperature resistance of the base material is a prerequisite. The process has proven itself for extruder screws, nozzles, tools, hot runners and breaker plates from plastics processing, for stators and components of electric motors, for caked-up heat exchangers and filters, and for temperature-resistant parts such as springs, magnets, rotary tables and separator vessels. From paint shops there are also gratings, skids and conveying equipment – clogged gratings obstruct the air flow in the booth and impair painting quality.

• Tools, nozzles and equipment from plastics processing
• Heat exchangers and plant components
• Stator and electric motor components
• Preparation for reprocessing and recycling

The economic core of the process is reuse: clogged tools, equipment and plant parts can be reprocessed instead of replaced, and incorrectly coated parts can be recovered instead of being scrapped. Sensitive or installed components that must not go into the furnace are instead cleaned by dry ice blasting in the installed condition.

Quality assurance and documentation

Control is exercised through the furnace regime: temperature and oxygen content determine whether the deposits are decomposed completely without altering the material. After the ash has been removed we check the component for freedom from residues – with nozzles, hot runners and breaker plates what matters is a completely clear bore, with equipment from powder coating lines it is the bare, electrically conductive contact point. On request we document the reprocessing for your maintenance records.