Does your company need complex parts cleaning to meet a specification? Some parts challenge every cleaning step. These include: tight passages, deep threads, cross-holes, mixed materials, and finishes that can’t tolerate residue. This overview explains how we at AEC Systems approach complex parts cleaning without guessing at specs or outcomes.
The challenge
- Geometry: blind holes, internal cavities, and features that trap chips, coolant, or wash solution
- Mixed soils: oils/grease, coolant residue, fine particulate, light oxidation, or compound carryover
- Process fit: keep pace with upstream machining or assembly without adding manual rework
- Compliance: support safety and waste-handling requirements
What we evaluate first
- Parts & soils – what to remove and what must remain untouched
- Required cleanliness & dryness – acceptance criteria and inspection method
- Handling – baskets, fixtures, or single-part loading; available lifting/robotics
- Footprint & utilities – cell space, electrical, air, water, ventilation
- Throughput – batch count or takt-time targets
A Practical Approach
The configuration will depend on your parts, but here is our approach to parts washing:
- Staged process design
- Wash → Rinse → Dry as the baseline
- Add pre-rinse or rust-preventive stages as needed
- Mechanical action matched to features
- Targeted spray for surface films and open features
- Immersion with agitation where threads/bores need contact time
- Rotation or part re-orientation to release trapped solution
- Fixturing that supports flow
- Orient parts to present critical features to spray/solution
- Maintain stability while allowing drainage and access
- Dry-off that finishes the job
- Air-knife/blow-off and optional heat assist to reach dryness targets
- Air-knife/blow-off and optional heat assist to reach dryness targets
We design the process around the part, not the other way around.
What “Success” Looks Like (without Guessing Numbers)
- Parts reach the defined cleanliness and dryness checks
- Operators avoid hand-wiping and rework
- The cleaning step fits your line speed and footprint
- The system supports safer operation and straightforward maintenance
What to Send for an Application Review
- Photos or drawings with key dimensions
- Materials and soils to remove
- Cleanliness/dryness expectations and the test you use
- Desired cycle time or parts per hour
- Loading method (basket, pallet, single-part) and available space/utilities
Do you have more complex parts that are not getting cleaned properly with your current wash system, or are you looking for a new wash system for a new project? The next step is: share your part drawings and cleanliness goals with us. We’ll outline a complex parts cleaning approach that aligns with your workflow and space without guesswork, just a clear path to specification. Contact AEC Systems today to get started.
FAQs on Complex Parts Cleaning
Q: What makes a part “complex” to clean?
Features that trap soil or solution—threads, blind holes, cross-drilled passages, or dense assemblies.
Q: Do complex parts always need immersion?
Not always. Some parts respond well to targeted spray with the right fixturing. Others benefit from immersion and agitation for contact time.
Can you help choose chemistry?
We can collaborate with reputable chemistry providers and align the process with your material, soil, and EHS priorities.