Cleaning System Contamination Monitoring and Fluid Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial cleaning systems face challenges in maintaining consistent cleaning quality due to contamination of circulating cleaning fluids, leading to inefficiencies and increased energy consumption, with existing methods failing to effectively monitor and control the cleaning process to ensure high-quality outcomes for large numbers of workpieces.

Innovation Solution

A system with continuous monitoring and control capabilities, using devices for detecting initial and residual contamination, and a computer module to adjust process parameters based on real-time contamination data, ensuring a constant cleaning quality by setting optimal parameters such as fluid temperature, chemical composition, and pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the fluid throughput is increased to guarantee cleaning effect with contaminated cleaning fluid, then the cleaning quality is maintained, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning qualityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors the contamination level of cleaning fluid and adjusts the fluid throughput accordingly. When contamination reaches a threshold level, the system automatically increases flow rate to maintain cleaning effectiveness, and reduces flow rate when contamination is low, thereby optimizing energy consumption while ensuring cleaning quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the fluid throughput based on real-time contamination measurements rather than operating at a fixed high flow rate. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain adequate cleaning performance only when necessary, reducing unnecessary energy consumption during periods of low contamination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If continuous monitoring of contamination is implemented, then the cleaning quality is ensured, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical monitoring and adjustment systems with optical or electrical sensing devices that measure contamination levels and electronically control pump adjustments. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining continuous monitoring capability for ensuring cleaning quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors and adjusts a single key parameter (fluid throughput) based on contamination level measurements, rather than complexly controlling multiple cleaning parameters. This focused parameter approach simplifies the overall system while maintaining cleaning effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2758189B1Cleaning equipment and method
Publication Date: 2016.08.31 DUERR ECOCLEAN GMBH
  • EP2758189B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2758189B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2758189B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a system (200) for cleaning workpieces (202, 204, 206), comprising a cleaning device, in particular a cleaning device (218, 240) for applying a cleaning fluid to a workpiece (204). In the system, a device (254) for detecting a (first) soiling state (S1), for example in the form of an initial soiling of a workpiece (204) before cleaning in the system, and/or a device (254) for detecting a (second) soiling state (S2), for example in the form of a residual soiling (S2) of a workpiece (208) cleaned in the system, are/is provided. The system (200) contains an assembly (130, 266) that determines a system operating state (A, B, C) and/or sets at least one process parameter (P) of a cleaning process in the system according to a first and/or second soiling state (S1, S2) detected for workpieces (108, 208).