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The Sonic Cleaning machine is all computer-driven. The only thing the operator must determine is whether the filter is dirty on the inside or outside. He then flips a switch to the proper inside/outside cleaning cycle.
Once the filter is placed in the machine, a clamping mechanism comes down and locks the filter in position. The entire cleaning chamber is under a vacuum. There are also two other vacuum points located where the air nozzles are located. As the cycle begins, the filter is vibrated with controlled violence. Most of the dirt is removed and vacuumed away during this phase.
During the next stage, the extreme vibration stops and these precisely engineered sets of nozzles blow compressed air into the filter at angles designed so as to glance off the media. They mirror one another as they slowly traverse up and down the filter, blowing out the remaining dirt and vacuuming it away.
After the cycle is completed, the filter is removed and brought to a finishing table where the top and bottom of the filter are cleaned and the filter is checked for any contamenants left in the filter. The operator then takes it to a dark room where it is placed on an arm that houses a 500 watt halogen light bulb. It is rotated slowly around this light source and if there is even the slightest pin hole, it shows dramatically, like the only star in a dark sky.
From there, the operator places the filter on a manometer to check the air flow. The operator then treats the gasket. A rubber preservative is used, not just to make it look good, but to assure that the gasket is in good condition. If it isn't, he either repairs it, replaces it, or rejects the filter.
Using the SDC method, a good quality filter can be cleaned up to 20 times. We have experienced filters with much longer life spans and have been told that some CAT filters have been cleaned even more than 20 times by one of the first machines in place.
If a filter is rejected, there is usually no charge to the customer. We take no chances with questionable filters, since our product liability insurance guarantees the process. If for some reason, your client experiences engine problems due to a filter that has only been cleaned using our method, we pay for the repair to your engine.
The machine can clean almost any size cylindrical filter. However, there are some size restrictions. The filter must be round, have a minimum of 3.5" O.D. and up to 37" tall and 20" in diameter. It will also clean conical filters.
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