Dry cleaning tailored to your specific needs

Electric motor

Wet cleaning for battery trays, modules and covers

Battery housing

Precision cleaning for high-tech components in fuel cells

Fuel cell

Technical cleanliness in focus

Innovative parts cleaning solutions for the smart world of tomorrow

Parts cleaning solutions from Ecoclean

A clean business

Contamination

Entry of MQL, KSS and other machining oils
Smoke and silicate residues from conventional welding processes
Machining residues from friction stir welding
Burrs and chips from cutting, milling and other abrasive processes
Fiber, particle and aerosol residues from the environment
Oxide layer and other adhesion and welding barriers at the molecular level
Chips and flux residues in circuit boards

Materials

Aluminum alloys
Copper alloys
Stainless steel alloys
Galvanized parts
Titanium
Plastics
Composite materials
Anode and cathode foils

Geometry

Flat deep-drawn components are cleaned in continuous systems and passivated using the immersion process
Structural components that have been joined together can only be ideally cleaned by means of targeted lance guidance and relative movement
Individual components in multi-stage immersion cleaning systems as bulk goods or set goods
Clean adhesive and sealing seam surfaces in a targeted manner and, in the case of plastics, activate with plasma or, in the case of metals, enlarge the surface with a pulsating water jet
Cavities, undercuts and deep holes

Typical challenges when cleaning and activating components of alternative drive technologies.

Safety-relevant components
Risk of short circuit from electrically conductive particles
Danger of clogging in cooling and other media circuits
Leakage due to poor weld seam quality
Adhesion break due to poor preparation of the functional surfaces
Particle obstacles in final assembly
Free of grease for subsequent coating and impregnation processes

The solution

Positioning & Handling

High throughput when cleaning individual parts and batches through the use of high-performance and fast-cycle functional parts
Flexibility in throughput and variety of parts thanks to the integration of robots in a cleaning cell, on a 7^th axis of travel or in lotus blossom concept
Optimal cleaning results through ingenious process strategies and a combination of different cleaning methods in modular machine construction
High cleaning and drying results through relative movement in the working chambers

Technical cleanliness and surface quality

Metallic particles can cause short circuits
Particulate soiling can cause blockages in the media circuits
Increase in surface tension by activating the connection surfaces at the molecular level or roughening and thus enlarging the surface to avoid adhesion breakage and imperfections in sealing
Reduction of organic and filmic contamination that can negatively affect subsequent processes
Reduction of the oxide layer through pickling passivation in the immersion process for a safe welded connection
Removal of particle residues from deep bores of long radial shafts

Surface quality

Reduction of organic/filmic impurities that can negatively affect subsequent processes (coating, gluing, painting …)
Area or punctual requirement
Control and measurement by means of test inks, fluorescence measurement, TC

Efficient cleaning of battery housings, electric motors and fuel cells

Rely on the wide and innovative cleaning portfolio from Ecoclean!

EcoCbooster – Wet cleaning and roughening

Thanks to our innovative ultrasonic technology, the kinetic energy of a high-pressure water jet is increased by a multiple, generating up to 20,000 pulses per second. Comparable to the impact of a hammer drill. Difficult and sticky silicate residues on metals can be removed in a targeted manner or sealing surfaces can be mechanically roughened to increase the surface.

EcoClaser – Dry cleaning and roughening

With the bundled energy of a light beam, both partial and large areas can be cleaned dry and residue-free and mechanically roughened. A wide variety of coatings can also be removed layer by layer in combination with strong suction. In addition, this cleaning tool does not require any chemicals, as it is the case with wet cleaning, or other media such as CO2 gas for snow blasting.

EcoCplasma – Fine cleaning and activation

Compared to conventional plasma processes, this innovative cleaning and activation tool uses the principle of dielectrically impeded sliding discharge to treat complex geometries with undercuts as well as large areas homogeneously and deeply at an extremely low temperature. The discharge filaments slide over the substrate and thus enable precise contour activation.

EcoCo2 – Dry and residue-free snow jet cleaning

Compared to the dry ice process, the CO2 snow jet process enables a high degree of automation. The medium CO2 is in liquid form, which is transformed into solid and cold snow particles due to the sublimation effect at the nozzle outlet. The resulting active principles such as shock cooling and micro-explosions allow a gentle and residue-free cleaning of the surface.

EcoChydro – Damp cleaning, spot-free and without chemicals

The principle of damp cleaning is used wherever stain-free cleaning and simultaneous improvement of the surface tension for subsequent adhesive seam applications is desired. And all of this without the use of chemicals. Compared to pure saturated steam, this process enables quick and gentle dissolution and removal of the contamination via the temperature and the wet content.

EcoCair – Dry cleaning in final assembly lines

This gentle and dry cleaning process is primarily used in final assembly lines for electric motors and microelectronics. Simply blowing air is usually not enough. Particles can be carried into cavities and other undercuts. Only when a cyclone is created are the particles that were previously blown up by air can effectively and almost completely be removed.

High-tech cleaning solutions for e-mobility parts and components

Battery housings

Cleaning solutions for battery housings
The battery housing can generally be divided into three cleaning assemblies. Battery cover, module and tray, with the latter having a separate role as a structural component to save weight on the one hand and to meet all crash-relevant requirements on the other. A battery tray can consist of a wide variety of longitudinal, transverse and central struts, which in turn consist of several hollow chambers and other water-scooping areas. However, in order to avoid a short circuit in the vehicle’s life under all conditions, it is crucial to remove electrically conductive particles before and after assembly. Pre-cleaning and passivation of the individual components also increases the weld seam quality and thus ensures the tightness of the battery box. With its broad portfolio and years of experience with large and heavy components, Ecoclean offers a high level of expertise in the field of structural components, from pre-cleaning, passivation and final cleaning to the partial activation of sealing and glued seam surfaces.

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Electric motors

Cleaning solutions for electric motors
In contrast to battery housings, an electric motor consists of a wide variety of materials and fittings, and thus forms a complex structure in a very small space with many undercuts, radial bores and windings that are difficult to access. Even during mechanical processing, such as the production of the housing, it makes perfect sense to remove all lubricants, emulsions and chips from the aluminum component before it goes to final assembly. A stator, in turn, consists of a copper alloy and can either be wound or manufactured using the new hairpin method. Before welding these hairpins, it is necessary to clean them, for example with a laser. However, both manufacturing processes have one thing in common: the components must be removed from all electrically conductive particles that increase the risk of a short circuit. As a competent partner, we advise our customers individually, project-specifically and with a broad portfolio in the selection of the optimal cleaning and machine concept.

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Fuel cells

Cleaning solutions for fuel cells
Fuel cells generate their electrochemical energy in so-called bipolar plates, which each consist of an anode and a cathode foil. The production goes through various process steps. Even the starting material, which is usually wound up in a coil, can already be contaminated with oils, fats and other unknown foreign bodies in the manufacturer’s works. Later in the high-pressure forming process, the foils are pressed into their shape with the integration of other oil and emulsion-like additives, punched and the outer contours cut. Before joining the two electrodes, however, it is necessary to free them from all filmic and particulate contamination before they are welded together with a laser. This joining process can in turn leave smoke and oxides behind. Thanks to our broad portfolio with dry and wet cleaning concepts, we have the right cleaning tool and machine concept for every production step and speed.

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Ecoclean success stories

Innovative thinking for the highest cleanliness requirements when cleaning e-mobility parts and components

Technical article: Prathepan Gnanes

Efficient, needs-based process for cleaning battery cases – Cleaning solutions for ultra-clean battery housings. Whether a purely electrically-powered car or a plug-in hybrid – the drive battery is a highly sensitive and expensive component. Consequently, high demands are placed on the housings that encase the battery cells and modules. In order for the battery boxes to meet these demands, the various components have to be as clean as necessary. Ecoclean offers efficient solutions which are optimally tailored to the respective production step and specified cleanliness requirements.

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Technical article: Manfred Hermanns

Partial cleaning and surface processing of parts for E-mobility. The trend shift toward electromobility and other developments in the automotive sector have an impact on part cleaning as well. To meet altered requirements, adapted cleaning solutions are needed. In this article, Ecoclean presents a “toolkit” for the predominantly dry, partial and automated cleaning and activation of surfaces.

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Technical article: Manfred Hermanns

New solutions to new demands in automotive manufacturing – Dry cleaning of parts for E-mobility applications. Increasing powertrain electrification and innovative driver assistance systems all the way to autonomous vehicle solutions impose new tasks in industrial part cleaning as well. Mechatronic assemblies, for instance, can often be cleaned by dry processes only. To this end, Ecoclean provides an extensive ‘toolkit’.

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