When it comes to metal reshaping, nothing is impossible for Geerts Metaalwaren BV, the deepdrawing and stamping specialist.
As an expert of deep drawing techniques, Geerts can re-shape metals – from steel, aluminium and copper to brass, titanium and stainless steel – into practically any desirable shape: from cylindrical to square and anything in between in gauge ranging from 0.4mm to 3.0mm.
Located in Heerhugowaard, Northern Netherlands, the family-owned company boasts one of the largest multi-station deep drawing machines in Europe.
With a loyal customer base of national but also international companies, Geerts serves diverse industry sectors such as food, medical, transport, climate, energy and water management.
Aging cleaning machine triggers investment impulse
Since the parts produced by Geerts are often used in highly specialized equipment as well as sensitive infrastructure areas, metal degreasing is a quality-critical step in manufacturing. For over 15 years, Geerts was running two cleaning machines on Dowper* MC, highly stabilized, virgin-grade Perchloroethylene provided by Safechem, a chemical service company and solvent risk management expert.
Although Geerts had always been able to achieve satisfying cleaning results with this configuration, machine wear over the years had led to increased technical failures and machine down time. As the company was driving efforts to modernize its plant, it also wanted to explore potential cleaning alternatives that could bring further efficiency improvements.
Unique challenges in exploring new cleaning solutions
Because of the unique nature of Geerts’ business, the search for the right metal cleaning solution came with a fair portion of challenges. “Given that we produce a wide range of metal components in different sizes and shapes, there are many factors to be considered, such as the quality and quantity of products, their varying sizes, our production intensity and not least our production philosophy,” said Arthur Wijker, Managing Director of Geerts.
“The cleaning machine must be flexible enough to handle a high mix of products, and have the ability to automate the cleaning process. We didn’t really start out having any specific type of cleaning machine or solvent in mind. What we needed was a working solution that could satisfy all our requirements.”
Cleaning challenge with chlorinated oils
Aqueous cleaning was initially considered. However, the high outputs and varied mix of components would necessitate a high degree of cleaning flexibility and process stability. A water-based system was judged to be far too complicated and inefficient.
There was another significant factor to be considered as well: the use of chlorinated oil in the manufacturing process. For years, industrial parts cleaning involving highly chlorinated oils was usually done with Perchloroethylene or aqueous cleaning. The cleaning of chlorinated oils with modified alcohol in a process safe manner also was not possible – until the stabilizer system Maxistab S-Series came onto the market.
State-of-the-art Maxistab S-Series ensures process stability
The stabilizer systems Maxistab SD-7 and Maxistab SV-9 act efficiently in cleaning chlorinated oils.Developed by Safechem to expand the possibilities of its modified alcohol solvents Dowclene* 16 Series, the stabilizer system can counteract the effects of organic acids, sulphur compounds, hydrochloric acid and chlorides and prevent their build-up in the cleaning system.
With Maxistab SD-7 and Maxistab SV-9, an innovative two-component stabilization process combining sump and volatile stabilization, the stabilizer system ensures a stable, moderate alkalinity crucial for the removal of chlorinated oils. Not only does the dosed usage of the stabilizers extend solvent lifespan, it also protects machine parts such as gaskets, seals and valves and increases process stability.
Subsequently, Geerts decided to invest in a full-vaccum, closed modified alcohol cleaning system CSK-400 from Cemastir, to be used in combination with the modified alcohol Dowclene* 1601 and the stabilizer system Maxistab S-Series.
The sophisticated machine can perform various cleaning procedures including spraying, immersion, and vapor degreasing. With chambers specifically configured to fit Geerts’ working station requirements, the machine can automatically load the trays with processed materials, making the manual and tedious tasks of putting heavy parts into the tray a thing of the past. It also has a double distillation unit that can run in full operation during onloading/offloading.
Reliable and high-quality cleaning with Dowclene* 1601 and preventive stabilization
The easy-to-use Maxicheck Test Kit from Safechem allows regular monitoring of solvent condition. The high-performance, virgin-grade Dowclene* 1601 further ensures consistent cleaning quality and process stability. Characterized with a high environmental compatibility and a low toxicity, the solvent’s non-polar and partially polar properties mean it can effectively remove non-polar contaminants such as oils and greases as well as certain water-based contaminations.
Acidified solvent can be prevented and counteracted using the Maxistab S-Series – a step that is made even simpler thanks to the automated dosing function of the cleaning machine.
Solvent quality can be easily and regularly monitored on-site using the Maxicheck Test Kit offered by Safechem.
In addition, the solvent is delivered in Safechem’s proprietary Safe-Tainer System, a closed-loop system specifically designed to ensure safe and sustainable transport, storage and handling of solvents.
Reaping the fruits of the investment: Operational and resource efficiency
The brand-new metal degreasing installation has been in full operation since January 2019. “The new machine is easy to operate and the transition process was smooth. Dowclene* 1601 has proven to be an effective cleaning agent for us that produces satisfying results, but more importantly – also for our customers,” noted Arthur Wijker.
Since the new cleaning system has automated many previously labor-intensive processes, the efforts required for machine operation have significantly gone down from 40 hours per week to just 4 hours. Plant operators can now use the time freed up for other productive tasks.
Although the new machine has a 40% higher capacity, the current cleaning cycle takes only 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes. In addition, the modern facility has also helped Geerts reduce annual solvent consumption by over 80%.
The adoption of modified alcohols adds to Geerts’ green credentials
The new investment has not only safeguarded Geert’s ability to manufacture highly exacting products, it also allows the company to sustain its efforts to protect the environment.
“Adopting modified alcohols helps us achieve quality cleaning result that is as good as before while maintaining environmental compatibility. This really makes a strong selling argument for us,” Arthur Wijker concluded.
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