Remov-it Bio outperforms MEK in production process cleaning

Environmentally better and safer solvent cleaner for international brake shoe manufacturer

SwanTek were contacted by the company's HSE officer who was looking for an environmentally better and safer solvent cleaner to replace MEK for use during their manufacturing production processes.

MEK is currently being used to remove a phenolic adhesive and a citrus based cleaner is also used to remove paint used for stencilling.

Adhesive is applied to metal plates, which are the back part of disc pads. The back plates are then passed through a drying oven to bake the adhesive. Friction pads are then fitted to the back plates. Finally the part number is stencilled on to the pad assembly using black paint.

Currently equipment to be cleaned of adhesive is immersed in MEK. Time allocated for removal is no more than 20 minutes. The stencil units are cleaned using a citrus-based cleaner. Ultrasonic tanks contain this diluted with water and the time allocated for removal is 30 minutes.

Experiment

Adhesive removal
Two disc pad back plates were coated with adhesive. One was left tacky, the other was oven dried. Both were placed in a beaker containing 100ml of Remov-it Bio. After 3 minutes it was possible to wipe the adhesive from both plates to the required standard. Well within the time limit.

Paint removal 1
A wiping blade from the stencil coated in dried paint was immersed in Remove-it Bio. The paint could be wiped off in 3 minutes.

Paint removal 2
A plate covered in paint which hadn't dried was wiped with a paper towel soaked with Remov-it Bio. The paint was immediately removed.

Conclusion

Remov-it Bio successfully removes all the materials required in a minimum time, well inside the current time allowance. Remov-it Bio is a suitable replacement for both cleaning agents currently in use. Remov-it Bio is non hazardous in use, non flammable, with no measurable VOC and entirely operator safe.

The HSE officer is delighted with the outcome and is talking to production with a view to implementing Remov-it Bio throughout the facility.