Development of a Small Ultrasonic Cleaning Bath based on Harmonic Response Analysis

This article reports the development of a 0.27 L small ultrasonic cleaning bath (SUCB) with a 45 kHz single transducer to enhance cleaning efficacy based on harmonic response analysis (HRA). First, the HRA results revealed the uneven acoustic pressure inside the SUCB emerged from the transducer, depending on the applied voltage. As expected, the higher the applied voltage, the greater the acoustic pressure, and away from the transducer, the acoustic pressure decreased, consistent with the foil corrosion test, confirming the research methodology's credibility. Then, the transducer has been redesigned to develop the SUCB. Last, using the HRA, the simulation results indicated that the redesigned transduce, adding front and back masses like a horn shape, enhanced the acoustic pressure and helped to increase cleaning efficacy compared to the conventional SUCB. The findings were applied to develop a new generation of the SUCB. This article presents a step-by-step HRA technique that can be practically used in manufacturing design.