Practically all machine parts get covered in some sort of metalworking residue during the manufacturing process.
Depending on the end application, cleaning the parts prior to installing them in a machine or piece of equipment is a requirement to ensure high-quality, long-term performance.
But let’s face it, getting mechanical parts cleaned can be complicated. The traditional method of getting parts cleaned requires sending them to a parts cleaner. This method tends to slow down lead times for ready-to-use parts.
Fortunately, there is a new method, which consists of ordering your parts pre-cleaned, leaving more money and time on the table. It’s now possible to get parts pre-cleaned directly from your manufacturer. At MISUMI, we call this component option, clean and pack.
In this article, we discuss the traditional method and why engineers, machine builders, and purchasers might want to consider ordering parts already cleaned and packed directly from a manufacturer.
The Traditional Method of Cleaning Mechanical Parts
The traditional method of getting parts cleaned requires sourcing the parts you need and waiting for them to be delivered before handing them off to a parts cleaning supplier.
A parts cleaner supplier uses cleaning devices that contain different types of solvents and cleaning agents to remove particles, grease, and other possible contaminants from the parts.
This process can take, on average, about 10 days before they are sent back cleaned. Those 10 days are in addition to the initial lead time of getting the uncleaned parts delivered first.
The High Cost of Sending to a Cleaning Supplier
The cost of sending mechanical components to a cleaning supplier depends on several factors, such as size, weight, quantity, and the complexity of the part. And every cleaning supplier has its own costs and special services, such as batch discounts.
However, you can expect to be charged anywhere between $5 to $100 per component. You could also have parts cleaned in-house, but you still have to consider labor costs.
Clean and Pack: An Affordable and Faster Alternative
Rather than ordering uncleaned parts, waiting for them to be delivered, then shipping them to a cleaning supplier, or increasing labor costs to do it in-house, why not order parts already cleaned?
Clean and pack is a new option for engineers and purchasers who need clean parts fast and at an affordable rate.
How does it work exactly? Here’s an example:
A MISUMI customer, an electronic component manufacturer, normally does cleaning in-house. For a particular project, they needed manifolds cleaned, which took an average of 30 minutes per part. When they found out about MISUMI’s cost-effective clean and pack part degreasin option, labor costs decreased significantly.
The MISUMI customer received degreased manifold blocks in less than 8 working days while decreasing labor costs significantly.
MISUMI offers 3 clean and pack options for a wide range of products:
- Degreasing
- Precision Cleaning
- Electro Polish & Precision Cleaning
This option allows you to surpass the process of sending parts to a cleaning supplier or spending labors cost in-house, saving money and time in the long run.
Here is another example of clean and pack’s cost-effectiveness:
A linear shaft with both ends tapped is offered in both standard as well as two clean and pack options: precision cleaning and degreasing through MISUMI. The two parts below show the exact same linear shaft but one of them comes precision cleaned.
Compare the prices of both configurable shafts below; having a standard part delivered clean is more cost-effective than using in-house labor or paying the price of a cleaning supplier.
And the higher the volume, the more affordable it gets.
 | Linear Shaft Both Ends Tapped  Part Number: PSSFGW6-300-M3-N3 | Linear Shaft Both Ends Tapped, Precision-Cleaned  (Part Number: SH-PSSFGW6-300-M3-N3) |
How Clean & Pack Components Save Time
Clean and pack is a great option for several industries, depending on the application. Though it’s often required for cleanroom facilities for semiconductor, it’s also used for medical automation lab equipment, and electric vehicle manufacturing.
A MISUMI customer, a semiconductor inspection equipment manufacturer, needed cleanroom-ready cap screws fast for the sensor fixtures located inside a piece of equipment.
It would have taken more than 10 days for the customer to receive cleanroom-ready cap screws. But with MISUMI clean and pack option, the customer was able to get these screws electropolished and precision cleaned in only 6 business days.
How to Choose a Cleaning Option for Your MISUMI Component
MISUMI makes it easy to select your cleaning options. Simply add the appropriate prefix of the cleaning process you’d like listed below to your part number. Remember, there is no minimum order quantity!
Clean and pack is a fast and affordable alternative to sending parts to a cleaning supplier. We offer clean and pack options for thousands of mechanical components.
