Solvent cleaning or aqueous - making the choice

Of all the engineering and manufacturing cleaning in the UK, more than half is carried out using both hot and cold solvent cleaning methods. Only 35% of the market is taken by aqueous cleaning equipment. There is no universal panacea because different manufacturing processes demand different cleaning methods and different types of results. Where high cleaning standards and dry work pieces are required, solvent cleaning is the most cost effective method. Capital outlay is lower, and total running costs are usually lower too, when all the cost areas are considered. When lower cleaning standards are adequate and the work pieces are passing on to water based processes and do not have to be dried, then aqueous cleaning may provide a cost effective alternative, if adequate disposal of the contaminated water can be arranged.