Important instruction on how to operate the ultrasonic cleaner

Before starting up the ultrasounds

• Simple and easy-to-read controls.
• High working frequency.
• Low noise levels.
• High power ultrasound generators.
• Wide choice of models with 1.8 to 6 litres capacity.
• Heating temperature and cleaning time control by microprocessor (only for ETH SERIES)

Important instructions for use of the SONICA® ultrasonic cleaning units

Before starting the unit pour into the tank the quantity of water or detergent indicated in Table 1

Model	SONICA® 1200M	SONICA® 2200M	SONICA® 2200ETH	SONICA® 3200M	SONICA® 3200ETH
Litres of liquid	1.0	2.0	2.0	4.0	4.0

Table 1

Install the unit on a flat and stable surface, capable of bearing the weight of the unit, the tools or objects which are placed inside for washing and the relevant liquid. Handle it with care.

WARNING

The SONICA ultrasonic cleaning unit only operates with water or detergents for ultrasonic treatments recommended by the manufacturer. Only pour the quantity of liquid required for washing. Do not use acid or highly alkaline solutions such as sodium hypochlorite as these substances, coming directly into contact with the steel tank, cause a series of microscopic holes with irreparable and above all hazardous consequences for the operation of your unit. All acid substances or those alkaline substances which may release corrosive compounds such as chloride or other chemical compounds, or disinfecting substances with a glutaraldehyde base, used together with strong ultrasonic cavitation, cause highly accelerated corrosion even in stainless steel. If you must necessarily use substances which could damage the steel tank, use glass or plastic beakers. Remember that hydrofluoric acid breaks glass beakers and that its use is highly dangerous for your health. Remember that any acid particles, micronised by intense ultrasonic cavitation, are dispersed in the work area, corroding your equipment and damaging your health too. Do not use substances such as petrol, benzol or benzene, or other harmful or explosive solvents. Only use solutions suitable for the type of work to be performed.

IMPORTANT instructions for use of the sonica ultrasonic cleaning units

Before switching on the SONICA ultrasonic cleaners make sure the steel tank has been filled sufficiently with water or liquid detergent and, if the version of your unit is equipped with a liquids drain device, check that the drain tube is in a vertical position and that the tap is fully turned off. In this way accidental leakage of liquid substances will be avoided.

Always check the level of liquid so that it does not drop below 4 centimetres from the upper edge of the SONICA tank. If this should happen, the heating element and ultrasonic transducers and the electronic circuit could suffer serious damage.

Do not place your hands in the tank during operation.

Aggressive liquids which could damage the tank should be placed in a special beaker which is then placed in the tank containing water which transmits the ultrasonic waves to the beaker and hence to the solution it contains. Remember not to rest the glass beaker on the bottom of the tank; a special perforated support for these glass containers is available.

Only use the SONICA ultrasonic cleaners unit for the professional use foreseen in it's instructions manual and for the purpose for which it has been designed. The SONICA ultrasonic cleaners have been designed for washing and detaching surplus materials from instruments, prostheses, drills, probes, forceps, metal objects and metal parts in general, objects and test-tubes in glass, crystals, stones and archaeological objects, rings, spectacles, parts which are difficult to reach by hand etc. The SONICA® cleaning units also provide ideal solutions for emulsion, accelerating chemical reactions, mixing solutions, degassing liquids, decontamination and for dissolving sediments.

Taking advantages of the accessories of ultrasonic cleaners

The following accessories are available for the SONICA ultrasonic cleaners on request:

• Stainless steel lid. Use the steel lid to close the ultrasounds tank.
  
• Plastic lid. Use the lid to close the ultrasounds tank. The plastic lid can be used as an alternative to the steel one. The steel and plastic lids are useful when starting the cycle of heating the cleaning liquid. In fact in order to reach the cleaning temperature set rapidly and efficiently, the tank has to be covered with one of the two lids. Take great care with the condensation produced through the heating steam inside the lid since, during opening of the latter, condensation liquid could drip onto the electrical parts such as the socket. The lid therefore has to be raised vertically allowing the condensation to drip only inside the ultrasounds tank.
• Rectangular basket in stainless steel mesh. The stainless steel mesh basket is a very useful accessory in that it allows washing of the objects to be optimised and the objects themselves to be drained inside the tank after washing. By folding the handles, the basket can be suspended with precision over the tank.
  
• Glass beakers. Special beakers with an adjustable black rubber support ring are available. They are used to save detergent liquid whenever small quantities of objects are to be cleaned, or if washing is to be performed with a detergent solution in a beaker and rinsing simultaneously in another eaker. They are also used to wash objects with particularly aggressive solutions which must not come into direct contact with the steel tank.
• Plastic beaker-holder lid. The perforated lid is used to support the beakers during washing. Remember to adjust the support ring of the beaker so that the bottom of the beaker is always in contact with the liquid of the tank, but at the same time does not come into contact with the bottom of the steel basket.
  
• Small round basket in stainless steel mesh to be inserted in the beaker for washing small parts.

Useful advices for cleaning with ultrasounds

What are ultrasounds?

Ultrasounds are vibrations of a material medium which are similar to sound waves, but with frequencies which are too high to be audible to the human ear. The frequency limit of human hearing ranges from around 10 Khz to approximately 18 Khz. The audible frequency limit decreases with the increase in age. More particularly SONICA® ultrasonic cleaning units operate at a frequency of as many as 45 Khz, i.e. at a frequency much higher than the audible one.

All the SONICA® units consist of an ultrasounds generator and one or more piezoelectric transducers (according to the model) which are attached to the outside base of the tank in stainless steel containing the washing liquid. The electronic generator produces a continuous signal at a frequency of 45 Khz, and pilots the piezoelectric transducers which transform the electrical signal into a mechanical vibration. This vibrational energy is transmitted to the liquid in the tank at the frequency of 45,000 oscillations per second. These pressure and vacuum oscillations create an enormous quantity of microbubbles in the liquid which, by imploding in extremely rapid succession, create enormous impact energies between the detergent liquid and the surface to be cleaned. This is known as "cavitation" and provides an efficient and safe cleaning method in less time.

Useful advice and suggestions

The type of detergent to be used. In order to wash any instrument or object, use tap water as the main substance and dissolve in it a quantity of detergent or solution which varies according to the type of material residue to be removed from the object. Only use pure detergent if expressly specified in the instructions for use of the product. If for example an object soiled with greasy or fatty material is to be cleaned, use a small quantity of SONICA® UG solution, diluting it in water as indicated in the instructions for the product and clean in ultrasounds. The SONICA® UG detergent enables removal of many types of impurities.

When small quantities of plaster have to be removed. Use pure SONICA® RG solution. Pour it into a beaker or directly into the tank. Its strong action will allow total removal of the plaster even from dental prostheses.

When many objects have to be cleaned. Do not overload the ultrasonic cleaning unit. Preferably arrange the objects rationally on the base of the rectangular basket, place the latter in the tank and clean as appropriate. Too many objects washed at the same time reduce the efficiency of cleaning with ultrasounds. When the objects are very dirty. Use long cleaning times, heating the washing liquid according to the object to be washed. When to replace the detergent solution. To achieve efficient cleaning change the detergent solution often, above all if it is used to clean surgical instruments. Shape and size. There are no special rules for the shape of objects to be cleaned, however avoid inserting particularly heavy and large objects in the tank. The liquid must always cover the entire object. Cleaning time. The cleaning time always depends on the type of object, and the type and quantity of the material to be removed.