Routine Checks and Preventive Maintenance

HCT-0320 with MCT-1200

The HCT hydrophone with MCT-1200 Digital Pressure Meter is a trustworthy instrument to characterize and monitor the relative acoustic properties of ultrasonic cleaning systems.   Its unique single point sensing design allows localized measurements to generate true 3-dimensional acoustic maps of the cleaning tank.

Some other key features include:

  • Parameters: F0 and PTOT
  • Data logging
  • Self-Calibration to MCT-2000
  • Touchscreen
  • Real-time data transfer for continuous monitoring

View the MCT-1200 Digital Pressure Meter Datasheet

For many ultrasonic cleaning processes, achieving a uniform acoustic field is challenging. This is because there is a broad range of process variables that affect the acoustic field distribution including transducer-to-transducer variation, gas concentration, temperature gradients, flow rate, among others.

 

Ultimately, this contributes to how well particles are removed directly affecting process yield.

Measured ParametersFundamental Frequency, FO (kHz)
Total Pressure, PTOT (kPa or unitless) *
* kPa units require self-calibration to absolute reference
Data ManagementTouch panel display
Time averaging interval: 1-60 sec
Data logging to local memory
Self-calibration to match with reference meter
Remote access via Ethernet
Real-time data transfer for continuous monitoring
Dimensions76 mm (W) x 169 mm (H) x 30 mm (D)
PowerRechargeable battery, charger (5 VDC, 3A)

Frequently Asked Questions

The HCT-0320 Hydrophone with the MCT-1200 Digital Pressure Meter is an ideal used for routine spot checks to ensure ultrasonic cleaning tanks are optimized. With the use of a hydrophone slide assembly, the setup allows for the characterization of the three-dimensional pressure uniformity to help optimize the cleaning efficiency.  Measurements are relative, which is sufficient to compare the acoustic stability over time.

The MCT-1200 includes several features including a touch panel display, data logging to internal memory, data export (ASCII) to a micro-USB thumb drive, and real-time data logging through Ethernet. Data can be rescaled through a self-calibration routine to match with a reference measurement.

For repeatable measurements, the following recommendations should be considered:

  • Ensure the hydrophone is mounted with a fixture with the orientation normal to the firing direction of the transducer. Although measurements held by hand may yield a signal, results may be unstable due to variability in hydrophone position.
  • Ensure the hydrophone is acoustically coupled with the cleaning medium for reliable measurements. The ~3 mm sensing element is located at the distal end of the hydrophone and should be fully submerged to a depth of ~10 mm.
  • The HCT shaft material is fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), which is compatible with various chemistries.
  • Although measurements at temperatures above room temperature are possible, exposure to elevated temperatures for extended periods should be limited.

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