Castor Unia Gospodarcza – industrial washing and degreasing of metal surfaces

Interview with Włodzimierz Święch, president of the Management Board of Castor Unia Gospodarcza sp. z o. o., Krzysztof Piech – the company’s chief designer and technologist – and Piotr Święch, designer

Are there any types of contaminations that Castor industrial washers cannot clean?

W.Ś.: Our company deals primarily with the selection of washing and degreasing technologies for the chemical treatment of surfaces of details of various geometries and surfcace textures with “nooks and crannies” that are difficult to clean. The experience we have gained since 1995 helps us to accurately design washers and select the most effective cleaning medium, whether from the group of water-soluble agents or aromatic-free hydrocarbons from companies such as Shell, Henkel, 3M. No dirt is a problem for us.

So these are primarily technologies that do not disturb a given surface?

W.Ś.: The chemicals we use are non-invasive and compatible with the material from which the parts to be washed are made. It is not aggressive, does not destroy the surface structure, and at the same time is very effective due to its physicochemical properties.

An example is cast iron, which has a very porous structure. During mechanical processing, machining oils and coolants are injected into these pores. Our job is to rinse out these oils and suck out the remaining moisture using a vacuum technique during the vacuum drying process. This is just one example of the use of this technique, which is exceptionally effective in cleaning difficult materials according to strict cleanliness standards in many areas of the industry. In turn, in open washers (chamber, tub or multi-tub) we use friendly, biodegradable, water-soluble agents that are harmless to the soil, water or air.

Our company’s latest plans for the use of industrial chemicals aim to use hydrocarbon solvents and modiefied alcohols that are very safe and meet the increasingly strict regulations on the protection of the environment.

Is the amount of contaminations that occur limited, or does technological progress mean that new problems appear all the time?

P.Ś.: Indeed, with the constant progress, we are dealing with new technological solutions, as well as new contaminations, for which we have to look for innovative cleaning methods. An example of this is the washer we are currently designing and the cleaning medium that will be used in this device. It has been designed specifically for this one particular cleaning treatment.

Indeed, we are observing an increase in the amount of various contaminations. At the same time, the number of methods for removing them is also increasing.

Is it like in IT – new problems arise and with them new ways to protect against them?

PŚ: You could say that. When implementing new technologies, there are often new problems to solve. Among other things, new types of contaminations appear, which are often difficult to remove. Therefore, we must – by sitting down with our customers and analyzing them together – design and construct a washer to meet the challenges of the cleanliness required.

W.Ś.: We always find a solution. The variety of problems we have encountered and the continuous process of improving the skills of our employees result in specific solutions. We participate in many training courses of the industry and organize internal courses and meetings ourselves, and we keep up to date with changes of standards, European Union directives, and environmental protection laws. We are professional partners not only for the recipients of our devices, but also for many cooperators who, like our company, use the ISO 9001:2015 standard.

The biggest challenge for us was to create the first vacuum based washing plant made in Poland. In this type of device the process of washing and drying of parts takes place in one working chamber under vacuum. We have become pioneers in this field in Poland and even in Europe. Currently, our portfolio includes numerous variants of hermetized washers, using non halogen hydrocarbons or fluorocarbon solvents, agents based on modified alcohols and water-soluble concentrates. Among other achevements there is the design and manufature of an automated multi-bath washing and degreasing lines, equipped with the latest generation of Weber Ultrasonics digital ultrasonic generators and transducers.

This modern technique of washing and degreasing industrial parts has allowed us to achieve a level of cleanliness that is acceptable to demanding industries: aviation, automotive, electronics, optical, but also metal and paint. In our car washes, for example, details and elements of aircraft engines, landing gears, ABS systems, combustion engine bodies, piston rings, engine liners, copper and brass fittings, engraved cutlery, and weapons components are washed.

What information is needed for you to design an optimal washer?

P.Ś.: The technological process related to the selection of a washer can be very diverse. Sometimes when the customer contact us, they already know exactly what kind of washer they need, and sometimes we need to follow the technological process used by the customer and define the parameters that affect the washers equipment, its size, its ability to achieve the appropriate level of cleanliness, the degree of automation, and the type of washing medium. , etc.

The important information includes the geometry of the detail to be washed, the material that its made of, and the contaminatnion that the washer needs to remove – whether it is only oil, coolant, or whether the part is contaminated with filings, chips, or dust. The expected efficiency of the washer is also important, i.e. the number of parts that should be washed per unit of time.

For example, we provide devices that can wash millions of small springs a day for a customers in the medical industry, but we also have devices that can wash 15-ton bodies of mining combines. On one hand, the diversity is very large, and on the other, it can be estimated that 60-70% of the components we wash are mainly medium-sized elements. Nevertheless, each device must be personalized and tailored to the customer’s needs.

With so many factors, is the novelty of the technologies used important?

K.P.: We have been designing industrial washers for over a dozen years: vacuum, ultrasonic, and tunnel, and we are constantly improving and adapting them to individual customer requirements. Therefore, we have introduced many new solutions. We have patented only those inventions that radically changed the technology used, the design of the machine or the way it functions. It worth noting that since the manufacture of the first Castor washer, which had atmospheric tanks and offered vacuum drying with the recovery of solvent vapors through deep freezing, to date we have developed several more innovative projects.

Which include: a solvent washer working undert continous vacuum, in which all of the processes (washing, rinsing, drying) take place under reduced pressure, a hermetic washer adapted to halogenated solvents, meeting increasingly stringent requirements regarding the emission of these substances into the environment, as well as a vacuum washing machine adapted to water-soluble liquids, in which there is no need to replace the washing liquid – thanks to the “AQUADEST-CAST” washing technology using the heat transfer effect of evaporation and condensation. This particular technology allows for a tenfold reduction in the operating costs of the process.

How do you test the new technological solutions?

W.Ś.: We have several washers in our laboratory. We perform washing trials on them before producing a new device. The results of these trials are analyzed in the laboratory and evaluated by the user.

So what is the basis of innovation at Castor – innovative thinking or technical knowledge and experience?

W.Ś.: All of the above. Thorough knowledge translates into specific applications. And this gives rise to creative ways to apply the same physicochemical laws that we all know and use on a daily basis. Hence various solutions appear, which, as in our case, are protected by patents. We are currently at the stage of filing another innovative industrial cleaning method that will be covered by patent protection.

Will the implementation of the new invention have a major impact on the company’s development in the coming years?

W.Ś.: Certainly. Our latest invention is addressed to customers with a slightly smaller investment budget. We have patented a new technology, which we tentatively call “semi-hermetic”. Our goal was to eliminate all expensive components used in standard vacuum cleaners and to simplify the design as much as possible. In this way, we were able to reduce costs by several dozen percent and gain a new customer segment. The company’s development in the coming years will be largely influenced by the fact of obtaining funds from the European Union. We are in the process of building a modern hall, equipped with machines and devices that will improve the quality of our manufactured products at every stage of their production. We will complete this investment in 2015.

P.Ś.: It is also worth mentioning one more important contributing factor for Castor. This references the purchase of equipment for the new chemical laboratory, where we will perform, among others: analysis of industrial wastewater and will be able to improve the current distillation technologies, which will enable potential customers to significantly reduce the costs of industrial wastewater disposal. This is currently one of our strategic ideas to which we are strongly committed.

So the innovativeness of Castor’s activities results directly from its experience?

W.Ś.: Of course. Practically speaking, we do not make serial devices, so each subsequent machine is improved upon by the experiences already gained. We want each device to be better, equipped with more and more technically advanced components and, of course, more reliable. So that its operation does not adversely affect the environment or human health.

We make sure that our washers meet European and global standards, are aesthetically pleasing and precisely made, as well as energy-efficient, intelligent, and have the ability to communicate remotely with our service via the Internet. We constantly focus on innovation, which results in numerous patents, awards and distinctions. Therefore, an important moment in the development of Castor was to focus our activities on environmental protection and innovation, which is reflected in the creation of new products. It is mainly thanks to this that we obtained the EU funds for the development of the company.