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Trial Number 2

Trial Purpose:

To identify a cleaning process that would eliminate TCE and control potential rusting issues with steel parts.

Date Run:

06/13/2008

Experiment Procedure:

The visit started with a walk through of the facility. The company does a lot of stamping or striking and fusing work. The stamping is putting a design in the metals by stamping it in a press. The fusing takes a made part, stamped or cut and putts in a post or pin or something on it with a press or fusing machine.

They use various types of metals, the softest being brass and aluminum. They metals come in rolls and they make items out of these rolls. They do not do buffing on site and if parts come back to them with excessive compound on them, they send them back and ask them to clean them.

The striking or stamping machines required the worker to spray or squirt on lubrication to the metal directly with a spray bottle. There was no automated delivery of the fluid. It was a light oil mixture that didn’t need to clean off in many instances. Some of the striking parts have to be heat treated to make the metal flexible again so there could not be any oil on them, or they will oxidize.

In the fusing process, where they add a part on to another they have stamped, they need to make sure there is no oil on the piece being fused with the stainless post or the fusing won't take, and the post could rust.

The degreaser wasn’t used all the time and only part of each day. It was a 25-gallon tanks in the degreaser and held 10 gal on one side and 15 on the other.

Trial Results:

The company expressed their willingness to get rid of the vapor degreaser. They also were going to send parts and the oils to the lab. Forms were sent to the company.

Success Rating:

Technology Transfer.

Conclusion:

By the end of the fiscal year, no parts or forms were received. The company will be contacted early in the new fiscal year to continue services.

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