Vigotec Water-Cooled Copper Mirror Optical Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine

Water-Cooled Copper Mirror Optical Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine VGT-1409FH

Water-cooled copper mirrors undergo several cleaning processes during production:

This is a question regarding actual production processes. In the manufacturing of water-cooled copper mirrors, ultrasonic cleaning is a critical and common step, primarily used to remove specific contaminants generated after certain processing stages.

VGT Optical Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine Manufacturer first provides an overview of the cleaning processes:

1. Pre-Coating Cleaning:

This is the most critical and indispensable ultrasonic process in the entire production workflow.

Purpose: Before placing the highly polished copper mirror substrate into the coating machine, its surface must be cleaned to "atomic-level cleanliness." Any tiny particles, oil stains, fingerprints, or organic residues can become defect points during coating, leading to reduced film adhesion, pinhole formation, or even localized peeling, severely affecting the final product's laser damage threshold and service life.

Cleaning Target: The polished substrate surface of the copper mirror.

Contaminants Removed:

Polishing compound residues: Extremely fine particles such as cerium oxide or aluminum oxide that may become embedded after precision polishing.

Grease and fingerprints: From handling and inspection processes. 

Particulates: Dust, fibers, and other environmental contaminants.

Surface oxides: Slight oxidation layers (often requiring specific cleaning solutions).

Process Characteristics:

Typically, a multi-tank ultrasonic cleaning machine is used, sequentially cleaning and rinsing with solvents of varying purity (e.g., alkaline detergents, deionized water, isopropyl alcohol).

After cleaning, the workpiece is dried with high-purity nitrogen in an ultra-clean environment and immediately transferred to the coating machine to avoid secondary contamination.

2. Pre-Final Assembly/Encapsulation Cleaning:

Purpose: Conduct a final thorough cleaning before assembling the copper mirror with cooling interfaces, housings, and other components into a complete module. Ensure that the interior remains clean after encapsulation, preventing any contaminants from volatilizing, migrating, and contaminating the optical surface during long-term use.

Cleaning Target: Mainly non-optical areas of the copper mirror (e.g., sidewalls, threaded holes) and assembly parts.

Contaminants Removed: Particles, metal debris, and slight fingerprints that may be introduced during assembly.

3. Cleaning During Rework/Repair Processes:

Purpose: If a copper mirror fails quality inspection (e.g., defective coating requiring recoating), the existing failed coating must first be completely removed (stripping).

Process: Stripping is typically done using chemical immersion (e.g., weak acid solutions) or specialized stripping agents. After stripping, the surface retains significant chemical residues and coating material particles, necessitating ultrasonic cleaning to thoroughly remove these residues and restore the substrate to a near-original state for repolishing (if needed) and recoating.

Process Characteristics: This step may involve more aggressive cleaning due to stubborn chemical residues and particles. Since the coating has been removed, the robust copper substrate can withstand stronger cleaning without risk of damaging the film.

The VGT VGT-1409FH is a well-designed, professionally functional cleaning device, with many structural features that meet the stringent requirements for cleaning high-value, high-precision water-cooled copper mirrors.

The VGT VGT-1409FH is not merely an "ultrasonic generator + tank." Its design advantages are evident in the following aspects, which directly determine the safety, effectiveness, and convenience of cleaning water-cooled copper mirrors.

1. Split Design/Full Stainless Steel Structure:

Advantage: The cleaning tank is separated from the generator and control system. The primary benefit of this design is effective isolation of vibration and heat.

Significance for Water-Cooled Copper Mirrors:

Vibration Isolation: Prevents electronic components in the control system from loosening or deteriorating due to long-term exposure to ultrasonic vibrations, ensuring device longevity and stability. During cleaning, vibrations are confined to the tank, resulting in a steadier operating interface.

Heat Isolation: Heat generated by heaters and ultrasonic operation is isolated, preventing it from directly affecting the performance of precision electronic components and ensuring control accuracy. Additionally, the all-stainless-steel tank is corrosion-resistant, high-temperature-resistant, easy to clean, and will not rust or contaminate workpieces due to cleaning solutions (which may be weakly alkaline or solvent-based).

2. Precision Variable-Frequency Ultrasonic Generator:

Advantage: One of the core advantages of this device. It allows users to switch or automatically scan within a certain frequency range (e.g., 40 kHz, 80 kHz, 120 kHz).

Significance for Water-Cooled Copper Mirrors:

Precision Cleaning: Low frequencies (e.g., 40 kHz) deliver strong energy and intense cavitation, suitable for removing stubborn contaminants like polishing compounds. High frequencies (e.g., 120 kHz) provide gentle energy and fine cavitation, making them safe for optical films and ideal for fine cleaning and rinsing, effectively removing micron and submicron particles without damaging the coating.

Avoiding Standing Waves: The automatic frequency-sweeping function causes slight fluctuations around the central frequency, disrupting standing wave fields in the tank. This ensures more uniform energy distribution, eliminates dead zones, and prevents uneven cleaning or localized overloads on the copper mirror surface.

3. Intelligent Heating and Temperature Control:

Advantage: Built-in heater with precise control of cleaning solution temperature (typically RT to 80°C).

Significance for Water-Cooled Copper Mirrors:

Improved Cleaning Efficiency: Moderate heating (typically 40-60°C) reduces the surface tension of the cleaning solution, enhances cavitation, and accelerates chemical reactions (if detergents are used), making cleaning more effective and efficient for removing grease and fingerprints.

Process Repeatability: Precise temperature control ensures each cleaning cycle is performed under identical parameters, which is crucial for maintaining consistent product quality in mass production.

4. Robotic Arm Automatic Lifting System:

Advantage: This is typically what the "FH" in the VGT-1409FH model represents (Frequency Hopping + Heater + Hoist).

Significance for Water-Cooled Copper Mirrors:

Avoiding Secondary Contamination: After cleaning, the robotic arm smoothly and steadily lifts the cleaning basket out of the solution, allowing the cleaning fluid to drip off naturally. Manual extraction, which may be uneven or shaky, can cause dislodged contaminants suspended in the solution to re-adhere to the workpiece surface.

Operational Safety and Convenience: Water-cooled copper mirrors are often very heavy, making manual handling inconvenient and unsafe. Mechanical lifting is labor-saving and reliable, also preventing operators from contacting hot cleaning solutions.

5. High-Quality Transducer Bonding Process:

Advantage: Although not visible externally, the uniformity and firmness of ultrasonic transducer bonding to the tank bottom directly determine energy output uniformity and device lifespan.

Significance for Water-Cooled Copper Mirrors: As a professional brand, VGT ensures reliable transducer processes. This means uniform ultrasonic energy output across the entire tank bottom, avoiding areas that are too strong (potentially damaging films) or too weak (ineffective cleaning), ensuring every part of the water-cooled copper mirror receives consistent treatment.

Summary and Operational Recommendations:

With its core advantages of 【Variable-Frequency Ultrasonics】, 【Precise Temperature Control】, 【Mechanical Lifting】, and 【Split Stainless Steel Structure】, the VGT VGT-1409FH provides an efficient, safe, controllable, and repeatable precision cleaning solution for water-cooled copper mirrors.

Operational Recommendations:
For valuable water-cooled copper mirrors, even with such advanced equipment, it is advisable to use the most conservative parameters:

Frequency: Prefer high frequencies (e.g., 80 or 120 kHz) for primary cleaning.

Temperature: Set between 40-50°C.

Power: Start at 50%-70% power.

Time: Initial trials should last 3-5 minutes, with adjustments based on observed results.

Cleaning Solution: Always use optical-grade neutral detergents mixed with deionized water.

Combining high-quality workpieces with professional equipment and rigorous processes achieves optimal cleaning results.