Although relatively inexpensive and highly efficient at cleaning components, trichloroethylene (trike) is ecologically harmful.  If over one tonne of the chemical is used in a year, the solvent emissions directive states that it must be replaced in the shortest possible time and should not be used without a permit beyond 31st July 2008.

So Exeter paint shop, Revill Industrial Finishes, which previously used nine tonnes of trike annually, has switched to an aqueous cleaning system from Hampshire-based Turbex, which specialises in supplying water-based industrial washing machines. Instead of solvent it uses water and two non-hazardous additives Ð detergent for degreasing and phosphate to coat the parts ready for painting. They are of such low environmental impact that the company has received wholehearted approval of its new process from both its local authority and water treatment company.

Instead of solvent it uses water and two non-hazardous additives Ð detergent for degreasing and phosphate to coat the parts ready for painting. They are of such low environmental impact that the company has received wholehearted approval of its new process from both its local authority and water treatment company.

The company has found that the aqueous cleaning machine, which started operating on the Exeter site at the beginning of 2008, is just as efficient as trike at degreasing components.  The sole proviso is that water tends to remain longer in awkward areas compared with solvent, so more care has to be taken when loading the parts in the work chamber.

The front-loading, multi-stage Turbex AC-2.5-3 spray wash machine is one fifth cheaper to run than the former trike system, as although electricity usage is a little higher, consumption of consumables is down and so too are labour costs.

The addition of a protective phosphate layer after aqueous cleaning means that it is no longer necessary to paint components straight away. Furthermore, the phosphate coat provides a better key for wet paint or electrostatic powder coating. Using tape, bend and cross-hatch tests, the subcontractor has confirmed the quality of the paint finish on components that have been processed in the aqueous machine.