Alliance Manufacturing, Inc., is the exclusive U.S. distributor for ILSA-MC Srl, an Italy-based manufacturer of enclosed vacuum degreasing machines specifically designed to clean and dry precision manufactured parts.

ILSA website: www.ilsa-mc.com

About Vacuum Degreasing Parts Cleaning Systems

Vacuum degreasing is designed for precision and critical parts cleaning applications and is an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional open-top vapor degreasing equipment.  The process uses solvents to remove contaminants from manufactured parts without the use of water or scrubbing. These closed-system parts washers are ideally suited for cleaning and drying applications with tight cleanliness specifications. Safer solvents such as modified alcohols and aliphatic hydrocarbons are used in place of traditional cleaning solvents such as and trichloroethylene (TCE) and n-propyl bromide (nPB). Cleaning and drying take place under either vacuum or pressure, and residual solvent is removed from parts upon completion. Typical processes can include wash, secondary wash, rust inhibit (optional), and vacuum dry. Benefits include low VOCs (volatile organic compounds), reduced solvent consumption, minimal waste, low odors, low corrosion, enhanced drying, compact footprint, operator safety, and high cleaning effectiveness for challenging parts.

Applications for vacuum degreasing systems are numerous, including aerospace, automotive, medical, precision machined components, turned parts, screw machined parts, hydraulic components, micromechanical parts, and more. It is ideal for removing coolants, chips, and other manufacturing soils. Vacuum degreasing is utilized for cleaning and drying metal and many plastic components.

ILSA vacuum degreasing systems utilize the following safe solvents for cleaning precision parts:

• Modified alcohols
• Aliphatic hydrocarbons
• HFO (Solstice)

Vacuum degreasing systems are designed to replace these solvents:

• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Perchloroethylene (Perc)
• Methylene Chloride
• Normal Propyl Bromide (nPB)
• Hydrofluoro solvents (HFC/HFE)

How Alliance Can Help

Alliance Manufacturing, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of aqueous industrial parts washers. In addition to our aqueous line of parts washers, Alliance offers three (3) ILSA models: the IK Series, IK EVO, and IPK Series. The IK Series and IK EVO are for use with modified alcohol or aliphatic hydrocarbons and operate completely under vacuum. In addition, the IK EVO is designed for high productivity applications. The IPK Series utilizes chlorinated solvents such as perchloroethylene but can also be converted to a total vacuum configuration for using modified alcohol or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents. All models are offered in a variety of sizes and can be custom configured for specific application requirements. We work in close conjunction with the professionals at ILSA in Italy to design the right solution for each customer’s critical cleaning application. Alliance offers demonstration and testing in-house using our selection of ILSA vacuum degreasing systems.

We can take closed-loop cleaning one step further than our competition.  We have the only contained system that can run Honeywell Solstice, a safe non-VOC solvent which is NASA-approved.  Solstice is a non-volatile, employee-safe cleaner that is highly effective and has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) of less than one, which is an excellent sustainability rating.

Safe Solvent Cleaning Alternative – Is Your Parts Cleaning Process Ready for the Regulations?

Open-top solvent cleaning systems are being phased out as bans come down on less environmentally friendly cleaning solvents such as Trichloroethylene (TCE), Normal Propyl Bromide (nPB), Perchloroethylene (Perc), Methylene Chloride, and Hydrofluoro solvents (HFC/HFE). With the growing concerns over traditional solvents, manufacturers currently using these for parts cleaning are faced with the predicament of how to effectively clean precision and critical parts and must quickly convert to alternative cleaning systems.

In 2016, the EPA published a list of chemicals that they would target for risk evaluation and increased regulation, including those commonly used in degreasing operations. Then in 2020, the EPA determined that these solvents all pose an unreasonable risk to workers, and that there is no type of equipment, engineering controls, or process that can mitigate these risks. In May 2020 the Minnesota Legislature passed a partial ban on TCE, making it the first state to enact legislation that restricts most permitted uses of TCE. The ban is effective as of June 2022. In the coming months, additional legislation may pass which will substantially impact the way manufactured parts are cleaned. This will likely become more expansive under new federal legislation. In the future there could be a full ban on the manufacture, sale, or use of solvents; a limit on maximum concentrations per facility; regulations on how they are used; required monitoring and testing on workers; and regulation on methods of disposal.

After the Montreal Protocol placed a ban on certain cleaning solvents in 1994, Alliance helped other manufacturers transition to new, safer cleaning methods. Over the past 25+ years, we have positioned ourselves to be a leading resource in environmentally friendly cleaning processes. Alliance Manufacturing offers excellent cleaning alternative both in aqueous and in fully enclosed solvent cleaning systems designed as a replacement for older solvent-based cleaning systems.

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