A Clean Process: Efficient Metal Degreasing

Lubricants are vital during production: they protect tools and equipment, optimize material flow, and improve processing efficiency. In addition, special anti-corrosion oils prevent oxidation during production. However, these substances must later be completely removed from the metal surface, as any residue or contamination resulting from previous production cycles can cause serious corrosion problems, poor adhesion, or defects in coatings. Only after complete removal of oil, grease, and dirt can paints, coatings, or further treatments bond effectively.

In mass finishing, cleaning is not just about polishing or deburring. Here, degreasing means the targeted removal of oil, grease, dirt, or residue from the metal surface—substances that are not part of the workpiece itself but contaminate it.

At home, such contamination might be removed with sprays, alcohol, solvents, or simple brushing. In industrial environments, however, reliable and efficient systems are required to ensure consistent quality and prevent corrosion problems.

One of the main advantages of mass finishing is its ability to combine several treatment steps into one. A cleaning step can almost always be integrated into the finishing process. Since water is almost always part of the system, the addition of chemicals—called compounds—ensures both metal degreasing and effective removal of contaminants. At the same time, the abrasive media supports mechanical action, which increases the efficiency of oil and grease removal.

Compounds are the true “degreasers” of mass finishing. Added in liquid or powder form, they dissolve oil and grease, prevent oxidation, and improve the overall efficiency of the degreasing process. Options include strong alkaline solutions for heavily contaminated parts, neutral cleaners for sensitive materials, or additives that reduce corrosion. Their high dirt-carrying capacity ensures clean metal parts, media, and machines throughout the cycle.

Not every application requires combined cleaning. In many industries, dedicated washing systems focus exclusively on metal degreasing and cleaning. These machines are integrated into production lines and achieve excellent results even at low temperatures, with efficient disposal of wastewater and minimized residue.

A precisely adjusted and coordinated process water management and monitoring system is crucial to ensure part and surface cleaning that is not only effective and cost-efficient, but also environmentally responsible with regard to disposal.
Even when a cleaning step such as degreasing is integrated into the production process, the process water can be treated and reused multiple times.
With our digital process water analysis software, Rösler Smart Solutions (RSS), the contamination level of the water and its pH value are continuously monitored.

In cleaning blasting, the acceleration energy imparted to the abrasive medium is used to dislodge or abrasively remove foreign substances from the workpiece surface. The range of possible cleaning tasks is broad. The type and amount of contaminants determine everything—the energy required from the blast, and consequently the choice of abrasive and the blasting system.

To remove molding sand and other residues from typically rough cast surfaces, a high-energy, high-impact blast is required, which is most economically achieved with turbines or centrifugal wheels and relatively large, round blasting media.

Subcategories of Cleaning Blasting
The processes of sand removal, scale removal, rust removal, and coating removal are widely used in numerous industrial sectors—especially in heavy industry, steel construction, and foundries, where these systems can reach enormous dimensions. Detailed information on each of these processing methods can be found in the respective dedicated sections.