Ultrasonic Parts Cleaners for Workshops & Plants

The comparison

Ultrasonic vs a solvent parts washer

A solvent parts washer works on fresh oil and grease: like dissolves like, and it works well. It stalls on anything that has changed chemically since it arrived. Baked carbon, varnish and scale come out of the bath where they went in, and soil settles back onto the part as it drains. Then there is the disposal paperwork, and the flammability rules that apply near any heat source.

An ultrasonic parts cleaner runs a heated, water-based chemistry matched to the soil. Cavitation carries its energy in the liquid, so it reaches blind holes, cross-drillings and thread roots at full strength. One cycle takes off particles and films together, at a time and temperature you can write on a process card and repeat.

Solvent soak

Wets everything, moves nothing. Lifts fresh oil; baked carbon, varnish and scale stay where they were.

Spray cabinet

Line of sight. The jet stops where the part turns a corner, so blind holes are cleaned by hope.

Ultrasonic

Wherever the liquid goes, the energy goes with it. Nothing mechanical touches the surface.

The limits are real. The part has to fit the basket: 320 mm on the MSX 15, 490 mm on the MSX 30, 500 mm on the MSX 50 and 600 mm on the MSX 70. On crude work, such as mud off a loader, a pressure washer is quicker.

Six cleaning methods compared →

The machines

Four parts cleaners, bench to floor

Two benchtop machines for the bench that works every day, and two floor-standing machines for heads, housings and batch trays. All four heat to 80 °C.

MSX 15

15 L · $3,970 ex GST

320 × 225 mm basket, 130 mm working depth, 8 kg load. 300 W at 40 kHz. Runs from a standard 240 V 10 A socket.

Full specification →

MSX 30

30 L · $5,980 ex GST

490 × 235 mm basket, 140 mm working depth, 12 kg load. 650 W, dual 25 / 45 kHz. Runs from a standard 240 V 10 A socket.

Full specification →

MSX 50

50 L · from $13,770 ex GST

500 × 300 mm basket, 300 mm working depth. 1,500 W at 25 kHz with load sensing. 240 V single phase, 15 A socket.

Full specification →

MSX 70

70 L · from $15,900 ex GST

600 × 400 mm basket, 300 mm working depth. 1,500 W at 25 kHz with load sensing. 240 V single phase, 15 A socket.

Full specification →

Model	Tank	Basket · working depth	Frequency	Ultrasonic power	Heating	Supply	Price ex GST
MSX 15	15 L	320 × 225 mm · 130 mm	40 kHz	300 W	0.6 kW pad, to 80 °C	240 V, 10 A socket	$3,970
MSX 30	30 L	490 × 235 mm · 140 mm	25 / 45 kHz dual	650 W	1 kW pad, to 80 °C	240 V, 10 A socket	$5,980
MSX 50	50 L	500 × 300 mm · 300 mm	25 kHz	1,500 W	2.4 kW cartridge, to 80 °C	240 V, 15 A socket	From $13,770
MSX 70	70 L	600 × 400 mm · 300 mm	25 kHz	1,500 W	2.4 kW cartridge, to 80 °C	240 V, 15 A socket	From $15,900

Prices ex GST. Specifications and pricing are confirmed in writing at quotation. Parts longer than 600 mm go to the MSX 140 to 240 or the EvoSonic range: see ultrasonic cleaner sizes.

Chemistry

The chemistry does half the work

Cavitation does the work; the chemistry decides what it works on. The parts cleaners run the aqueous alkaline range. Acid descaling chemistry stays in dedicated acid tanks.

FX Degreaser

The daily bath for oils, grease and workshop soils. 5% in water, works from warm.

MetalTek 100

Grease, rust, scale, carbon and paint off steel and cast iron in one bath. pH 14, so ferrous only.

AquaVantage 815 GD

Aerospace-approved aqueous for new-manufacture and precision work; 815 QR-NF for MRO carbon.

Find my chemical

Questions

Before you buy

Can an ultrasonic cleaner replace a solvent parts washer?

For parts that fit the basket, yes, and it cleans the internals a spray or soak washer never touches. The limit is basket size: 320 mm on the MSX 15, 490 mm on the MSX 30, 500 mm on the MSX 50 and 600 mm on the MSX 70. Bigger parts belong with the MSX 140 to 240 and EvoSonic machines.

What chemistry goes in an ultrasonic parts cleaner?

Water-based alkaline chemistry matched to the soil. FX Degreaser is the daily bath for oils, grease and workshop soils at 5% in water. MetalTek 100 takes grease, rust, scale, carbon and paint off steel and cast iron, and is for ferrous parts only. AquaVantage 815 GD covers precision and approvals work. Acid descaling chemistry stays in dedicated acid tanks. The chemical selector gives a shortlist from four questions.

What power supply does a workshop parts cleaner need?

The MSX 15 and MSX 30 run from a standard 240 V 10 A socket on the supplied 3 m lead. The MSX 50 and MSX 70 are 240 V single phase and need a 15 A socket. The larger MSX 140 and MSX 240 are 415 V three-phase.

What temperature should the bath run at?

All four machines heat from ambient to 80 °C, and the chemistry sets the window. FX Degreaser works from warm; the documented engine block process runs at 70–80 °C and the piston ring-groove process at 70 °C. The cleaning temperature guide covers chemistry against substrate.

Which size parts cleaner do I need?

The smallest one your largest part fits in, fully under the liquid, with clearance. Compare basket length and working depth, not litres: the 30 L MSX 30 has 140 mm of working depth, the 50 L MSX 50 has 300 mm. The ultrasonic cleaner sizes guide lists every model from 3 L to 46,000 L.

Ultrasonic parts cleaners for workshops and plants

Ultrasonic vs a solvent parts washer

Four parts cleaners, bench to floor

MSX 15

MSX 30

MSX 50

MSX 70

Parts that come through a workshop or plant

The chemistry does half the work

Before you buy

Tell us what you are cleaning