Here at UltraSonic LLC, we field many questions about all aspects of ultrasonic cleaning for industrial, automotive, aerospace and medical parts—questions such as, how ultrasonic cleaning works; which parts can be cleaned; what it takes to get started; and so on.
Yet the most frequently asked questions we get about ultrasonic cleaning are money-related: How much does an ultrasonic cleaning machine cost? How much does it cost to operate? And how much money can I save by switching to ultrasonic cleaning for my industrial, automotive, aerospace or medical parts?
In our last two blogs, we compiled a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about ultrasonic cleaning that we receive from customers and prospects, along with answers to each one. In this post, we want to illustrate the incredible cost savings that ultrasonic cleaning offers over hand washing by breaking down the approximate total cost of operation for a typical UltraSonic LLC unit, the 3200FA 65-gallon ultrasonic cleaning machine.
Total Cost of Operation Example
Let’s say your industrial operation utilizes many component parts, all of which come into contact every day with contaminants such as grease, oil, dirt, carbon and other particulates. Those parts get dirty, so they need to be cleaned in order to keep working well over time.
You may or may not realize it, but hand-washing those parts is burning a hole in your pocket—and it has your employees seeing red, too. Hand washing takes lots of time from start to finish, which costs you lots of money—no matter what your shop’s hourly rates are. Also, hand washing doesn’t always get parts as clean as they can or should be. And, it’s a morale killer on the shop floor—most workers loathe having to clean parts.
Suppose you consider purchasing an UltraSonic LLC 3200FA, our high-performance 65-gallon workhorse, and one of our most popular ultrasonic cleaning machines. First, let’s outline your costs. The purchase price on that 3200FA is $15,000. Conversely, for a five-year lease, the monthly payment is about $310 per month, give or take a few dollars.
Next, approximately $90 per month to properly maintain the 3200FA. Figure an additional $90 per month for disposal of the used water and the contaminants removed from your parts during the ultrasonic cleaning process. And finally, add on $50 per month for the electricity needed to power the 3200FA (that’s probably a high figure, but to be fair, we want to err on the high side).
In total, your approximate monthly cost for the 3200FA is $310 + $90 + $90 + $50, or $540.00.
Now, consider the savings. Let’s say our UltraSonic LLC 3200FA can save you one hour per day in cleaning time. That’s conservative – many of our customers report saving two hours or more of cleaning time each day – but again, we want to err on the conservative side. If your hourly shop rate is $75, then five hours per week of time saved equals $375. Twenty hours per month of time saved equals $1,500. Annually, your 240 hours of time saved equals $18,000. And over five years – the term of your 3200FA lease – your savings comes out to $90,000.
Suppose the 3200FA saves you two hours of cleaning time per day. Those numbers double. Suppose your hourly shop rate is $100; again, the numbers significantly rise. What should be plainly obvious is that the costs of ultrasonic cleaning are dwarfed by the enormous savings. Plus, by using the UltraSonic LLC 3200FA, you’ll have precision-cleaned parts, which in turn will save you from warranty headaches. You can even market the cleanliness you achieve. How so? By ultrasonically cleaning your parts, your industrial operation is cleaner than the competition’s. You’re doing it better, and you’re delivering a better product as a result.
Again, the numbers we used above are approximate, and they serve illustrative purposes only. Your actual costs may vary somewhat based on factors unique to you and your operation. Yet we believe they accurately reflect the basic overall cost of operation, as well as the tremendous cost savings of ultrasonic cleaning over labor and cost-intensive hand-washing.
We hope you found this information helpful. If you have questions about industrial parts cleaning methods or industrial parts cleaners – or if you would like information about ultrasonic cleaning for industrial applications and UltraSonic LLC industrial cleaning machines, fill out our contact form, and an UltraSonic LLC representative will be in touch shortly to discuss your requirement.