Company News Archives - Page 4 of 4

A New Year

Happy New Year! I said this to a new client by the name of Jim who I spoke to on the phone this week. His reply was, “This is going to be the best year ever!!”

WOW! His response really resonated with me. Here is a guy that recently lost his job with a company he worked with for over 10 years. At a time when he has every right to feel confused, angry and even resentful, amidst the daily news reports of doom and gloom, he remains utterly and fantastically optimistic.

When I asked him how he could be so positive, he told me, “I have been waiting all my life to take control and not work for someone else. I was just too scared to do it before. Getting laid off was the best thing that could have happened to me because now I will set my own hours, be my own boss, and take control of my own destiny.”

…And he will. I have personally seen this scenario play out over and over again; people who have diligently worked for another boss for years finally having the opportunity to step out on their own and take charge. For many, it is a truly liberating and thrilling experience. They finally have the chance to live out their dreams and define what success means personally for themselves and their families. Although there is hard work involved with starting your own company, once things take off, our clients are then financially rewarded in ways that could never dream of as someone else’s employee.

Good luck Jim…I do believe you are right. This may just be the best year of your professional life.

Automotive Parts Cleaning with Ultrasonics

When it comes to cleaning Automotive Parts, the Ultrasonic process does an exceptionally good job. Whether it is grease, dust, rust, carbon, or other dirts, in most cases, these can be removed quickly and easily without hours of hand scrubbing or use of harsh chemicals.

I wanted to share with you some pictures from recent jobs that we’ve done.

Most recently, I had a client visit and he brought with him an intake manifold from a Ford Mustang engine. He was specifically looking for a way to clean parts prior to powder coating them. Here are the “before” pictures:

Here are photos of our client checking out the finished result:

Depending on the type of dirt we are dealing with, and the make up of the parts to be cleaned, we may work with either a 40kHz frequency (our standard) or a 25kHz frequency to get more aggressive. The rule of thumb is that the lower the frequency, the larger the bubble that is being produced and the more powerful the implosion in the Cavitation process. We also have 4 different cleaning solutions that we utilize depending again on the dirt and the part.

Take a look at the following before and after photographs of other automotive parts we have cleaned with Ultrasonics:

A few of the parts you see above are piston heads and exhaust lifters from a motorcycle. There are also rims from a Nascar race car. We have similarly cleaned helicopter parts, boat parts, airplane parts and more. Next week we will be trying something new…lawnmower parts…so check back soon.

Federal Express Uses Morantz Ultrasonics to Clean Ball Bearings

One of the things I love about my work is that I am constantly learning new things. On a regular basis, I am sent parts of all types from all over the world to either test clean or come up with a protocol for how they should be cleaned. Who knew that so many bars, valves, molds, nozzles, and other intricate objects were involved with creating so many others items? (OK…maybe you did, but this was not something I was exposed to until later in life).

So, I’ve come to learn a tremendous amount about parts in my past 15 years at Morantz, but it’s still surprising how primitive the attempt at maintenance is for many of these items. For example…

Several years ago, we were contacted by Federal Express. They wanted to know if we cleaned ball bearings. Specifically, they had ball bearings on their conveyor belts that were seizing up because of dirt, and sometimes de-icing chemical, that was getting into the crevices and preventing the balls from spinning. To rebuild the bearings, the cost was $30/each.

We did a trial cleaning and you could literally see the dirt streaming out of the small groove. When we gave Fed Ex a quote of $1.45 per bearing for cleaning, they were thrilled! The next thing we knew, we had 10,000 bearings at our facility to be cleaned (sent via Fed Ex, of course). Fortunately, our machines could easily accomodate 100 bearings at a time.

It only took about 10 minutes per load in our machines and we were able to complete the job in a day and a half. Again, Fed Ex was thrilled! In fact, when we returned the bearings to their distribution center, we were immediately given another 10,000 bearings! And this one facility had over 300,000 bearings that were contstantly being rotated in and out, and given to us for maintenance. Saying this was a great job is an understatement.

This was the beginning of a National contract that was ongoing throughout the country and utilized many of our clients. Everybody was a winner in this scenario.

Thanks, Fed Ex!

Cleaning Keyboards with Ultrasonics

Yesterday I was looking at my computer keyboard and realized that it was time to clean it. Like everyone else, I too sometimes eat at my desk, drop crumbs in the keyboard and have general dirt build up over time. Unlike everyone else, I have unlimited access to ultrasonic machines to clean my keyboard.

Before starting, I decided to take some photos so everyone could see this quick and easy process. I also took some readings both before and after the cleaning so that everyone could appreciate the cleanliness difference that ultrasonic cleaning really makes.

First, the Swab Test

We took a pre-swab for an ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) test that measures bioluminesence or signs of bacterial life. This count gives a starting point and is a great way to verify that our cleaning is working. As you can see, the count on my keyboard was 181 (dirty!).

Most people don’t appreciate that their keyboards can be a breeding ground for germs. In fact, there has recently been much discovered and reported about in the news on how keyboards at nursing stations have been one of the main causes of the spread of MRSA in the hospitals both domestic and abroad.

Next, the Cleaning

Next, we submerged the keyboard for one minute in our M-115(Mighty One) ultrasonic cleaning system which is regularly used for cleaning electronics of all types.

Results

After removing the keyboard and drying it with both our Heated Blow Dry Gun and in our Drye Rite electronics drying station, we performed another ATP swab test. This time the result was only 29 which is great (for comparison, in the food industry, anything under 30 is considered to be excellent).

The result is that I am now typing this blog from a keyboard that looks better, functions better and is verified as clean. If you are currently working in or considering ultrasonic cleaning for offices, hospitals, schools and other public areas, I would recommend you consider ATP testing along with your ultrasonic process to show your clients the difference that ultrasonic cleaning makes.

New Clients Visit for Training

Today we welcome new clients to our family of Ultrasonic Cleaners. The team from Clean Blinds Now, David Morson, along with his fiancée, Cindy, his father Lamar and Lamar’s wife Hannah all completed 2 days of Basic Training at our Philadelphia headquarters and are headed back home to take delivery of their new 3-in-1 system.

Training is among my very favorite activities at Morantz Ultrasonics. While I do the majority of the teaching during training, I also make sure I spend time at the beginning of each session doing plenty of listening. This is my way of knowing what I really need to teach my clients to position them best for success. Believe me, it’s not the same for everyone. I’ve never approached our training as a set, static class. I individualize each training session for the needs of that client. This is the reason we conduct our basic training classes one on one and not in a group, classroom style.

For example, Dave and his family are a new, start-up business. They are planning to diversify into many different areas of ultrasonic cleaning including window blind cleaning, fire restoration and parts cleaning. To teach them everything they needed to know, I set aside two days. Beyond the basic know-how of the machine and cleaning techniques, we spent time talking about the family’s goals and expectations for the business. This helps me to make recommendations on things as diversified as marketing, pricing, and even the legal structure of the company (I am a lawyer, so I always ask about the nitty, gritty details to make sure everything is being thought through). However, if for example, I was training an existing fire restoration company, I would not approach the training the same way. Their needs are very different, as is each client’s needs.

I truly believe that training and support is the key to success in this business, and while each client has different needs, we are available for all of them. I told David before he left that he should feel free to call me and ask questions often….especially in the beginning when he is just getting started. He admitted that he is a bit anxious about everything but feels better knowing he can reach us should he need to.

Best wishes to the Morson family on their new venture!

Note: Shortly after this post, here is the note we received from the Morson’s:

Dear Stan, Lisa, Heather, and the entire Morantz Team.

We wanted to thank you for your hospitality, generosity, and wonderful experience we had coming to your operation. We look forward to embarking on a wonderful journey in the world of ultrasonic cleaning. The professionalism of each of your employees was unmatched. It was truly a pleasure dealing with each of them.

We are very excited to get started and look forward to many future dealings with your company.

Sincerely,
David, LaMar, and Hannah Morson
Clean Blinds Now