Bonding Ultrasonic Transducer Horn

Status
Not open for further replies.

Thread Starter

Mad Professor

Joined Apr 15, 2009
133
Good day all.

I own a Kerry ultrasonic cleaning bath, but the ultrasonic transducer horn has started coming away from the base of the tank.

Can anyone here recommend what compound to use to rebond the ultrasonic transducer horn to the base of the tank?

The ultrasonic transducer horn is made out of aluminium, and the tank is stainless steel.

The ultrasonic transducer horn looks very much like this one:


Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
I am not familiar with you cleaning machine, but have done quite a bit of ultrasonic testing.

My experience suggests that you should not use a bonding agent that sets hard or rigid if the u/s wave has to pass through it.

It is normal to use a 'coupling gel' in u/s testing. Wallpaper paste works well, but would not be strong enough for mechanical support.

Perhaps the silicone suggestion will work.

Or bond it round the rim only and dam a coupling fluid inside.

go well
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
Gee, back when we put an ultrasonic transducer inside a submarine to check how much water was inside a nuclear reactor (seriously, I did that) we just used a thin coat of oil. In that setup the transducer had a spring holding it to the tank.

Vaseline also works well,as does just plain water.

A thin coat of just about any epoxy should do the trick permanently. You want a thin coat with few bubbles as bubbles scatter the wave.

As any boat using a thru hull depth sounder needs epoxy to stick it down to the boat any marine store should have *exactly* what you want.
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Any bonding agent that is flexible will absorb ultra-sonic energy and, the more rigid the better the U/S energy will be transmitted. The concerns is that a very rigid bonding agent will be blown apart by the ultrasonic energy (similar to what happened already - apparently). If you see any rigid epoxy laying around the old bonding area, try to find something less rigid (expect a less powerful sonic bath).

Dow, 3M and Henkel each have excellent acrylic, epoxy and urethane structural adhesives that will bond aluminum to stainless steel. Use their product selector to enter the two different materials you are bonding. The stronger the adhesive for your substrate (Al and SS), the more rigid adhesive you can select, and more energy transmitted.
 

studiot

Joined Nov 9, 2007
4,998
Any bonding agent that is flexible will absorb ultra-sonic energy and, the more rigid the better the U/S energy will be transmitted.
My practical experience can't agree with this, nor would it be considered best practice.

Any boundary between a rigid adhesive and the bonded metal will appear on test as reflection surface. There will, of course be two such boundaries for an adhesive.

The fluid couplant appears transparent to the u/s waves.

Sorry I no longer do this stuff so cannot show scope pictures, perhaps some other member has access to u/s testing gear and can do this?
 

paulktreg

Joined Jun 2, 2008
833
The ultrasonic cleaners I've worked on have used a very hard adhesive to bond the crystals. Perhaps something like liquid metal would do the job? The only problem I see is whatever adhesive you use you may only get one chance to get it right.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Guys, this is pure necroposting, along with a hijack. Since the OP seems to be finished with this thread I'm shutting it down. If someone wants to continue the conversation please pick it up elsewhere.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top