Looks Clean? Is It Really Clean?
A component can look perfectly clean and still contain oil, grease, metal particles, carbon, polishing paste or other microscopic contaminants.This is one of the biggest challenges in technical cleanliness.Visual inspection tells you what you can see. Technical cleanliness testing tells you what is actually left on the component. Learn More Why Does a Clean-Looking Component Fail a Cleanliness Test? A component may fail a technical cleanliness test because contaminants can remain in areas that are difficult to see or reach, such as: Blind holes Internal cavities Grooves and channels Threads Complex geometries Recessed surfaces Small passages Even when the component looks clean from the outside, microscopic particles or residues may remain trapped in these areas. For precision-manufactured components, these contaminants can later affect assembly, performance, reliability and downstream processes. The Problem With Visual Inspection Visual inspection is useful, but it has a limitation: If...