Barbara and Edward Kanegsberg

January 2021

Azeotropes – Critical cleaning with “Best Friend” Molecules

Some children hang out together constantly – they are inseparable. Many solvent blends for critical cleaning applications are marketed as “azeotropes” or “azeotrope-like”. In some ways azeotropes behave like childhood best friends – under certain conditions, the molecules seem inseparable. As a product manufacturer, it makes great business sense to […]
August 2020

Human Factors in Critical Cleaning

“To err is human, to forgive divine,” Alexander Pope (1) To err is not an option in critical product cleaning. The stark reality for manufacturers is that error leads to low yields, unsatisfied customers, lost business. Error, often resulting from ineffective or avoided critical product cleaning, can jeopardize patients, passengers, […]
July 2020

Cleaning Perspective– parts2clean, Part II

For new perspectives on effective cleaning, simply go to a trade show. What trade shows? Explore cleaning options by continuing our virtual tour of the 2019 parts2clean trade fair in Stuttgart. In the first installment of “Cleaning Perspective “(1), we discussed cyclic nucleation, laser and CO2 processes. We continue with […]
June 2020

The Future of Manufacturing – Regulations, Restrictions, Maybe Bans

Read this if you use free-range, cage-free cleaning agents to clean products during manufacturing. Read this if you clean with halogenated solvents. Even if you don’t use halogenated solvents, there is a good chance that the performance of your current cleaning processes depends on manufacturers in your supply chain who […]
August 2019

Exponential Rinsing

Originally Published June 2017 Question: Why should you consider using multiple rinse tanks? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to build one big rinse tank? Won’t automation and parts handling be easier with one tank? Wouldn’t the cleaning process run faster? Before we answer this… Let’s review product cleaning during manufacturing. Soil is […]
April 2019

The Next 25 Years of Critical Cleaning, Part 2

Twenty-five years for BFK Solutions LLC. Neither “The Cleaning Lady” nor “The Rocket Scientist” have run away from home. We continue to fantasize about that remote beach with the refreshing beverage adorned with tiny umbrellas. That won’t help you. What will help you is to discuss trends, problems, and opportunities […]
March 2019

The Next 25 Years of Critical Cleaning, Part 1

March 2019 marks the 25th Anniversary of BFK Solutions. Twenty-five years of helping manufacturers improve critical product cleaning, achieve superior surface quality, and minimize residue level. In celebration, we’re providing you with a heads-up about trends and opportunities that we see happening over the next twenty-five years. Truth be told, […]
June 2018

EPA Lautenberg Update – A Window of Opportunity

The EPA is further scrutinizing cleaning solvents trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE, tetrachloroethylene), methylene chloride (MC), n-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP), and n-propyl bromide (nPB, 1-bromopropane). We discussed EPA actions in the February issue of Clean Source.  Now, the EPA has published new documents relating to these solvents and five other chemicals and has […]
May 2018

It Happened! A Revolutionary Cleaning Workshop

The first Product Quality Cleaning Workshops (PQCW) was at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville Texas, May 16-17. Participants included manufacturers in the areas of automotive, optics, medical, and metal finishing as well as developers of cleaning chemistries, cleaning equipment, and techniques for surface analysis. The workshop confirmed our expectation […]
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