A cleaned component may still contain microscopic particles or contamination that cannot be reliably quantified through visual inspection. Millipore testing provides manufacturers with a documented method for measuring residual particulate contamination and verifying components against defined cleanliness specifications.
At AWT, typically work with engine-ready components. We help manufacturers verify particulate cleanliness against their required specifications. Our test results provide a clear basis for accepting a component before assembly. Read on to learn more about our precise testing methods and reported cleanliness measurements.
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Benefits of Particulate Contamination Testing
Millipore testing, also known as gravimetric cleanliness testing, measures how much solid contamination remains on a part after it is cleaned. The result gives manufacturers an objective number they can act on:
- Confirms that parts meet the cleanliness limits set in a customer or industry specification
- Catches residual particles that cause wear, clogging, or early failure in assembled systems
- Shows whether a cleaning process removes contamination or needs adjustment
- Produces documented results that support quality records and audits
- Compares the cleanliness of parts from different suppliers or production runs
Component Cleanliness Testing & Verification
AWT provides particulate contamination testing services in PA for a wide range of industries. We measure and verify part cleanliness to confirm that each part meets or exceeds its required specification. Clients also send us their own parts and components for a cleanliness check.
We pair that testing with the manufacturing steps around it:
- Cleanliness measurement and verification of customer parts against their specifications
- Cleanliness testing of parts and components that clients send in for inspection
- Metrology services for calibration checks and equipment verification
- Finishing with powder coating, priming, and painting in a 30-foot paint booth
- Machining, technical welding, prototyping, and assembly
How Membrane Filtration Analysis Works
Millipore Corporation’s membrane filter media give the test its name. The loaded membrane disc is called the patch and serves as the collection surface for all extracted particles. Gravimetric and microscopic analysis both work from that same patch.
Extraction Methods
Millipore testing measures particulate contamination on specified component surfaces. An extraction step transfers particles from those surfaces into a test fluid. The specification determines whether pressure rinsing, agitation, or ultrasonic extraction applies.
Pressure rinsing reaches accessible external surfaces on welded components. Ultrasonic extraction is required for blind holes and internal passages where a directed rinse cannot dislodge retained particles. The specification identifies which method applies to the surfaces named in the extraction area.
Some specifications require extraction to repeat in successive passes. Recovery decreasing across consecutive passes confirms the defined surfaces have been fully sampled. A controlled procedure keeps fluid volume and extraction parameters consistent across comparable tests.
Membrane and Pore Size
Membrane filtration captures the particles from the extraction fluid. The membrane material and pore size follow the specification. Changing the membrane pore size changes the particle size range captured and alters the reported result.
Test Validity Controls
The collection apparatus must test cleaner than the part’s acceptance limit before extraction runs. A blank test using clean solvent through the equipment confirms the system does not introduce particles to the result. Incomplete extraction or a contaminated patch produces a number that does not reflect the part and carries the same operational cost as a failed component.
Test Measurements and Results
The test specification identifies the required measurements. No single analysis produces every possible result. A test may require gravimetric analysis, particle analysis, or both.
| Measurement |
What it determines |
Possible reporting basis |
| Gravimetric particle mass |
Total mass of contamination collected during the test |
Milligrams per component or another specified reference |
| Particle count and size |
Detected particles within defined size classes |
Count for each size class |
| Largest detected particle |
Maximum measured particle dimension |
Micrometers |
| Optical particle classification |
Detected particles grouped by reflectivity and fiber geometry |
Counts by optical class and size class |
Testing for Fluid System Parts.
Components in fluid systems often contain narrow internal passages. Fuel injectors and hydraulic valve bodies have small openings near moving parts. Those openings can retain particles after manufacturing and cleaning.
The applicable cleanliness specification identifies the test surfaces. Named ports and cavities are included in the extraction area. Results reflect only the contamination inside that defined area.
Testing After Critical Cleaning
We use critical cleaning to prepare components for engine assembly. This cleaning process removes contamination from the component. The testing then measures remaining particulate contamination on the specified surfaces.
The test checks the cleaned component against its required cleanliness specification. We perform both critical cleaning and Millipore testing. Both services prepare the component and verify its particulate cleanliness.
We Test Parts You Send Us
You can ship your own parts to our facility for testing. We measure those parts against your specification. Our metrologists hold them to the same cleanliness level as our own components.
Manufacturers without a metrology lab can still verify cleanliness before assembly. We run the testing for less than the cost of staffing and equipping your own lab. Our Erie shop receives your parts and checks them against your cleanliness specification.
Request Millipore Testing for Your Components
Membrane filtration analysis gives manufacturers a measured record of part cleanliness. It confirms cleanliness against a specification before final assembly.
AWT provides millipore testing services in PA for our own components and for parts from your facility. We clean, test, and verify parts against your specification.
Click below for a quote and to learn more about our particulate contamination testing services in PA.
Get a Quote for Millipore Testing Services in PA
