if your doing this for money then replacing it is kind of like messing with a tuned cavity, you can't be sure of if there is no areas of stronger force if you change the transducer and its damping effect on the system.
i doubt you will get a certifiable replacement easily
a practical test would be to put foil in there and see how it does when you compare two different transducers. if the rolex one damages the foil in the same spots as the replacement in the same time, you are probobly good. must be done with same chemicals at same temp (stir it well before test)
I suspect it might be bull shit unless you take way too long and use bad chemicals, because a bond wire in a IC is finer then anything that can ever be in a mechanical watch. For most IC you don't see even a small failure % on sensitive parts up to the 6 minute mark.
I assume what you are worried about is dodgy plating coming off.
The frequency is more trouble on large structures, maybe. But the only thing I can think of in a watch that is sensitive is the long spiral spring. But that is usually replaced instead of cleaned anyway right?
the other sensitive part is the face with the inks and stuff, but that is probobly a question of not leaving it in there for too long and using mild chemicals.
to measure the frequency connect a oscilloscope to the power system (just make sure its voltage is not too high for scope)
getting a very thin foil in there will show damage quickly on it to use as a test particle I think. You can do alot thinner then aluminum foil to try to see a effect quicker. That you can position on a articulating arm (dial indicator arm) with a aligator clip on it
I am not repairing these, there is a business that does only these. While I am hoping my unit is down because of a failed capacitor array (to be checked this week), the next failure point is the head. And the tech and his Dad have been trying to come up with replacements for broken transducers since they ran out of their stock of replacements.
I am asking here because I want these units to continue to be available rather than force more watchmakers out of business or have to line the pockets of the brands who have a vested interest in the new machines.
If anyone know a source, it may make business sense for the repair business to have 50 or 100 donuts made.
rolex is like bently they have a procedure and approved tool for everything you can't service customers if you go out on your own without at least very hard evidence
you will be dealing with a 800$ an hour lawyer as your customer
Then comes the issue that for those with parts accounts, the cleaning machine has to be accepted by the brands. This 50 year old machine is one of the few that are accepted.
Refurbished, this machine costs close to $5K USD. The new machines (Greiner, Matador) start at $7K USD. This is not a problem for me since I no longer have a parts account. But many of my colleagues do, and most have this machine.
You should see the cost for a water leak tester!
I am not repairing these, there is a business that does only these. While I am hoping my unit is down because of a failed capacitor array (to be checked this week), the next failure point is the head. And the tech and his Dad have been trying to come up with replacements for broken transducers since they ran out of their stock of replacements.
I am asking here because I want these units to continue to be available rather than force more watchmakers out of business or have to line the pockets of the brands who have a vested interest in the new machines.
If anyone know a source, it may make business sense for the repair business to have 50 or 100 donuts made.
Thanks, I will upload a pic tomorrow, But there is no real real mass-produced transducer replacement. The motor arbor must pass thru the assembled transducer to the partsbasket which is below the transducer.
Here is a link to a YT on showing the machine:
Unfortunately, I can't tell what this "donut" thing is? If I search for "ultrasonic transducers" I find pictures of things that look like the one below. They are shiny metal in appearance and have two electrical terminals for the power to be applied. They don't look like your picture.
If you were able to show more pictures of the whole machine and the assembly of the transducer and associated parts, it might be easier for someone to search for equivalents. But unless you find here an expert in the field, it is only guesswork.
https://www.amazon.com/Conversion-Efficiency-Ultrasonic-Piezoelectric-Transducer/dp/B0CLTX5JMD
Then comes the issue that for those with parts accounts, the cleaning machine has to be accepted by the brands. This 50 year old machine is one of the few that are accepted.
Refurbished, this machine costs close to $5K USD. The new machines (Greiner, Matador) start at $7K USD. This is not a problem for me since I no longer have a parts account. But many of my colleagues do, and most have this machine.
You should see the cost for a water leak tester!
Honestly, this is ludicrous! An ultrasonic cleaner suitable for watch parts and jewelry shouldn't cost more than a few hundred dollars.
As for being accepted by the brands, I have heard enough horror stories of watches being damaged by authorized repairers that I would be very wary of trusting an expensive timepiece to one of them. It's not the parts cleaner that does the damage, it is the incompetent human doing the work.
I would rather put my trust in a known independent watch repairer with a track record and good references. (Though, granted, finding one of those might not be easy.)
OP, your donut in the pic is damaged, busted, dead. Not an expert or pics/size of other parts but it looks like an Langevin transducer maybe like these pics. Many companies make them and the parts.
You could try to figure out the original manufacturer with some detective work. Or just source another donut i.e. rings and many many more manufacturers of the parts. It's not all unicorn magic.
L&R does have some kind of dosimeter that could be used to compare old/new.
what in a watch requires this nonsense? The only part where its not cringe worthy is prep before plating. then its important to be really clean, for the highest quality. But its little more then careful rinsing wiht clean stuff. Optics seems harder to clean because of scratching, and fragile thin films... but its only a problem if you basically don't spend any time researching and don't spend any more (as I found out with some laser stuff, because its basically plastic coated and there is some incompatibilities that seem like nonsense to any home owner that has glass (late roman empire ) (no ammonia))
what in a watch requires this nonsense? The only part where its not cringe worthy is prep before plating. then its important to be really clean, for the highest quality. But its little more then careful rinsing wiht clean stuff. Optics seems harder to clean because of scratching, and fragile thin films... but its only a problem if you basically don't spend any time researching and don't spend any more (as I found out with some laser stuff, because its basically plastic coated and there is some incompatibilities that seem like nonsense to any home owner that has glass (late roman empire ) (no ammonia))
The main issue is to remove old, dried on lubricant, and various particles of dust and grit that might be hidden away in crevices and pivot holes where they can cause major problems.
It's only the mechanical parts that go into a cleaning machine. Decorative parts need careful and separate treatment to avoid ruining them.
Here is a video that shows what the whole process is about, using a non-ultrasonic machine:
For anyone who wants an ASMR video to relax to, here is a complete tear down and reassembly of a watch. I can only dream of being able to do something like this. I have struggled so much even getting little tiny screws back into their holes.
For anyone who wants an ASMR video to relax to, here is a complete tear down and reassembly of a watch. I can only dream of being able to do something like this. I have struggled so much even getting little tiny screws back into their holes.
You do realize of course this is like me telling Tautech how to use a scope. Or relying on YT to explain earthing and isolation transformers.