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When ultrasonic cleaner destroy electronics?
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001:
Hi

Can ultrasonic cleaner destroy electronics?  :-//

Can I clean quarz, ceramic tube sokets, carbolite knobs?
ChristofferB:
I can't imagine it being the case. Quartz is very similar to glass, I definitely think you are safe there.

I hear that less stabile minerals, and jewellery with pearls can be destroyed, so I would worry about mica disintegrating.

Ceramics should be fine too, I suspect.

--Chris
Ian.M:
Ultrasonic cleaners can damage quartz crystal oscillators etc. if they induce a mechanical resonance that overloads the crystal itself, its support structure or contacts.  Low frequency tuning fork crystals are particularly vulnerable.  Any part with delicate sprung contacts is liable to damage so you also have to be careful with switches and presets.  Also, unsupported bond wires are at risk, which means some semiconductors in un-filled hermetic packages. 

However nearly all risk of damage is mitigated if you use an ultrasonic cleaner with a swept frequency drive, as it doesn't stay at any single frequency long enough for a significant mechanical resonance to build up.
Kasper:
IMUs, accelerometers can be damaged by ultrasonic welding an enclosure the PCB is fastened to. I was told by a manufacturer it is not recommended but might be ok if you are careful.
floobydust:
Yes ultrasonic cleaners can damage electronics. Don't put parts in a bath for very long or high intensity.
It is abrasive and etches any metal. You will see solder joints look pitted. It also flexes bonding wires in IC's and can break them.
Use IPA+water and dish soap and not for more than a minute, depending how strong your machine is.

Try a test on a small part or pcb to see what happens after a long run.
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