Elga maintains cleanliness at MKS

Elga Process Water's service de-ionisation (SDI) team helps to maintain cleanliness at MKS Instruments UK.

Telford-based MKS Instruments UK manufacture and assemble ultra-high vacuum (UHV) components.

Cleanliness is a critical element of the MKS process, and Elga Process Water's SDI team has a key strategical role.

MKS resources include the latest CNC machinery and Cadcam systems.

Prior to assembly all components are cleaned by an automated aqueous cleaning plant.

The company's move from traditional solvent cleaning methods to an aqueous-based system has been driven by EU Directives that require safer and more environmentally-friendly processes.

MKS has worked in conjunction with Elga Process Water to upgrade the quality of its de-ionised water and its cleaning potential.

Like many other companies faced with the need to provide deionised water, they opted for service exchange cylinders.

Elga Process Water supplies MKS with a cylinder containing mixed bed ion exchange resins, which is connected to a closed-loop system to produce high-purity de-ionised water.

When the resins are exhausted, Elga Process Water delivers a replacement cylinder and returns the exhausted one to a regeneration station.

'We sought technical assistance in improving our water quality,' said engineer Giles Corbett.

'Elga Process Water delivered an appropriate modification plan with the products to match.

As a result, the system now generates 18.1Mohm.cm water quality by using two nuclear grade resin cylinders in series.

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