ZEISS Technical Cleanliness Solutions

Identify the root cause and make the right decisions faster

Faster standard analysis
Detect shiny metallic particles with only one filter scan

Faster particle classification
Combine light microscopy and electron in a seamless workflow

Faster decision making
Analyze the chemical composition of critical particles to identify the source of contamination

Faster documentation
Create cleanliness reports that meet all current industry standards in one work step

Faster particle inspection
and verification with integrated machine learning algorithms

What is technical cleanliness?

Technical cleanliness plays an important role, especially in areas where components are manufactured, such as electrical engineering or the automotive industry. If contamination occurs at particle-sensitive points, this can quickly lead to functional impairments or even malfunctions. If the residual dirt in a system is so low that no damage occurs, it is considered technically clean.

Technical cleanliness is particularly important in the following sectors:

Automotive and electric vehicles
Medical industry
Mechanical engineering
Additive manufacturing
Electrical engineering and battery production
Optical industry
Oil analysis and Hydraulics

Why is technical cleanliness so important?

Thanks to technological progress, many industries require increasingly complex systems. As early as the 1990s, there was an increase in damage caused by contamination on components in the automotive industry. It quickly became clear that procedures had to be standardized. The so-called "VDA 19 Guideline", also known as "Testing of Technical Cleanliness – Particle Contamination of Functionally Relevant Automotive Parts", was published in 2004 and revised in 2015 as VDA 19 Part 1. At the international level, ISO 16232 (2007) forms the standard set of regulations. VDA 19 Part 2 from 2010 contains a guideline of rules for cleanliness-relevant orientation of assembly production.

VDA 19 Part 1 precisely defines various types of contamination. With the help of these definitions, contamination can be detected by cleanliness analyses and other technical cleanliness processes and appropriate decisions can be made. The aim is to preventively avoid residual dirt on components.

Particles	Fibers
Solid bodies of Metal Plastics Minerals Gums Salts	The ratio of length to width is 1:20 Width of a fiber: ≤ 50 µm

Correlative particle analysis to characterize process critical contamination

Suppliers, manufacturers and end users expect constantly higher quality standards. Therefore, an innovatively designed cleanliness process is essential to exclude any contamination of functionally relevant parts and components throughout the production process. ZEISS solutions for technical cleanliness identify the root cause of contamination and enable to make the right decision more quickly.

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Find out in our success story why an Austrian manufacturer of large engines introduced standards for technical cleanliness ten years ago. And why the ZEISS EVO scanning electron microscope plays a key role in this.

Finding the needle in the haystack
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How do you identify the root cause? ZEISS Technical Cleanliness Solutions
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Increase your productivity for object classification in ZEISS ZEN core Technical Cleanliness Analysis.
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ZEISS Technical Cleanliness Workflow with Extraction and Filtration

Optimized processes thanks to technical cleanliness solutions

Maximum cleanliness – Maximum quality

Particle contamination is the enemy of efficiency, functionality and longevity of any product. For example, research has shown that the main source of failure in hydraulic and oil-filled systems is due to particulate contamination. Oil analysis helps minimize maintenance costs and improve machine uptime.

Tailored to the needs of the manufacturing industry

ZEISS Technical Cleanliness Solutions were developed in collaboration with automotive manufacturers and suppliers. They had specific requirements for high-performance particle identification and characterization systems that are easy and intuitive to use.

As a result, ZEISS solutions are easy to use, can be deployed in multiple locations and in any manufacturing or industrial environment, and can be applied by users who are not microscopy experts.

ZEISS Technical Cleanliness Solutions work with established industry standards:

Technical cleanliness of components	Oil cleanliness	Cleanliness of medical devices in the manufacturing process
VDS 19.1	ISO 4406	VDI 2083, part 21
VDA 19.2 (Illig Value)	ISO 4007
ISO 16232	DIN 51455
	SAE AS 4059

In order to create cleanliness reports with all relevant data in one work step ZEISS microscopes and HYDAC extraction instruments are able to exchange data in a seamless workflow into one report for more productivity. Learn all about how ZEISS integrates data from HYDAC devices into reporting in our magazine.

Possible contamination sources and applications

Particles between moving parts, e.g. ball bearing
Particles in injection nozzles, e.g. from engines
Particles in oil and lubricants
Particles between electical contacts, e.g. printed circuit board
Particles in syringed and implants

50 percent faster with ZEISS One-Scan Technology

Maximum productivity. Realized by technical cleanliness analysis

ZEISS software accelerates classification of particles with machine learning.

Technical cleanliness is part of the ZEN core software portfolio from the industrial microscopy sector. To optimize particle classification, ZEISS now offers ZEISS ZEN core users the Technical Cleanliness Analysis („TCA“) solution with three pre-trained modules based on machine learning. This module offers the functionality to classify particles based on measured parameters of an analyzed image. Samples are analyzed via three pre-trained machine learning models which can be additionally trained by users & customers. Samples are analyzed via gray scale determination and the pre-trained Machine Learning model for object classification runs in the background in the new TCA job templates, while the type classification is checked in parallel, based on the existing particle measurement results. This additional check of the type classification via machine learning algorithms „looks at” the particle results obtained with the classical analysis for size, shape, intensity and type classification, among others, and combines the various features into a large number of uncorrelated decision trees. The results are evaluated individually for each decision tree using the classification trained to the object classification model. The result is an automatic prediction of the particle type.

Increase productivity with ZEISS Technical Cleanliness object classification:

Up to 50% reduction of misscalssification of dark metallic parts and up to 25 % time savings

Particle Image with and without object classification in comaprison: e.g. with 10 samples this means a potential time saving of 3.5 hours/day.

Dual Camera Support

Customers and laboratories with different analysis applications, e.g. metallography and technical cleanliness analysis, need different camera modes, polarization and color view in a single workflow. The ZEISS dual camera support with Axiocam 705pol and a Axiocam color camera delivers the following advantages for users of microscopes:

Live switch of polarization channels for a better visual identification of metallic particles or bright shining metallographic samples
Live color view for a quick inspection of particles and identification of a possible root cause. Color camera for metallographic sample analysis and inspection.

You benefit from:

Full flexibility for various applications
Direct switch between two cameras
Productivity increase and higher process safety for better results

Check technical cleanliness thanks to exceeding standards

The ZEISS portfolio enables combined particle detection and classification in a highly efficient workflow that not only finds particles, but also classifies them according to the origin of the contamination. With ZEISS, you can combine data from light and electron microscopes in a single work process to obtain additional information. In this way, obtain well-founded insights into the cause of contamination.

Comprehensive technical cleanliness thanks to ZEISS

Light microscopy systems

Recognize potential contamination hazards

Itemize particles by quantity, size distribution and morphology, and distinguish metallic from non-metallic particles and fibers down to 2 μm. Create cleanliness reports according to industry standards.

Correlative particle analysis

Establish advanced analysis workflows

Characterize process-critical particles and identify critical particlesusing correlative microscopy, which combines your data from both light and electron microscopes in a single workflow.

Electron Microscopy & EDS Systems

Locate sources of contamination

Measure the morphological properties of particles and use fully automated elemental analysis to classify particles by chemical composition. ZEISS SmartPI, the particle analysis software for electron microscopes, automates the detection, analysis, and classification of particles, combining microscope control, image processing and elemental analysis into a single application.

Light and Electron Microscopes from ZEISS for Technical Cleanliness

ZEISS SteREO Discovery.V8
ZEISS Axio Zoom.V16
ZEISS Axio Imager
ZEISS Axioscope
ZEISS EVO
ZEISS Sigma

Enter a new era of technical cleanliness with ZEISS

Your benefits of industrial metrology solutions from ZEISS:

Faster analyses and decisions with the latest metrology
For technical cleanliness in production, electrical engineering, the automotive industry and many more
Particle measurement according to established industry standards (e.g. VDA 19.1, ISO 16232)
Contamination of residual dirt according to established cleanliness tests
Testing and cleanliness analysis according to standardized extraction procedures
Comprehensive range of measurement services: from maintenance, servicing and spare parts to software and hardware upgrades, calibration, planning and consulting
Support for you and your employees for every metrology challenge through training and education in our ZEISS Metrology Academy