1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of cleaning an interior surface of a fluid delivery system.
2. Background Information
Large quantities of fluids with suspended, dispersed and/or dissolved materials are circulated through fluid delivery systems. Over time, these materials may deposit or settle on various interior surfaces of the fluid delivery system. For example, paint is circulated and usually recirculated in piping of paint delivery systems for painting automobiles in automobile manufacturing plants. During the course of normal operation, the materials contained within the paint may build up or deposit on the interior surface of the paint fluid delivery systems. This is especially true in areas of reduced flow such as in filters, tees, elbows, valves, microfiltration and/or ultrafiltration tubes. As a consequence, fluid delivery systems, such as those used in the automotive industry, are cleaned on a periodic basis to remove the unwanted materials which have deposited onto the interior surface of the fluid delivery system.
Conventional fluid circulation & delivery system cleaning materials primarily incorporate the use of liquid blends to solubilize, dissolve, and remove unwanted deposits of materials. While this practice has proven sufficient in many cases, in some instances, it has not been entirely effective in returning the piping and related components to the cleanliness of their original build condition. This shortcoming was addressed by incorporating an abrasive media particulate into the cleaning solution which, when compared to the various liquid blends discussed above, cleaned the piping and related equipment of a fluid delivery system more thoroughly.
One obstacle, however, with cleaning a paint fluid delivery system with such an abrasive material is the complete removal of the abrasive media material after the cleaning process is complete. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of cleaning an interior surface of a fluid delivery system such that the cleaning materials are removed from the fluid delivery system after the interior surface of the fluid delivery system has been cleaned.