5.1 This guide is to be used by anyone developing cleaning requirements for specifications for manufacturing, maintenance, or overhaul. This guide has been designed to be application specific for each cleaning task and to assure the design engineer that the process selected by the industrial or manufacturing engineer will be compatible with both the part material and the subsequent process(es). This guide allows the industrial or manufacturing engineer to customize the selection of the cleaning product based on the materials of the part being cleaned; the cleanliness required for the subsequent process(es); and the environmental, cost, and health and safety concerns.

1.1 This guide is intended to assist design engineers, manufacturing/industrial engineers, and production managers in selecting the best fit cleaning agent and process. This guide takes into account environmental pollution prevention factors in a selection process.

1.2 This guide is not to be considered as a database of acceptable materials. It will guide the engineers and managers through the cleaning material selection process, calling for engineers to customize their selection based on the cleaning requirements for the cleaning tasks at hand. If a part can be cleaned, and kept clean, it can be cycled through several process steps that have cleaning requirements. This eliminates extra cleaning process steps during the total process. A total life cycle cost analysis or performance/cost of ownership study is recommended to compare the methods available.

1.3 This guide is for general industry manufacturing, equipment maintenance and remanufacturing operations, and to some extent precision cleaning of mechanical parts and assemblies. It is not intended to be used for optical, medical, or electronics applications, nor is it intended for dry-cleaning or super-critical fluid cleaning.

1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.