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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 1 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

Version = 00

Replacement for PN-PG 02-035-2 version 2012-06-12

Content:

1 Scope of application and purpose .............................................................................................. 2

2 Terms / Definitions ...................................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Pollution ...................................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Particle ........................................................................................................................................ 2
2.2.1 Hard particle ................................................................................................................................ 2
2.2.2 Soft particle ................................................................................................................................. 2
2.2.3 Particulate load ........................................................................................................................... 2
2.3 Cleanliness requirements ........................................................................................................... 3
2.3.1 Cleanliness Level ........................................................................................................................ 3
2.3.2 Control area (AC) ......................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.3 Residue weight (M) ..................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.4 Particle size ................................................................................................................................. 3
2.3.5 Particle quantity .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.6 Particle material .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.3.7 Longest particle (LH / LS) ............................................................................................................. 3
2.4 Cleanliness inspection ................................................................................................................ 4
2.4.1 Extraction method ....................................................................................................................... 4
2.4.2 Qualification test ......................................................................................................................... 4
2.4.3 Decay curve ................................................................................................................................ 4

3 Cleanliness inspection ................................................................................................................ 4

3.1 Procedure of qualification tests................................................................................................... 4
3.1.1 Blank value ................................................................................................................................. 5
3.1.2 Declining criterion ....................................................................................................................... 6
3.1.3 Determination of the inspection specifications ........................................................................... 7
3.1.4 Validity of the qualification test ................................................................................................... 7
3.2 Performing the routine tests........................................................................................................ 7
3.2.1 Sampling, packaging and transport of units under inspection .................................................... 8
3.2.2 Verification of blind value during routine tests ............................................................................ 8
3.2.3 Extraction of the particulate load ................................................................................................ 8
3.2.4 Filtration ...................................................................................................................................... 8
3.2.5 Drying .......................................................................................................................................... 8
3.2.6 Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 9
3.3 Documentation ............................................................................................................................ 9

4 Further applicable documents .................................................................................................. 10

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 2 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

1. Scope of application and purpose

This inspection instruction describes the procedure to determine residual particulate load and particle size
distribution of final parts, subassemblies or supplier components. The inspection instruction applies
worldwide as a part of the contract with customers and suppliers of products, subassemblies and
components manufactured in series. Any deviation from this inspection instruction must be agreed in writing
between the contract parties.
This inspection instruction is based contentwise on the requirements of the VDA 19 respectively ISO 16232.

The following are not covered:

The detection of chemical contamination, in as far this contamination is not present in the form of particles.
Applications for qualitative evaluation (e.g. visual / aesthetic evaluation).

2. Terms / Definitions

2.1 Pollution
Pollution consists of particles contaminating components after their completion and impairing or preventing the
subsequent manufacturing process or the correct performance of the component or subassembly.

2.2 Particle
Particles are elements of solid matter of metals, plastics, minerals, rubbers or salts. Pasty elements as well as
fibers and fibrous material are not counted among particles.
The potential for danger of a particle is often related to the particle size and particle hardness. An evaluation
of the particle hardness is very complex. The popular optical microscopy for example can only distinguish
based on the glossiness between „shiny metallic” or “not shiny metallic”. In general we distinguish in this
standard between hard and soft particles, because of the different potential of danger. The evaluation
between hard and soft particles has to be done only for the 10 biggest particles. Here is a visual evaluation
sufficient.

2.2.1 Hard particle

Hard particle generally covers abrasive contamination with a metallic / mineral nature, such as

• Processing chips
• Disruption from indexable inserts
• Foundry sand
• Blasting shot residues
• Abrasive residues (e.g. silicon carbide)
• Glass and glass fibers

2.2.2 Soft particle

Soft particle are chiefly organic particles, such as

• Paint
• Plastic
• Non-woven fabric

2.2.3 Particulate load

Also particulate contamination. Particles made of solid matter from the manufacturing process and/or
Environment found within the controlled area of a component. If the object under test is present in the form of a
liquid, the particulate load is then the quantity of particles contained in it.

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 3 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

2.3 Cleanliness requirements

Cleanliness requirements defined on the drawing are inspected and documented on the basis of weight,
number, size and in special cases, material of which the particles are made. Technically the hard particles
cause a malfunction. The today’s offered automatic light microscopic equipments for counting and measuring
of particles in the market cannot distinguish between hard and soft particles.
Therefore the number of non-metallic soft particles should be as well as possible counted manually and
eliminated.

2.3.1 Cleanliness Level

For the cleanliness requirements fixed or by cleanliness inspection determined value; e.g. number of
particles or residual weight.

2.3.2 Control area (AC)

The control area AC is the sub-surface or sum of surfaces subjected to cleanliness requirements and/or the
subject of a cleanliness inspection. For instance surfaces that come into contact with the respective medium
(oil, water, exhaust fume or air) during operation and whose cleanliness is inspected.

2.3.3 Residue weight (M)

The residue weight (also mass of contaminants) is defined by gravimetric determination of the particulate
load using the following possible data to express gravimetric inspection results:

• Mass of the contamination of a component in mg/component:

The simplest way of indicating the cleanliness of a component is the definition of a maximum mass and
relating it to the component itself (e.g. 10 mg/component).
2
• Mass of the contamination of the contaminated surface in mg/1000 cm :
The limit value indication of the maximum mass in relation to a reference area of 1000 cm² (e.g. 10 mg/1000
cm²) is an extension of mass per component. For this type of indication, the examined control area AC in cm²
must be known. During the subsequent cleanliness inspections, the measured residue weight must be
converted to the reference area when the result is presented.
By the reason of a better comparability this method has to be applied at as standard.

2.3.4 Particle size

The particle size is specified in [µm]. The particle size is the longest dimension of a particle.

2.3.5 Particle quantity

Particle quantity is the number particles of the control area AC.

2.3.6 Particle material

The particle material is the chemical composition of the particles. Chemical analysis of the particles is only
done if necessary.

2.3.7 Longest particle (LH / LS)

To increase the significance of the gravimetric limit value indication, the longest permitted particle (e.g. hard)
is indicated it its longest dimension, e.g.:

Longest hard particle LH <= 600 µm

Longest soft particle LS <= 1000 µm

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 4 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

2.4 Cleanliness inspection

Procedure for contaminant extraction and analysis and data acquisition used to evaluate a component.

2.4.1 Extraction method

Extraction is the operation required for transferring as much of the contaminants present in or on the control
area of a component as possible into a known volume of test liquid for a subsequent analysis.

2.4.2 Qualification test

Use of experiments to determine suitable extraction conditions for a cleanliness inspection.

2.4.3 Decay curve

On repeated extraction, a decrease in the contamination level of a component occurs. This decay is illustrated
in a decay curve.

3. Cleanliness inspection

This chapter describes methods for the determination of the technical cleanliness of components. It includes
methods allowing quantitative statements (e.g. relative to mass/ size) regarding the particulate load. This
information is required, for example, for:

• initial sampling and evaluation

• outgoing and receiving inspection
• quality control of cleanliness-relevant manufacturing processes (e.g. cleaning).

Selection of the test extraction method

To determine the particulate cleanliness condition of a test object, the test object shall be subjected to a test
cleaning process whereby the cleaned off particles are contained and analysed.
The selection of the extraction method depends, among other factors, on the material of the test object, the type
of contamination, the component size and the work piece part to be tested.

Verification of the capability of the test extraction method

No objective evidence (such as, for example, of the capability of measuring and monitoring equipment) of the
capability of extraction methods can be provided according to statistical rules. Already after the first extraction
process, the degree of particle contamination of the test object is reduced significantly in accordance with the
target. Multiple measurements on the same test object are not conducive to verifying the reproducibility of the
extraction

3.1 Procedure of qualification tests

The objective of the cleanliness test is to clean off any particles adhering to the component during the extraction
"completely" and to achieve a "decay" of the contamination. The effect of the extraction is therefore decisive for
whether the cleanliness of the component can be judged correctly. It is therefore of great importance.

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 5 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

The concrete procedure for the qualification tests is defined in illustration 1:

Conditioning of inspection set-up acc. 3.1.1

Validation of blank value acc. 3.1.1

No OK?
acc. 3.1.1
Yes
Selection of settings (pressure, frequency, volume of test liquid,
volume flow, settings, devicesS) acc. 3.1.3

n=n+1
Extraction (starting with n=1) acc. 3.2.3

Filtration acc. 3.2.4

Drying acc. 3.2.5

Analysis acc. 3.2.6

No
Declining
Method must Yes No
n=6 criterion acc. 3.1.2
be checked
reached?
Yes
Increase number Fixing of routine conditions and
of test objects validation of blank value

Inspection conditions/ No
Method must OK?
be checked
Yes

Extraction conditions are suitable

Illustration 1: Performing qualification tests

3.1.1 Blank value

The contamination present in the whole test system (test container, filter holder, lines, rinsing fluid and air)
which cannot be further reduced despite thorough precleaning, is called "blank value".
Illustration 2 indicates that the particle load of a test object cannot be completely removed despite multiple
cleaning processes and cannot be brought below the blank value. The cleanliness of all components used
during test cleaning therefore plays a major role and has to be taken into consideration.

During cleanliness test, the blank value shall be significantly below an impairing level relative to the cleanliness
limit specification of the test object. Where this is not the case, no significant statement can be made regarding
the real component cleanliness.
Where the blank value is at an impairing level, suitable measures shall be taken to bring the test cleaning
systems to a lower blank value level (finer filtration of the rinsing fluid, filtration of the air etc.).

In case of gravimetric cleanliness specifications, the blank value shall not exceed 10% of the given
specification. The permissible particle length for the blank value is the half of the maximum permissible particle
length of the given specification.

Example:
Requirement: M = 6 mg; L ≤ 800 µm
Permissible blank value: M = 0,6 mg; L ≤ 400 µm

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 6 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

Blank value before qualification test

The test equipment shall be thoroughly cleaned before each qualification test, and afterwards the permissible
blank value shall be verified and documented. For this purpose, a complete cleaning test is simulated in the test
equipment without component using the parameters determined during the qualification test (e.g. fluid volume,
time etc.), and the blank value is analysed and documented.
If the blank value determined lies above the permissible limit, the test equipment cleaning and verification
procedure shall be continued until the required limit value is reached.

Blank value after qualification test

To verify that the contaminants removed from the component have been completely fed into the filter
membrane and do not remain within the test cleaning system, the correct cleanliness of the component shall be
determined by performing a renewed blank value determination.

3.1.2 Declining criterion

As no absolute detection method for the real particle load exists at present, decay measurements are of
essential relevance. By repeating identical test steps on one component (multiple sample of the same
component), it is possible to detect whether the particle load separated each time is reduced from test step to
test step and whether the extraction method is therefore applicable.
The component is cleaned up to 6x in all using pre-determined parameters, whereby the separated contaminant
load is determined by separate measurements in each case and visualized in an decay curve (see illustration
2).
n
Declining criterion: Cn ≤ 0,1∑Ci (n≤6)
i=1
Cleanliness level

10% Line
blind value

1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of tests

Illustration 2: Measured cleanliness level on repeated tests of one component („decay behaviour“)

To validate whether a suitable particle removal was achieved during the 6 test cleaning steps, the declining
criterion is introduced. The declining criterion is calculated by dividing the last result value by the total of all
individual values determined up to that point (see illustration 2). If the result equals or is smaller than 10%, the
selected inspection specifications are suitable for "completely" cleaning off the particle load from the
component.

Where the declining criterion is not fulfilled, the selected method or the inspection specifications were not
suitable for "completely" cleaning off the particular load. This is normally also reflected in a very flat shape of
the decay curve. If the validation criterion has not been achieved, a new qualification test with modified
inspection specifications / method shall be carried out. If the declining criterion cannot be achieved even after
several attempts, the orderer shall be informed accordingly and the further procedure joinly agreed.

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 7 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

3.1.3 Determination of the inspection specifications

From the decay curve, e.g. the amount of fluid required for a spraying process and the exposure time required
for ultrasonic treatment can be derived.
If the test starts on the basis of a fluid volume used or a given ultrasonic exposure time, the diagram will give a
quick indication of how many cleaning passes are required for a good result and for fulfilling the declining
criterion. During the routine test, these parameters shall then be used.

3.1.4 Validity of the qualification test

The qualification test is valid if it was possible to fulfil the declining criterion. The results shall be documented as
objective evidence and submitted to the orderer if required. In case of any relevant modifications to the
component or manufacturing method, a further qualification test may be required.
Product group specific qualification tests are generally sufficiently. The result is the derivation of the inspection
specification to be used for the routine test (refer chapter 3.1.3). The qualification test must not be confused
with the routine test procedure.

3.2 Performing the routine tests

Note illustration 3 for the test procedure. The routine test shall only be conducted when the unit under
inspection is prepared and the method has been qualified.

Qualification test Procedure acc.

available? No illustration 1

Yes
Sampling, packaging and
transport of units under
inspection acc. 3.2.1

Verification of blind value acc.

3.2.2 (optional)

Extraction acc. 3.2.3

Functional test Pressure Ultrasonic

bench (Flushing) rinsing techniques

Filtration according 3.2.4

Drying according 3.2.5

Analysis according 3.2.6

Particle size Particle Particle counting

Gravimetry counting material analysis
measurement (if applicable) (if applicable)

Documentation acc. 3.3

Illustration 3: Performing the routine tests

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 8 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

3.2.1 Sampling, packaging and transport of units under inspection

When carrying out specimen sampling, ensure that the unit under inspection is not contaminated with additional
external particles or with particles that may be removed from the part itself by the removal process.
The term "packaging of the units under inspection" covers all packaging components coming into contact with
the unit under inspection or located in its direct vicinity. In principle has the series packaging to be used. The
transport routes must be kept short and the units under inspection may not be exposed to vibration during
transport in order to avoid falsification of the test.

3.2.2 Verification of blind value during routine tests

From case to case it is reasonable to check the blind value before performing the routine test. Thereby is the
evidence for a well conditioned inspection equipment given. The determination of the blind value has to be
performed according to chapter 3.1.1.

3.2.3 Extraction of the particulate load

Extraction is the thoroughly separation of the particulate load from the defined areas of a unit under inspection
using a suitable fluid, an adequate quantity of fluid and an optimum extraction time (acoustic irradiation time).
These parameters depend on the unit under inspection and the type of contamination. The above-specified
parameters are defined and documented in the inspection specifications within the framework of qualification of
the extraction method.

The following extraction methods are explained and defined as an exemplary:

a) Pressure rinsing: Extraction of the contamination particles by jet blasting.
An optimum result is achieved by selection of the correct parameters, such as test fluid, volumetric flow rate,
blasting pressure, nozzle geometry, clearance and angle of blasting and blasting duration.
b) Functional test bench (Flushing): Extraction of the contamination particles. Suitable for components that
can be flushed. Additional pulsation optimizes the process.
An optimum result when flushing is dependent on selection of the test fluid, volumetric flow rate, flow velocity,
flushing time, pressure fluctuations and pulsation.
c) Ultrasonic techniques: Extraction of the contamination particles by the action of mechanical oscillations in
the frequency band 20 KHz to 400 KHz on the surface of the object under inspection via a fluid medium.
An optimum result with ultrasonic cleaning depends on test fluid and its temperature, frequency, power density,
orientation of the unit under inspection with respect to the sound source, duration and component movement.

In general a cold cleaner for application at ambient temperature has to be used as a inspection fluid. In general
only approved substances are allowed.
In the case of small parts the quantity of samples must assure a total residue weight of all units under
inspection M ≥ 3mg or alternatively a control area AC ≥ 200 cm². If applicable a control area of AC ≈ 1000 cm²
should be used during a gravimetric analysis. With a smaller control area and a following scaling to 1000cm²
the measuring inaccuracy and the blind value are also multiplied. This leads to imprecise results.

3.2.4 Filtration
The fluid containing the particulate load is filtered to separate the particles from the extraction fluid.
If nothing else is agreed, a filter with a mesh size of 20µm or smaller must be used. Where appropriate a filter
cascade (e.g. 20µm and 100µm filter) might be useful to get a better separation of big and small particle. This
makes a following analysis easier.
It is recommended to filter the extraction fluid with a 5µm filter (or smaller) before using the fluid.

3.2.5 Drying
The filter must be preconditioned before usage. In particular the filter is wetted with inspection fluid. Then the
filter is dried in a drying oven before and after filtration and then cooled in an exsiccator to room temperature.
Temperature of drying and duration of drying depend on the species of the filter and the fluid. The drying is
completed when a constant weight has been reached. Therefore a repeating drying and weighing procedure is
necessary.

The reproduction, distribution and utilization of this document as well as the communication of its
contents to others without express authorization is prohibited. Offenders will be held liable for the Environment protection
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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 9 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

3.2.6 Analysis

Analysis is performed by
• determination of the weight constant of the filter before and after extraction,
• calculating the weight difference,
• measuring and if applicable counting the particles and
• converting to the control area AC.
• if applicable material analysis

3.3 Documentation

The documentation of cleanliness test is a very important step. The repetition of tests can only be faultless
replicated if all conditions of previous test are exactly adhered. A precise and clear recording is essentially
required.

Illustration 4 shows an overview of all required documentation:

Cleanliness
requirements per
product /
component

Results from Test inspection per

qualification tests product group Work instructions
per product group per extraction /
analysis device

Result
documentation
of routine tests

Illustration 4: Overview of documentation

4. Alterations in Comparison with PN-PG 02.035-2 Version: 2012-06-12

Compared with edition of 2012-06-12 there were the following changes:

Chapter 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 2.3.4 have been changed.

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PN-PG 02.035-2
Technical Cleanliness 10 10
Inspection instruction for final products
Version: 2012-06-12 2013-01-16
and their components

5. Further applicable documents

• PN-PG 02.035-1 – Technical Cleanliness for final products and their components
• VDA Volume 19 – Inspection of Technical Cleanliness – Particulate Contamination of Functionally
Relevant Automotive Components
• VDA Volume 19 Part 2– Technical cleanliness in assembly – Environment, Logistics, Personnel and
Assembly Equipment
• ISO 16232 – Road vehicles – Cleanliness of components of fluid circuits
• Environment Management Manual of the, Part 2, UVA-006 Approval procedure of substances

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