What Blue Wave Ultrasonics does

Blue Wave Ultrasonics is a private U.S. manufacturer of industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems, headquartered and produced in Davenport, Iowa. Founded in 1952 as the Bendix Corporation, the company has operated continuously under three successive names (Swen Sonic in 1980, Blue Wave Ultrasonics since July 1990) and serves customers across aerospace, automotive, electronics/semiconductors, hospital/surgical, medical devices, molds/tooling, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and heavy equipment manufacturing. Its named customer roster spans Boeing, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, Honeywell, GE Aircraft Engines, Ford, General Motors, Magna International, Continental, 3M, General Electric, Molex, Pfizer, Abbott, GE Healthcare, Becton Dickinson, Arthrex, Exactech, Caterpillar, John Deere, Shaw, Mohawk, DuPont, the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Clarian Health Partners, ABB, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, and the U.S. Army and Navy, with the company stating it has served thousands of customers over its 70+ year history.

The product portfolio centers on industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment — single-chamber units, two-stage clean/rinse systems, multi-chamber units, modular and multi-chamber console systems, large tank systems (standard and custom designs exceeding 1,000 gallons), multi-stage utility systems, immersible transducers, automated transport systems, medical cleaning systems (CCRD), mold utility cleaners (Model MUC), and custom-built systems — complemented by a proprietary consumables line including 25-I, DIRL-STRIP 606, DIRL-LUM 603, BW-3100, BW-7808, DIRL-RINSE, DIRL-HIB II, DIRL-HIB III, and organic acid detergents, plus replacement filter elements, gaskets, and titration kits. Underpinning all systems is magnetostrictive transducer technology originally developed by Bendix: individual stacks of nickel laminations, zero-spaced and silver-brazed to a stainless steel diaphragm, driven by solid-state 30 kHz sweep-frequency generators. The technology is differentiated by a lifetime transducer/diaphragm warranty, a 20-year tank guarantee, and operating capability at temperatures up to 220°F.

Blue Wave generates revenue from quote-based equipment sales to enterprise customers (including custom-configured and automated systems) and from fixed-price consumables and replacement parts sold through its shop.bluewaveinc.com e-commerce storefront, with bulk/drum quantity tiers and hazardous-material surcharges on certain items. Go-to-market is sales-led, with dedicated Sales Engineers running part-level demonstrations, application-specific system design, and ongoing customer support. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with an online store for detergents, filters, gaskets, and titration kits. Marketing is centered on the corporate website (industry-specific pages, literature library, video gallery, customer testimonials) and SEO across each served vertical. No external funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure is disclosed; ownership reflects a management-buyout lineage from Bendix through Swen Sonic to the current Blue Wave entity, incorporated in Iowa.

Name

Blue Wave Ultrasonics

Legal name

Blue Wave Ultrasonics, Inc.

Website

https://bluewaveinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blue Wave Ultrasonics manufactures industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems using proprietary magnetostrictive transducer technology. The Davenport, Iowa-based company serves aerospace, automotive, medical device, pharmaceutical, and other manufacturers with standard, custom, and automated cleaning systems plus consumables.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning Equipment

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Parts Washing & Degreasing Equipment (IMAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heavy-Duty/Industrial-Strength All-Purpose Cleaners (Consumer) (CRAJAMAG)

Keywords

• Industrial ultrasonic cleaning
• Magnetostrictive transducers
• Precision parts cleaning
• Cleaning detergents
• Custom cleaning systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Davenport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems: Blue Wave manufactures and sells industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment including single chamber units, multi-chamber systems, console systems, large tank systems, and custom automated systems. These are high-value, heavy-duty industrial equipment sold directly to enterprise customers.
2. Detergents and Cleaning Supplies: Sale of proprietary cleaning detergents (25-I, DIRL-STRIP 606, DIRL-LUM 603, BW-3100, BW-7808, rust inhibitors, organic acids) and consumable supplies including filter elements and gaskets through online store.
3. Titration Kits and Testing Equipment: Sale of titration testing kits for measuring solution concentration in ultrasonic cleaning tanks, priced at $250 each.
4. Custom System Design and Integration: Custom ultrasonic cleaning systems designed to meet application-specific requirements, including custom tank sizes, automated transport systems, and specialized configurations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blue Wave Ultrasonics manufactures and sells industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems built around proprietary magnetostrictive transducer technology, along with a complementary line of water-based biodegradable detergents, replacement filters, and titration kits. The company engineers standard platforms (single chamber, multi-chamber, console, large tank, immersible, automated transport, medical, and mold utility cleaners) and custom-configured systems for demanding industrial cleaning applications across aerospace, automotive, medical, and other safety-critical industries.

Product overview

Blue Wave Ultrasonics is a manufacturer of industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems and specialty cleaning products. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: (1) Industrial Ultrasonic Cleaning Systems including Single Chamber Units, Two-Stage Clean/Rinse Systems, Multi-Chamber Units, Modular Console Systems, Multi-Chamber Console Systems (SEC), Large Tank Systems, Multi-Stage Utility Systems, Immersible Transducers, Automated Transport Systems, Medical Cleaning Systems (CCRD), and Mold Utility Cleaners (Model MUC), plus Custom Ultrasonic Systems for application-specific requirements; and (2) Ultrasonic Cleaning Detergents and Supplies including 25-I Detergent, DIRL-STRIP 606, DIRL-LUM 603, BW-7808, BW-3100, Organic Acid, DIRL-RINSE, DIRL-HIB II, and DIRL-HIB III, along with replacement parts (Polypropylene Filter Elements, Filter Gaskets) and Titration Kits for solution concentration testing. All systems utilize proprietary magnetostrictive transducer technology backed by a Lifetime Warranty and 20 Year Tank Guarantee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Chamber Units Heavy-duty ultrasonic cleaning units designed for demanding applications requiring 24/7 operation, high processing temperatures, or aggressive chemistries. Incorporates the same industrial power and reliability as larger units in a smaller package.
• Two-Stage Clean/Rinse Systems Combines a Single Chamber Ultrasonic Clean with an Immersion Rinse Stage in a portable stainless steel frame with ultrasonic generator, control enclosure, and filtration system. Designed for more power and longer life than piezoelectric ultrasonic cleaners.
• Multi-Chamber Units Heavy-duty ultrasonic cleaners providing superior cleaning functions in one compact, economical system with rugged stainless steel tank construction and 30 kHz magnetostrictive transducers. Easily customized with multiple tanks.
• Modular Console Systems Flexible platform of standard stainless steel consoles (CC-1825 Cleaner, CR-1825 Spray Rinse, CIMR-1825 Heated Immersion Rinse, CD-1825 Dryer) that can be adapted to meet most cleaning processes.
• Multi-Chamber Console Systems (SEC) Self-contained ultrasonic cleaning systems combining wash, rinse, final rinse, and dry functions in one compact footprint. Uses environmentally safe water-based cleaning formulations with powerful magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducers.
• Large Tank Systems Industrial-duty ultrasonic cleaning systems with heavy 11-gauge stainless steel tanks and integrally welded magnetostrictive diaphragms. Available in four standard sizes and custom designs exceeding 1,000 gallons for cleaning large components or large batches of parts.
• Multi-Stage Utility Systems Compact design featuring one ultrasonic cleaning chamber and two rinse chambers with heavy 11-gauge stainless steel tank and integrally welded magnetostrictive diaphragms. Rinses can be configured individually or as two-stage counterflow system.
• Immersible Transducers Submersible ultrasonic cleaning system with hermetically seal-welded magnetostrictive transducer and diaphragm assembly that can be placed in existing tanks. Designed for high-temperature and highly alkaline cleaning processes.
• Automated Transport Systems Automated systems that reduce labor and provide reliability and repeatability for precision cleaning. Moves basket fixtures from tank to tank using customer-defined recipes or manual mode with touchscreen control for temperature, cleaning cycles, and filtration options.
• Medical Cleaning Systems (Model CCRD) Surgical Instrument C/R/D System combining sonic energy wash, spray rinse, and hot air dry into a single three-chamber unit. Features stainless steel tanks with magnetostrictive transducers, processes three trays of instruments in 17 minutes with closed-loop drying.
• Mold Utility Cleaners (Model MUC) Extreme-duty, high-performance cleaning systems designed specifically for large tooling applications including molds, tools, and dies. Automatically accommodates variable displacement from different size mold plates while maintaining constant volume and power density.
• Custom Ultrasonic Systems Application-specific ultrasonic cleaning systems ranging from small tanks with specific detergents or solvents to very large tanks and automated systems. Includes custom wash/rinse/dry configurations, temperature control, timing, and solution specifications.
• 25-I Detergent Premier all-purpose neutral pH ultrasonic cleaning solution combining powerful detergents, wetting agents, chelating agents, and emulsifiers. Improves cavitation performance and effective for general purpose cleaning on aluminum, brass, ceramics, chromium, copper, glass, iron, magnesium, nickel, plastics, printed circuit boards, steel, and zinc.
• DIRL-STRIP 606 Heavy-duty ultrasonic cleaning compound for tough jobs up to removing paint. Highly alkaline compound formulated for ferrous and heavy materials including steel, nickel, iron, and chromium. Removes rust, scale, paint, oils, oxides, and shop oils.
• DIRL-LUM 603 Ultrasonic cleaning solution designed primarily for aluminum cleaning, also effective on iron, steel, magnesium, zinc, glass, brass, and copper. Excellent for removing oily soils such as silicone, grease, wax, oils, finishing compounds, and general contaminants with high rinsability.
• BW-7808 Alkaline cleaner concentrate formulated for ultrasonic cleaning applications.
• BW-3100 Citrus-powered heavy-duty cleaner for ultrasonic cleaning equipment.
• Organic Acid Powdered organic acid formulated for ultrasonic cleaning solutions. Available in 20 lb or 40 lb containers.
• DIRL-RINSE Solution designed to lower surface tension and increase wettability of rinse water for optimum ultrasonic cleaning. Aids in rinsing parts free of contaminants and can be used as primary cleaning agent in light-duty applications.
• DIRL-HIB II Rust inhibitor solution for use as water additive to prevent rusting of ferrous metals after processing. Protects from flash rusting at dosages as low as 1/2 ounce per gallon; also removes rust, greases, oxides, finishing compounds, oils, general contaminants, metal chips, scale, and paints.
• DIRL-HIB III Rust inhibitor solution intended as water additive to prevent rusting of ferrous metals after processing. Protects from flash rusting at dosages as low as 1/2 ounce per gallon; also removes rust, greases, oxides, finishing compounds, oils, general contaminants, metal chips, scale, and paints.
• 10" Polypropylene Filter Elements Replacement filter elements for 10" filtration canisters, sold as a case of 30 filters. Available in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 micron ratings to extend detergent life in ultrasonic tanks.
• 20" Polypropylene Filter Elements Replacement filter elements for 20" filtration canisters, sold as a case of 15 filters. Available in 1, 10, 20, 50, and 100 micron ratings to extend detergent life in ultrasonic tanks.
• Filter Gaskets Replacement filter gaskets fitting 10" and 20" filter canisters for all Blue Wave Ultrasonic Cleaning tanks. Order includes bag of 10 total gaskets.
• Titration Kits Testing kits for determining concentration of solution in ultrasonic cleaning tanks. Includes Dirl-Lum 603 Titration Kit and Dirl-Strip 606 Titration Kit, each allowing 100 tests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cleaning times reduced by up to 90% compared to hand cleaning
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AIM InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AIM Institute provides courses to help advance the injection molding industry, including ANAB-Accredited Plastics Technology and Engineering Certificate Program, Mold Maintenance Courses, and Autodesk Moldflow Training Courses. Blue Wave supports this industry education initiative.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational and International companies trust Blue Wave's commitment to adhere to strict standards set by UL. Blue Wave is a UL 508A Industrial Control Panel Manufacturer.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SharperTek: SharperTek produces ultrasonic cleaning equipment for industrial and commercial applications, including automotive and manufacturing parts cleaning. Direct competitor across single and multi-chamber ultrasonic cleaning systems.
• Hilsonic (Hilbre Ultrasonics): Hilsonic designs and manufactures industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment, including submersible transducers and multi-stage systems. Direct competitor in custom industrial ultrasonic cleaning, primarily serving European markets.
• Omegasonics: Omegasonics designs and builds industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems targeted at automotive, aerospace, and medical applications. Direct competitor to Blue Wave in mid-size tank systems and custom cleaning solutions.
• Crest Ultrasonics: Crest manufactures industrial ultrasonic cleaning tanks and systems for precision parts, medical, and aerospace markets, competing head-to-head with Blue Wave's standard product line. Uses piezoelectric transducers and competes primarily on price, configurability, and service network.
• Kaijo Corporation: Kaijo is a Japanese manufacturer of ultrasonic cleaning and semiconductor equipment, with strong presence in electronics and precision cleaning applications. Competes with Blue Wave in semiconductor, electronics, and precision parts cleaning globally.
• Ultrasonic Power Corporation: Ultrasonic Power Corporation manufactures custom industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment and submersible transducers, including large tank systems that overlap directly with Blue Wave's large tank and custom ultrasonic product lines.
• Mettler Electronics: Mettler Electronics produces ultrasonic cleaners for medical, surgical, and industrial applications, including validated cleaning systems for healthcare customers. Direct overlap with Blue Wave's Medical Cleaning Systems (CCRD) and hospital/surgical vertical.
• Sonicor Instrument Corporation: Sonicor manufactures bench-top and industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems for precision manufacturing, electronics, and medical device applications. Direct overlap with Blue Wave's mid-range industrial system offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Elma Schmidbauer: Elma is a German manufacturer of industrial ultrasonic cleaning systems and frequency-specific devices, with a broad portfolio across lab, medical, and industrial markets. A scaled European incumbent competing for global aerospace and medical device cleaning specifications.
• Branson Ultrasonics (Emerson): Branson is the largest industrial ultrasonic cleaning equipment maker, now part of Emerson. It sells a broader portfolio of piezoelectric-based ultrasonic welders and cleaners into the same aerospace, automotive, medical device, and electronics customers Blue Wave targets, and can leverage Emerson's global service network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlueWaveUltrasonics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Wave Ultrasonics