Sonic Man

Sonic Man (Dr. Wayne Parker)- His Story

Dr. Wayne Parker was a scientist for the RCA Laboratories in New Jersey back in the 1970’s. He experimented with sound waves and used them at a higher frequency for soil removal, which led to using ultrasonics for cleaning.

Ultrasonic cleaning is a process that uses sound waves to remove dirt and debris. Parker found that using ultrasonics at a lower frequency led to a more aggressive cleaning. However, this method was also found to be more damaging to the content items that were being cleaned, leading to what is called, “cavitation burning.” Cavitation is the repeated formation and immediate collapse of millions of microscopic bubbles in a liquid medium. These bubbles form over the entire surface of the object and penetrate into the surface of the material. However, if the bubbles become too large, it can start to damage soft metals and delicate materials. Parker wanted to limit the amount of “cavitation burning” by raising the frequency of the ultrasonics. This would lead to a more gentle cleaning process.

On April 2, 1976, Parker was rewiring the ultrasonic tranducers to increase the frequency of the sound waves, when one of the tranducers shorted out, giving him an electric shock that sent him to the ground. Feeling a little dazed, he got back up and continued his work. He wanted to test out his experiment, so he put the transducers into the ultrasonic tank. When he put his hands into the water, the water began vibrating. At first he thought it was the tranducers, but nothing was plugged in. He pulled his hands out of the water, and it stopped. He repeated this process and found that every time he placed his hands in the water, it would vibrate, acting just like the ultrasonics.

Parker was diagnosed with a super human condition called, “Sonic Detonation.” This is the power to increase the pressure of sound waves causing vibrations or an explosion. The military got wind of his super power and asked Parker to work on some special aquatic missions with the US Navy Seals. These were some top-secret missions and he needed to keep his identity classified. So, Dr. Wayne Parker became “Sonic Man.” As “Sonic Man,” Parker aided the Seals by using ultrasonics to measure underwater distance, clean special ops machinery, and even in the use of (USW) ultrasonic weapons.

After his time in the military, he went back to the lab to continue his research. In early 2015, he was contacted by Gem Ultrasonic President, Mike Tulli, about bringing ultrasonic cleaning mainstream and educating the public on what ultrasonic cleaning is and how it is used. Parker thought this was a great idea, and said that he had a “friend” that could help him get the word out to the public about ultrasonic cleaning.

On a chilly fall morning, Mike Tulli opened up his shop just like any normal day. His switched the lights on and started up the ultrasonic machine for that day’s work. After a few minutes, the machines started shaking rapidly and a high pitch sound came from the tank. Thinking that there was something wrong with the machine, Tulli shut off the ultrasonic tank, but nothing happened. The lights began to flicker and water from the tank started to spill over. Tulli thinking it was a earthquake took cover. The lights went out and blue flashes of light began coming from the machine. The light was so bright it blinded him for a minute. Soon, everything calmed down and everything returned to normal. Tulli looked up and standing in front of him was “Sonic Man” himself! He told Tulli he was sent by Dr Parker to help him educate people on ultrasonic cleaning and how it is a safer, faster, and more environmentally friendly way of cleaning! With that, “Sonic Man” became the new face of Gem Ultrasonic.