How The Automatic Truck Wash System Works

By Author: Carol England
Total Articles: 82
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There are several vehicle washing techniques used in the industry. One example is the automatic vehicle wash which is available in some areas now. The said washing system is far different from manual cleaning where only few vehicles are cleaned by hand. There are also those that opt for a combination of the manual and automated systems.

The main advantage of having an automatic truck wash system is that it cuts cleaning time by a huge percentage. A job that may take 30 minutes when done manually can be finished in ten minutes or less. In a fast-paced world like ours, those minutes saved are precious since they can be used for other purposes.

There are two basic automated vehicle wash systems, with two very different mechanisms and purposes. These are the gantry system and the drive-through system that caters to different needs for different vehicles.

The gantry system is a moving cleaning system. Meaning, the truck being cleaned is stationary while your machinery works on it. Several large brushes will traverse the length of the vehicle accompanied by highly pressurized water and certain cleaning chemicals. ...
... This system cleans your vehicle in three waves. First, the gantry applies cleansing agents onto your vehicle using the brushes. Then, highly pressurized water is sprayed onto the vehicle while the brushes create suds and bubbles on the exterior surface of your car. Lastly, the gantry will rinse your vehicle before letting it out of the cleaning bay. The entire cleaning process takes about ten minutes.

The gantry has its advantages and disadvantages, too. Since this automatic vehicle wash system uses moving parts, the entire cleaning process is dependent on your machinery. The speed, as well as the quality of cleanliness, is entirely dependent on the settings on which your gantry system works. Thus, it gives you complete control over the cleaning process. However, the very same moving parts may cause you hassle if they break down. Having one of these pieces fixed may render you temporarily out of business for a few days. With that drawback, the gantry is mainly used as an in-house truck cleaning service by trucking companies.

The other automatic truck wash system available is a drive-through system. In this mechanism, the speed of the vehicle being cleaned plays a major role in the outcome. If a vehicle travels too fast as it goes through the stages of this stationary cleaning station, the quality of the results may be compromised. The entire process usually lasts from two to four minutes, as the vehicle goes through the soaping, rinsing, and polishing stages inside the cleaning bay. The system's main advantage lies in the fact that its parts need minimal maintenance. As the cleaning equipment is positioned at a safe distance from the vehicles, the probability of damaging them is very minimal. Commercial service providers often opt for this system because of its speed and maintenance specifications.

To date, the largest fully automatic truck wash system, which can finish the whole cleaning process in about eight minutes, uses 20,000 tons of water.

For more information on Automatic Truck Wash, you can visit this site.