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Spray and Jet Cleaning
Conveyor Cleaning Systems
Conveyor cleaning and degreasing systems are often an integral part of the manufacturing process. Tunnel conveyor systems undertake the continuous cleaning of industrial components, utilising a combination of spray washing with hot detergents, rinsing and 'air knife' drying stages. Conveyors can be continuous, using constant or adjustable speeds, or can be indexed to enable fixed intervals during which objects are cleaned.
Many conveyor systems utilise the Archimedes Screw Principle, in which components are transported through a corkscrew-shaped device with washing stages occurring inside the central drum of the machine. This kind of procedure can deal easily and effectively with large volumes of parts per hour or minute, whilst requiring minimal handling and supervision.
Typical conveyorised cleaning systems can comprise multiple stages; each designed to treat a different part of the cleaning cycle. These stages include immersion washing with agitation, spray washing, steam cleaning, rinsing and drying, all of which can be accompanied with appropriate chemical treatments. The movement through the cycles can be handled automatically, often with computerised controls.
Conveyor systems often include heating to enhance the performance of the detergents, an oil-skim system to effectively remove oil-based residue, filtration through a variable selection of micron filters for the removal of solid materials, and automatic feed and collection systems to keep a continuous movement of components through the cleaning cycle.
Conveyor systems can be integrated into the manufacturing process or can be used as 'stand-alone' equipment. Either way, Riley Surface World have a large selection of versatile systems available that can provide the ideal solution.
We stock leading brand manes in aqueous conveyor cleaning, including Dawson, Tempest & Dibb, Teijo and Vixen.
Batch cleaning systems
In contrast to conveyor cleaning systems, where parts are constantly moving, batch-cleaning systems are designed for intensive cleaning of a fixed number of objects in a static location. The time cycle for this method of cleaning can be varied according to the types and degrees of surface contamination involved. The process is normally manual, with components being placed either directly into the machine's cleaning compartment or into a basket, which is then placed into the tank or cabinet. Different levels of agitation can be applied using pump-driven or spray wash methods, or in some cases both. A typical system can also incorporate several different stages, such as wash, rinse and dry, often taking place within the same cabinet as in a domestic washing machine.
There are three essential types of batch cleaning systems:
- Dunk washing
This is the simplest method of industrial cleaning, normally used for the removal of gross contamination as the first stage in a remanufacturing process, such as a car cylinder head. Most dunk washing systems are based on pneumatic agitation. The carrier holding the basket of items is repeatedly plunged up and down in the solution in order to create maximum turbulence and completely flood the parts being cleaned. A typical dunk-washing unit can include heating, time controls and oil-separation as part of the system.- Top loading
A top-loading machine is a more sophisticated variation on the dunk washing process. As in dunk, washing, components are placed in a basket and located in the cabinet from the top. However, a top loader would normally include spray washing from all four sides as part of the cleaning cycle. The basket or spray-wash boom would also revolve inside the cabinet to ensure that the cleaning process is applied evenly to all surfaces or individual components. Further stages may include immersion cleaning, rinsing, phosphating (to prevent surface corrosion), neutralising (to remove chemical residue) and drying.- Front loading
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There are many similarities between top loading and front-loading batch cleaning industrial systems. The main advantages with a front loader are that it can accommodate much larger and heavier objects, and that it is capable of producing higher pressures within the spray washing and immersion agitation cycles. It is also possible for existing conveyors to be incorporated into a front-loading industrial cleaning system.
Batch cleaning systems for standard industrial aqueous cleaning are a mainstay of Riley Surface World products range. We stock leading brand names such as Guyson Marr, Oakcliffe Rotajet and Applied Chemicals.
