What should you consider when choosing a wheel washing system?

The wheel washing system has undergone a major change: first, the employees cleaned the wheels by hand. But it took time and money. A faster alternative had to be found. This is how automation got underway.

Today, mature technologies are used. Reliably they bend the road and environmental pollution from contaminated tyres. But what is important with a wheel washing system? MobyDick enlightens.

The wheel washing system with a modular concept – the Flexible

No two locations are the same, especially on construction sites. A tyre washing system for construction sites should be able to adapt quickly and easily to its environment. It must be flexible. For this reason, FRUTIGER launched the wheel washing systems of the ConLine line a few years ago under the brand name MobyDick. In just a few steps, one model variant can be transformed into another. This makes it easy to integrate into various areas of application.

If the chosen length is not sufficient, it can also be converted from four to eight metres after purchase. Optionally, the customer can also retrofit them with scraper conveyors. However, the number of nozzle bars and their height, which can be specially adapted to the respective vehicle, is also variable. With the modular concept, the most diverse customer needs can be perfectly met.

In addition to its great versatility, the modern wheel washing system must also convince with its stability and longevity. A robust design as well as hot-dip galvanized washing modules, which can withstand the rough operating conditions on construction sites, are a matter of course. Fast and simple assembly is just as important. Because a long and complicated construction costs time and money.

The stationary or mobile car wash?

There are two different types of wheel washing systems on construction sites: the stationary and the mobile wheel washing system. The former is particularly suitable for construction sites that remain in existence for a longer period of time.

The mobile version, on the other hand, has proven itself especially for smaller construction sites and shorter deployments. If the construction site is only in use for a short period of time, it is also possible to rent a system. Construction companies, however, are usually advised to use a stationary system, as the purchase price and maintenance costs are lower than for the mobile version. For every new construction site, whether large or small, the stationary system can also be reused later.

Washing with low pressure – the efficient washing technology

Thousands of applications have shown again and again that wheel washers that work with a lot of water but low pressure are the best in terms of efficiency. The so-called low-pressure technology achieves solid cleaning values on tires and wheels, but avoids unnecessary spray or waste effects. In addition, low-pressure pumps are much less susceptible to faults caused by dirty water.

This cannot be said of high-pressure systems for wheel washing systems. Inevitably the water also splashes over into the closer environment and the wear is clearly increased.

But how exactly does the technology work? MobyDick’s low-pressure wheel washing technology relies on relatively large nozzles that clean the vehicles with a large quantity of water. When placed in the correct position, the nozzles have no effect even in places that are difficult to access. At the same time, large nozzles also minimize the risk of clogging. The systems thus remain reliably in operation even with heavy soiling. Even during rush hours they do not reach their limits so quickly. Failures become rare.

A further advantage of the principle “a lot of water, little pressure”: In addition to superficial contamination, stones and dried earth residues are also reliably washed away, while the rest of the vehicle hardly gets wet. The water is carefully limited to the tyre area. If the water pressure is too high, this is not the case and dirty windscreens and mirrors make it difficult for the driver to see. In the worst case, he must manually remove the residues again before breaking them up. Time and nerves are lost.

The economical wheel washing system

The large amount of water that the low-pressure system requires pays off not only in the precise and effective cleaning of the tyres. At the same time, it reliably guides the dirt out of the washing plant into the recycling basin. But the large quantities of water are not wasteful – thanks to the integrated water recycling system. A steel recycling tank gently collects the washing water and reuses it almost completely. Only a few litres of lost water have to be replaced. The Niederuck technology can thus be described as an extremely economical washing solution.

The environmentally friendly wheel washing system

The environment must not suffer from building dirt. It is not for nothing that sustainable wheel washing systems rely on the recycling of the washing water in a separate recycling tank.

At high truck frequencies, the process can be accelerated using a flocculant. Within a very short time the water is ready for use again. The dirt which has settled in the recycling tank by means of sedimentation can be removed either with the excavator or an automatic scraper conveyor.

FRUTIGER, pioneer of the wheel washing system

In 1998, a technical innovation moved into the building site: The Swiss construction machinery manufacturer FRUTIGER launches the first drive-through system as an automatic cleaning aid for the tyres and chassis of fellow construction workers on the market. MobyDick Quick is the name of the novelty. Step by step he develops them further. MobyDick Quick is a mixture of washing power, intrinsic value and individuality. Always in the game: the little whale, the trademark of Swiss cleaning quality.

Since 1986, the company has been developing stationary cleaning devices for the construction site. The solutions are very popular both nationally and internationally. The systems have been successfully installed several thousand times. They have now been able to keep up to five million tonnes of building rubble away from public roads. FRUTIGER rounds off its range with dust binding machines and coarse dirt washing systems under the term “Site Emission Control“.

In addition to construction sites, the wheel washing systems also play into the hands of disinfection and decontamination. Especially slaughterhouses, fattening farms or rendering plants appreciate the professional support.