by Allison
Hester
18 • October 2010 • CleanerTimes
I
ndustry repair is a dirty business. Wherever things are built
or rebuilt, there are lots of dirty
parts that must be cleaned in
order to be repaired.
To tackle this problem, in 1954 Ben
Palmer invented the solvent parts
washer for the automotive industry,
and these solvent tanks became the
norm for all kinds of parts washing.
The problem is that these systems—
which are still fairly popular even
today—present both environmental
and safety hazards.
The EPA increasingly frowns upon
solvent washers due to the volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) used to
clean parts. These ozone depleting
VOCs present a number of hazardous
air pollutants that, in addition to creating smog, may be toxic when inhaled.
Solvents also present other health and
safety concerns and because they
evaporate quickly, controlling worker
exposure is often difficult. Some areas
of the country have already restricted
the use of solvents in parts cleaning
operations. Many suspect their days
are numbered nationwide.
As an alternative, aqueous—or waterbased—parts cleaning was introduced
around the 1970s. These systems were
initially seen as a less expensive but less
effective option compared to solvents.
However, as aqueous detergents have
evolved, so have the system’s efficiency.
Aqueous cleaning methods, which
include soaking, brushing, directed
stream, and total immersion cleaning,
are becoming the option of choice.
One specific form of aqueous cleaning, the cabinet parts washer, entered
the market in the 1990s, and it quickly
became a natural fit for the pressure
washing industry. These systems are
similar to a large dishwasher, using
water and detergent, heat, and mechanical energy to remove grease, oil, carbon residue, metals, vegetation, and
other particulates.
In a cabinet parts washer, a worker
loads the parts into the machine by
placing them on a turntable or a conveyor belt, depending on the model.
The worker then closes the door, sets
a timer, and turns on the washer. Hot
water, generally up to 180 F, and biodegradable detergents are blasted onto
the parts as the turntable rotates. High
volumes of the water and the detergent
solution wash away contaminants.
Then when the cleaning cycle is finished, the parts can either be air dried
or heat dried, just like a dishwasher.
In the meantime, workers can work
on other things, resulting in labor savings for companies.
Cabinet parts washers have become
a popular add-on product for pressure
washer manufacturers and distributors
alike. Part of this is that they are being
used by industries already served by
the pressure washing community.
These include manufacturers, automotive industries, aviation industries,
agricultural shops, and diesel and fleet
maintenance and repair shops. They
are also growing in popularity among
the food and beverage market.
“A significant number of pressure
washer customers also use aqueous
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parts washers,” explains James
Scott, marketing manager for Alkota
Cleaning Systems. “Distributors also
already have maintenance people on
staff, and they are familiar with chemicals and chemical suppliers. It’s a
good fit.”
Increased Popularity Equals
Increased Specialization
Cabinet parts washers come in three
basic styles: front load, top load, and
pass-through conveyor systems. All
cabinet parts washers have some of
the same basic components such as a
pump, drive motor, a heat source, a
wash timer, a turntable or conveyor,
thermostats, filters and strainers, and
a wash reservoir.
Next there are power options. Most
systems are electric, but natural gas
and gas are also options.
There is also a vast variety of accessories and add-ons available for cabinet parts washers. These include things
like multiple turntables, multi-tier
systems with additional spray bars,
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20 • October 2010 • CleanerTimes
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small parts baskets, portability kits, extra filters and strainers,
insulation for added heat retention, and all stainless steel construction. Another new trend is size, as both larger and smaller
sizes are hitting the market.
With the increase in variety comes a need for distributors to
have greater insight into how to determine their clients’ specific
needs. “Distributors of cleaning equipment are simply problem
solvers for businesses and need to be able to offer solutions that
go beyond one method, offering a fresh look and solution to old
and new cleaning problems,” explains Randy Wheelock, director
of sales and marketing for AaLadin Industries.
When helping a company determine the best washer for the
job, distributors need to ask the following questions:
• What types of parts will be cleaned? Different items—
engines, oil pans, electric motors, diesel heads, engine
blocks, wheels, etc.—have different dimensions and
different cleaning needs.
• How big are the parts? This determines the minimum size
of the washer’s turntable diameter and work height.
• What material are the parts made of? Different materials
will require different detergents and possibly different
parts washers.
• What types of materials will be removed?
• How many parts will be cleaned daily? More parts may
mean a washer with a shorter cycle time is necessary to
get the job done on time.
• How clean do the parts need to be?
• How much room is available in
the plant/shop for the parts
washer? Also, can the parts
washer be successfully moved
into the plant itself?
• How will the parts be moved into
the washer? For instance, will
they be manually inserted, or will
a forklift or crane be required?
• How much horsepower is required to clean the parts? As the
turntable’s diameter increases, so
also does the amount of required
horsepower significantly.
• What power source options are
available? Is electricity available,
and if so, how much power? Is it
three-phase or single-phase power?
Knowing the Benefits
Before distributors can help customers determine their specific needs,
however, they must first convince the
customers that cabinet parts washers
are indeed the method of choice.
One of the biggest concerns of
potential cabinet parts washer customers is expense, “Even though they are
already spending an enormous amount
of money in labor and very hazardous cleaning fluids to get
much less than desirable results,” says Wheelock. Therefore,
educating on cost savings is key.
One of the biggest benefits to cabinet parts washers over
all other parts cleaning methods is that they are automatic.
Workers load the parts into the machine, start it up, and then
go on their way to do something more productive. This saves
customers both time and money, as increased productivity
inevitably leads to increased profitability.
“The labor savings that can be generated from this equipment can easily make the difference in profit and loss for a
company that requires heavy cleaning as a part of their dayto-day business,” adds Wheelock.
Aqueous washers get rid of the need for costly solvents.
Aqueous solutions often last significantly longer than solvents,
so the amounts needed are much lower than solvents. Also, some
solvents require special storage due to low flashpoints that create
flammability issues. This is not a problem with aqueous cleaners.
Cabinet parts washers offer environmental savings, too. In
many situations, discharge can simply go down the drain.
Before dumping any discharge into the sewer, however,
cabinet parts washer users need to get permission from the
proper environmental authorities. In some cases, particularly
when the water contains certain metals, the wastewater may
be considered hazardous material that must be hauled away.
Filters can help extend the useful life of the cleaning solution,
which also means less frequent wastewater disposal. However,
when the wash water reaches the point where it no
longer properly cleans, water disposal is necessary. Oil
skimmers can help remove oil from an aqueous cleaning solution and can likely be treated as used oil and
recycled. Filtration also helps reduce sludge from
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accumulating on the bottom of the
cleaner, but it can develop in some
systems. Most waste disposal companies will accept a certain percentage of
solids, such as sludge. Wastewater
evaporators are an option on some
cabinet parts washers to significantly
reduce or even eliminate waste concerns.
“We have always had a built-in
evaporation system that reduces the
liquid waste and allows for correct
disposal of the leftover solid waste and
oils generated,” says Wheelock.
22 • October 2010 • CleanerTimes
By reducing or even eliminating
the amount of hazardous waste generated and stored on-site, cabinet parts
washers may change the customer’s
generator status—i.e., the EPA’s way
of defining companies by the type of
hazardous waste created and the quantity of waste that is generated and
stored on-site—from a large quantity
generator (LQG) to a small quantity
generator (SQG) or a conditionally
exempt small quantity generator
(CESQG). This significantly reduces
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their regulatory obligations, such as
paperwork and training, along with
their long-term liability.
Creating Long-Term Customers
In addition to helping customers
understand the benefits of cabinet
parts washers and determining the
right washer for the job, a good
distributor will also help keep his
or her customer’s system running
at maximum performance. While
maintenance on these machines is
generally minimal, service is occasionally required.
Teaching customers how to keep
their parts washer running smoothly
is a key to customer satisfaction. A big
part of this is providing tips for minimizing the number of washes needed
while maximizing the longevity of
aqueous solutions.
Using the proper filter system is
essential for extending solution life
and maximizing cleaning efficiency.
Filters also help maintain the spray
nozzles. Most systems incorporate a
strainer tray or metal chip basket for
catching the large debris, while the
finer contaminants must be trapped
by additional filtering. In a few systems, this additional filtering is an
option rather than a standard feature.
Oil skimming will also help maintain the solution. These oil skimmers
remove any free-floating oil, which in
turn decreases the amount of oil lingering on parts.
Although a solution may look dirty,
customers need to recognize that some
water discoloration is normal and it
does not necessarily impact cleaning
effectiveness. Also, customers should
only change solutions when cleaning
performance declines, not on a regularly-scheduled basis.
Although the quantity of solution
use is less in cabinet parts washers
than in solvent-based systems,
chemical sales can provide additional income for pressure washer
distributors. Most of all, cabinet parts
washer sales provide distributors with
another option for retaining satisfied,
long-term customers and additional
pressure washer sales. CT