Customer Background
Customer is a manufacturer of products for the agricultural industry for crop enhancement and pest control. Some of their products include plant growth regulators, soil fumigants, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The company is entirely based in the United States.
Challenge
Customer needed an automated process for the cleaning of fertilizer containers. This container cleaning system was specifically designed to focus on the exterior surfaces of reusable plastic transfer containers (for dispensing fertilizer) while meeting a production rate of 5 containers per minute. The containers were approximately 14″ wide x 21.25″ long x 13.062″ high and were contaminated with light dust to caked-on dirt and fertilizer residue. The containers were to exit the cleaning process as dry as possible
Solution
Alliance provided a 3-module, Aquamaster CB-1800 container washing system with wash, rinse, and heated blowoff modules. The design included Alliance’s patented “Full Access” fully removable canopy segments over the top of the machine. Windows and interior lighting were added for process viewing. Spray nozzles are positioned above, below and to the sides of the conveyor for 360° cleaning capabilities in both the wash and rinse zones.
Air knives in the intermediate blowoff stages remove gross amounts of moisture from parts before entering the next stage to minimize cross-contamination between the wash and rinse zones as well as to aid in drying. In the heated blowoff module, high-velocity air is directed through air knives while medium-velocity air is blown through air plenums.
Optional accessories included with this machine were an exhaust fan system, dual micro-filtration chambers in the wash module, stainless steel pumps and exterior piping in place of mild steel and a stainless steel vent fan. Because of its modular design, this machine offers the ability to easily add or change process zones in the future if desired. The overall dimensions are approximately 27′ 0″ long x 8′ 0″ wide x 5′10″ high with an 18″ wide x 18″ high product opening.
