Reusable plastic pallets and packaging components can collect food residue, dirt, dust, sand and other contaminants during handling, storage and transportation. An effective cleaning process helps prepare these reusable assets for continued use while improving cleaning consistency and reducing manual labor.
For this application, Alliance engineered an industrial pallet washer to automatically clean large plastic pallets and related packaging components at production rates up to 80 pallets per hour.
Customer Background
Reusable plastic pallets and packaging components can collect food residue, dirt, dust, sand and other contaminants during handling, storage and transportation. An effective cleaning process helps prepare these reusable assets for continued use while improving cleaning consistency and reducing manual labor.
For this application, Alliance engineered an industrial pallet washer to automatically clean large plastic pallets and related packaging components at production rates up to 80 pallets per hour.
Challenge
Cleaning Large Reusable Plastic Pallets
The customer needed an automated system to remove food and beverage residue, dirt, dust and sand from large plastic pallets and related packaging components.
The size and geometry of the pallets created material-handling challenges. Pallets needed to remain properly positioned as they traveled through the washer so cleaning solution could reach exposed surfaces while maintaining consistent movement through the process.
The system also needed to:
- Process up to 80 pallets per hour
- Accommodate large plastic pallets
- Provide convenient loading and unloading
- Maintain an ergonomic conveyor elevation
- Incorporate customer-specified solution filtration
- Remove excess moisture after washing
These requirements made a conveyorized plastic pallet washer an effective solution for the application.
Solution
Automated Pallet Washing System
Alliance provided a custom Aquamaster conveyorized pallet washing system designed around the customer’s reusable transport packaging.
The stainless steel conveyor incorporates adjustable product guides that position the pallets vertically as they travel through the washer. Proper orientation helps expose pallet surfaces to the cleaning process while providing controlled movement through the system.
Automating the process also reduces manual washing and handling while providing a more consistent cleaning process at the required production rate.
Washing and Blowoff Process
The pallet cleaning machine uses a wash-and-blowoff process designed to achieve the customer’s visually clean requirement.
Wash Stage
Pallets enter the washer on the conveyor and move through the wash zone, where the cleaning process removes food and beverage residue, dirt, dust, sand and other contamination.
The washing process is engineered around factors such as contamination type, pallet geometry, production rate and required cleanliness.
Blowoff Stage
After washing, the pallets pass through an air blowoff section that removes excess water. Conveyor elevation transitions work with air knives to encourage trapped water to drain while additional moisture is blown from pallet surfaces.
Because some residual moisture was acceptable for this application, complete drying was not required.
Conveyor Design and Filtration
Material handling is an important consideration when designing an automated pallet washer. For this system, adjustable product guides maintain the vertical orientation of the pallets while the stainless-steel conveyor moves them through the wash and blowoff stages.
The customer also required a specified solution filtration system. Filtration helps manage contaminants removed from pallets during washing and supports more consistent cleaning solution conditions.
Depending on the application, Alliance can engineer pallet and dunnage washer systems with different conveyor widths, product clearances, adjustable guides, multiple lanes, filtration options and blowoff or drying configurations.
Applications for Pallet and Dunnage Washing
Automated washing systems can be designed for reusable transport packaging including:
- Plastic pallets
- Reusable dunnage
- Totes and trays
- Containers and lids
- Packaging components
These systems can support applications in automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, general manufacturing, logistics and other industries that rely on reusable transport packaging.
The appropriate washer configuration depends on the item’s size and geometry, type of contamination, required production rate, cleanliness standard and dryness requirement.
Engineered Pallet Cleaning Systems
Alliance Manufacturing engineers aqueous cleaning systems around each customer’s specific application rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
For facilities evaluating an industrial pallet washer, Alliance can review representative pallets or packaging components along with contamination, throughput and cleanliness requirements to determine an appropriate cleaning process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a Pallet or Dunnage Washing Solution?
Alliance can engineer a pallet washing system around your pallet dimensions, contamination, production rate, cleanliness and drying requirements.
