Cleaning grease and debris from industrial parts is not a fun job. That’s why it’s better to leave it to a machine. It doesn’t matter whether you are cleaning small parts or a large engine block, the safest and most economical way to clean industrial parts is with a hot wash parts washer.
The parts washer operates like a dishwasher – using hot water and detergent to remove built-up grime. The specially formulated cleaning detergent eliminates the need to use harsh solvents, which can be hazardous to both your health and the environment.
If you’ve never used a parts washer, you’re probably wondering whether hot water and detergent alone will get the job done. Well, there’s one more important piece to a parts washer machine that makes degreasing industrial parts a breeze. Let’s take a closer look at how a hot wash parts washer works.
An inside look at a hot wash parts washer
From the outside, a parts washer looks like a large metal box but inside is a different story with several components working together to make cleaning parts easy. Remember, parts washers come in a range of sizes. The model you choose will depend on the parts you clean and how delicate those parts are. In general, all parts washers work off the same principle and have a similar design.
The first thing you’ll notice when you open the lid of a parts washer is the steel mesh basket. Depending on the specification you choose, the mesh basket can be mild steel or stainless steel. During a hot wash, the mesh basket will spin ensuring every section of the part is washed and cleaned. Surrounding the basket are multiple high-powered jet sprays that distribute the hot water and alkaline detergent. It is the combination of these three things – spinning motion, heat and alkaline cleaning chemical – that makes parts washers so efficient.
In larger washers that are designed to wash cylinder blocks for locomotive engines, the basket remains stationary while multiple jet sprays oscillate around the part. Remember, if you can’t find a parts washer that suits your products, you can get one custom designed.
Everything within your parts washer is fully adjustable including the wash cycle time, the speed at which the basket rotates and the temperature. This is all controlled via a combination of intelligent software and complex hardware that is securely stored within the washer. While the mechanics of a parts washer may be complex, operating the machine is very simple – quite often it’s just a push of a button.
Why use a hot wash parts washer?
There are several reasons to choose a hot wash parts washer over any alternative manual cleaning method. Apart from the labour and time-saving benefits, there are serious health and environmental benefits that shouldn’t be ignored.
Health and environment
Reducing the use of harsh cleaning solvents is better for your worker’s health and the environment. The chemicals in some solvents have been known to cause serious respiratory and skin issues if not handled correctly. It’s not worth the risk when safer alternatives are available. It’s also important to think about what happens to the wastewater after your parts are clean. Using an eco-friendly detergent allows the wastewater to be disposed of safely without harming the environment.
Improve productivity
Hot wash parts washers eliminate the tedious time-sapping job of manually cleaning parts and instead gives your employees time to concentrate on more important tasks. The extra benefit from this is reduced labour costs. Employees can be trained to perform in other areas of the business. Also, the number of parts you can clean in a day will dramatically increase as well as the quality of the cleaning.
Protects parts
Using a softer chemical, like a detergent, will be better long term for your parts than using harsh solvents. Plus, during the final cycle of the wash, the parts washer can add a rust inhibitor to further lengthen the lifespan of your machinery parts.
Using hot water and detergent may sound like a simple cleaning concept but be aware that not all parts washers are the same. Robowash manufactures superior quality parts washers along with a specially formulated alkaline salt-based chemical detergent. When used together, they have proven to deliver an exceptional clean every time.
To find out more about the range of hot wash parts washers, contact Robowash today.
