Inside the World of Tunnel Automatic Car Wash Systems
The Automatic Carwash
Actually, automatics come in
several flavors
Hand car wash facilities
Self-serve
In-bay automatics
And …
Tunnel automatics
We usually close our eyes … while
imagining how badly the car’s getting
beat up.
So, what actually happens in a
TUNNEL
AUTOMATIC
?
Surprisingly, these systems are marvels
of chemistry and engineering.
This morning I’d like to show you how a
conveyorized tunnel automatic works.
They first appeared in the late 1930’s
You pass through
5 stages
Stage 1 – Pay and Select
Some car washes have their customers pay
through a computerized
point of sale
unit.
The mechanism inputs the wash Price
Lookup Code into a master tunnel controller.
After paying the car is put into a line-up called
the stack or queue. The stack moves
sequentially, so the wash knows what each
car purchased.
Stage 2 – The Entrance
The car moves forward to engage the
conveyor
The system detects the length of the
car
The system keeps track of the wash
options the customer has selected
Stage 3 -- WASH
The carwash starts cleaning with pre-
soaks, applied through special arches.
They may apply a lower
pH
(mild
acid
)
followed by a higher pH (mild
alkali
).
Chemical formulas and concentrations will
vary based upon seasonal dirt and film on
vehicles, as well as exterior temperature.
Chemical dilution and application work in
combination with removal systems based
on either high pressure water, friction, or a
combination of both.
Stage 4 -- Rub a Dub Dub
The customer next encounters tire and wheel
nozzles. These will apply specialized
formulations, which remove brake dust and
build up from the surface of the wheels and
tires.
The next arch will often be wraparounds,
usually made of a soft cloth, or closed cell
foam material. These wraparounds should rub
the front bumper, the sides, and then the rear
of the vehicle.
Past the first wraparounds may be a tire brush
that will scrub the tires and wheels.
Stage 5 -- Rinse
Some washes have multiple rinse
stages, usually offering a protectant as
an option.
A tire shining machine might spray
silicone tire dressing on the tires,
making them look new and glossy.
Next the vehicle is treated with a drying
agent and a final rinse.
A "spot free" rinse water, filtered of the
salts normally present, and sent through
reverse osmosis membranes to produce
highly purified water that will not leave
spots.
The vehicle is finished with forced air
drying, in some cases utilizing heat to
produce a very dry car.
Not bad, for a few bucks
Sit back and listen to a few tunes
No harm to your car
Removes the worst of dirt
Extremely efficient use of water
No watermarks left over
Well, it’s not perfect …
Exploring the intricate workings of tunnel automatic car wash systems, from payment processing to the various cleaning stages involving specialized chemicals and technology. Discover the evolution and engineering marvels behind these automated car wash facilities.
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Presentation Transcript
WOULD YOU LIKE WOULD YOU LIKE A CARWASH WITH A CARWASH WITH THAT GAS ? THAT GAS ?
Actually, automatics come in several flavors Hand car wash facilities Self-serve In-bay automatics And
We usually close our eyes while imagining how badly the car s getting beat up. So, what actually happens in a TUNNEL AUTOMATIC ? Surprisingly, these systems are marvels of chemistry and engineering.
This morning Id like to show you how a conveyorized tunnel automatic works. They first appeared in the late 1930 s You pass through 5 stages
Stage 1 Pay and Select Some car washes have their customers pay through a computerized point of sale unit. The mechanism inputs the wash Price Lookup Code into a master tunnel controller. After paying the car is put into a line-up called the stack or queue. The stack moves sequentially, so the wash knows what each car purchased.
Stage 2 The Entrance The car moves forward to engage the conveyor The system detects the length of the car The system keeps track of the wash options the customer has selected
Stage 3 -- WASH The carwash starts cleaning with pre- soaks, applied through special arches. They may apply a lower pH (mild acid) followed by a higher pH (mild alkali). Chemical formulas and concentrations will vary based upon seasonal dirt and film on vehicles, as well as exterior temperature. Chemical dilution and application work in combination with removal systems based on either high pressure water, friction, or a combination of both.
Stage 4 -- Rub a Dub Dub The customer next encounters tire and wheel nozzles. These will apply specialized formulations, which remove brake dust and build up from the surface of the wheels and tires. The next arch will often be wraparounds, usually made of a soft cloth, or closed cell foam material. These wraparounds should rub the front bumper, the sides, and then the rear of the vehicle. Past the first wraparounds may be a tire brush that will scrub the tires and wheels.
Stage 5 -- Rinse Some washes have multiple rinse stages, usually offering a protectant as an option. A tire shining machine might spray silicone tire dressing on the tires, making them look new and glossy. Next the vehicle is treated with a drying agent and a final rinse.
A "spot free" rinse water, filtered of the salts normally present, and sent through reverse osmosis membranes to produce highly purified water that will not leave spots.
The vehicle is finished with forced air drying, in some cases utilizing heat to produce a very dry car.
Not bad, for a few bucks Sit back and listen to a few tunes No harm to your car Removes the worst of dirt Extremely efficient use of water No watermarks left over
