Dryer troubles

[chiggybite]

We converted a IBA to a 50' EE. We have 6-15HP dryers but cannot get the cars anywhere near dry. 4-dryers on top 2 on the side. We are using a good drying agent. Car leave with the middle to bottom of the car still wet and the back not very dry. What do we need to do to get cars dry? Thanks

 

[Washmee]

Slow down your conveyor.

 

[chiggybite]

We have slowed it down from where it was originally set at. It seems really slow now. Saturday we averaged 41 CPH. But I will slow it down again and see if I get a change. Thanks for your help.

 

[robert roman]

Hello Don,

To get a very dry car, you must first get a very clean car.

Start with expectations. For example, Sonny’s proclaims 50’ conveyor can do 65 CPH.

Is this possible? Yes, under extremely perfect conditions.

This means excellent weather conditions, steady uninterrupted stream of customers, no one screws up using pay station, no gaps loading cars, no one screws up at exit end shutting conveyor down, no driver or equipment malfunctions and all attendants do is load cars.

What about quality of clean? Note, 90ph is plenty of air to get acceptable dry.

Clean = function (chemical, conveyor line speed, number of brushes, brush RPM, wash material). Yes, there are some other factors involved but these are principals.

Short conveyor should use 2-phase chemical.

How much work gets accomplished depends on wash material, RPM, ft/sec, etc.

For example, foam wraps are designed to spin faster than cloth so more work gets done in the same amount of time. However, cloth rockers are more effective on lower panels.

I find a line operating speed of 45 cars an hour is a pretty decent speed for 50’ or 60’ mini-tunnel. In your case, this would be dryer HP to conveyor speed ratio of 2:1. Perfect.

“Saturday we averaged 41 CPH.”

That’s great, seemingly near projections for maximum hour. So, I would say you are getting up against it.

Of course, that is nice problem to have.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We have slowed it down from where it was originally set at. It seems really slow now. Saturday we averaged 41 CPH. But I will slow it down again and see if I get a change. Thanks for your help.

I am assuming average 41 CPH is production which can be very different than conveyor speed. # Feet / Sec. is a more reliable benchmark.

What is the foot / sec speed now? if Faster than 1/2 ft / sec set it at 1/2 foot per second Very Generous spacing would be 30 feet front bumper to front bumper and that will produce one car per minute or 60 CPH.

If slower than that try 1/3 foot per second. = 90 secs per 30 feet = 40 CPH

 

[Earl Weiss]

There are many variables, Time, temp etc.
Things to try.
1. Slow conveyor speed
2. Use a low PH soap which does not counteract drying agent like some soaps and helps dry cars.
3. Flipping top nozzles to get back of cars dry
4. Fresh water rinse before Drying agent app to get soap off, and perhaps inject some drying agent into it.
5. Re Position side dryers
6. Flash Dry with one Top Blower right at Rinse arche before Drying agent applied.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4U90EcshXw

 

[hkim310]

Had a similar issue albeit with a much longer tunnel and slowing the conveyor down helped immensely in getting a drier car. I do agree with everyone else though that slowing the conveyor is only 1 component in the process of drying a car efficiently. What type of drying agent and how much is being applied per car? How is the drying agent applied?

 

[chiggybite]

The drying agent is made by Clean Touch and is called Wax luster R. It is being applied in the rinse water before the Spot free rinse. I am not sure how much is being applied per car but my soap rep and my distributor worked on the chemicals for several days. Not knowing I must assume it is the right amount. Thanks for everyone's help and responses on this.

 

[chiggybite]

Also we are running the chain speed at 1/3 foot per second

 

[Earl Weiss]

What do we need to do to get cars dry? Thanks

How are you applying the DA? Rain Bar?

 

[washnshine]

Can you change the positioning of your blowers? Not sure how you are set up but if your problem is only the middle to the bottom of the car, can you move your two side dryers lower?

I've seen set ups with six dryers and two are are positioned dead center overhead, the next two are spaced further apart and are at 45 degree angles to assist with the top and upper halves (windows) and the last set of two are pretty much targeted at the area you want to improve - the window sill down to the bottom.

 

[benny2]

I would take a hard look at your chemistry. I found out the hard way that getting the soaps rinsed off is as important as applying them. In a short tunnel applying a lot of foam and trying to get it rinsed quickly is very difficult. Cars will not dry well if the soap isn't rinsed and removed thoroughly I don't care what set up you have.(just because you don't visually see the soap doesn't mean its not on the surface). I would start dialing soaps back as far as I can that allows me to produce a clean car.

 

[rph9168]

Check the pH of the surface before the DA. It should be either neutral or acidic.

 

[sudsurfer]

Good question. What is more efficient? Rain bar or spray nozzles. in fact, for any application.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Good question. What is more efficient? Rain bar or spray nozzles. in fact, for any application.

Efficiency can take many forms. FWIW I tried and did away with the rin bar because I felt some of the sides of vehicles were not covered well. Some rain bars can be fitted with outboard nozzles to address this issue.

 

[robert roman]

1/3 foot per second is 20’ per minute. That is good for 50’ conveyor.

Next, drying agent - wax luster R is Ryko product that contains amine salts, detergent range alcohol.

Instead, I might try a drying agent that contains mineral seal oil. This may help make water beads “pop-up” faster.

Purpose of rain arch is to create a fast saturating application with minimal delivery of mist.

Whereas nozzle holders (fan spray pattern) provide an even spray with volume at the center the same as at the edge. This way the pattern does not need to be overlapped.

What is more efficient depends on what type of spray pattern is required for a particular operation.

 

[chiggybite]

Yes, we apply it with a rain bar.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I got rid of rain bar because I was not happy with side rinsing which of course affects drying. You can experiment with some outrigger nozzles to target the sides and see if it helps or even replace rain bar with a rinse with jets. Assuming you have an arch it costs little to fashion pipe from cheap PVC and get some plastic jets.

I would recommend to try 2 65/ 10 on top each 18" out from center, (You will need to observe spray since height will affect if any spray misses the top of the car) One 80/10 each side at the level where the top of the spray hits the highest SUV, and 2 more 65/05 each side, one about 30" of the floor and the second between that bottom one and the top one.

if that works well you can experiment with reducing the /10 to /05 and see what happens.