Truck Wash Mechanism - Question of the Month
A gentleman writes in to as the Think Tank division of the Truck Wash Guys about a potential new style of truck washes, which utilizes the mechanical operations of a tunnel car wash where the car is towed through the apparatus and system.
Thus, he asks a very good question; "I noticed that although cars are typically pulled through a car wash, that washing systems for trucks and buses apparently use moving gantries and leave the vehicle in place.
Is that generally true? Have you ever seen a system which pulls the truck/bus through?" I'd say that such a statement might be problematic, because there are some systems that move and the vehicle stays stationary, old designs and new designs.
Then there are units that the tuck moves through at as certain speed, some have light sensors for the driver.
Most rinse systems for buses and trucks have the vehicle moving through.
I do not recall a system that pulls a complete truck through, but I bet they exist.
And if a hydraulic system were used it really wouldn't be that hard to do.
In fact, I bet the folks at "Interclean" have such a design laying around, perhaps for military purposes? Indeed it is completely possible to build a system that towed the truck or bus through the truck wash rather than washing around the truck, it would actually be a simpler system, with less moving parts, thus less downtime, due to Murphy's Law.
You could use an airbag or rubber bumper system to push on the frame of the tractor, or a pop-up speed bump type barrier with a curved cup for the back of the drive wheels that sat on a flat plate plus the backing once the weight was on it, the rear pop-up would be spring loaded and lock in place then when the truck was completed it would fall back into position? And such a system, it would not hurt the vehicle and such a system could be used for anything.
Cleaning large aircraft for instance, washing boats, or anything on a track already such as a train, tram, or people mover would be easy this way.
Even washing smaller items like shopping carts, wheel chairs or golf carts could easily employ such a system.
Thus, he asks a very good question; "I noticed that although cars are typically pulled through a car wash, that washing systems for trucks and buses apparently use moving gantries and leave the vehicle in place.
Is that generally true? Have you ever seen a system which pulls the truck/bus through?" I'd say that such a statement might be problematic, because there are some systems that move and the vehicle stays stationary, old designs and new designs.
Then there are units that the tuck moves through at as certain speed, some have light sensors for the driver.
Most rinse systems for buses and trucks have the vehicle moving through.
I do not recall a system that pulls a complete truck through, but I bet they exist.
And if a hydraulic system were used it really wouldn't be that hard to do.
In fact, I bet the folks at "Interclean" have such a design laying around, perhaps for military purposes? Indeed it is completely possible to build a system that towed the truck or bus through the truck wash rather than washing around the truck, it would actually be a simpler system, with less moving parts, thus less downtime, due to Murphy's Law.
You could use an airbag or rubber bumper system to push on the frame of the tractor, or a pop-up speed bump type barrier with a curved cup for the back of the drive wheels that sat on a flat plate plus the backing once the weight was on it, the rear pop-up would be spring loaded and lock in place then when the truck was completed it would fall back into position? And such a system, it would not hurt the vehicle and such a system could be used for anything.
Cleaning large aircraft for instance, washing boats, or anything on a track already such as a train, tram, or people mover would be easy this way.
Even washing smaller items like shopping carts, wheel chairs or golf carts could easily employ such a system.
Source...