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German craftsmanship is also valued in other parts of the world. A new large conveyor tunnel system has now been equipped with technology from German manufacturers. The project was implemented in Canada, more precisely near Toronto. WashTec AG, represented by the subsidiary MarkVII, and NAIS Wasseraufbereitungstechnik GmbH played a major role in the success of this project. What has been realised here is a whole new dimension to what we know in this country.
At the beginning of the year, 10 containers 40 feet in length were packed in Augsburg and shipped to Canada, filled with the latest conveyor tunnel system technology SoftLine² Vario with linear technology from WashTec AG. Also included: Two identically running water conditioning systems, equipped with glass beads, from NAIS Wasseraufbereitungstechnik GmbH from Langweid-Foret near Augsburg.
In Mississauga, near Toronto, the car wash operator Fred Misheal had meanwhile constructed an impressive building as the new home for the German car wash technology. This car wash complex is said to be among the largest facilities of its kind in the continent. Location: CA Mississauga (almost adjacent to Toronto on Lake Ontario) with 722,000 inhabitants. The newly opened area around the car wash centre will be further developed into a large local supply area in the near future.
Fred tells us that the work on the new million dollar AutoSpa site - after lengthy planning and consultation with the authorities - could finally be completed thanks to MarkVII. The complex at junction 9th Line and Eglington Avenue was opened in July 2018. On a 4,000 m² site, it offers full service car washing and two 58 m long conveyor tunnel systems, in addition, 3 conveyor belts have been installed for the express interior cleaning. "We planned a state-of-the-art facility that uses the most advanced car wash technology in the world. This allows us to offer the very best customer service as regards express car care in a pleasant and timely manner, which our customers will certainly appreciate," explains Fred.
With this new facility, the operator is looking to enter a whole new dimension in car washing. He and his team travelled to Germany and other European countries in advance of the planning phase in order to inspect the technical components both at the production site and in use at various European locations. What Fred Misheal and his companions saw convinced them that the new car wash should have precisely this kind of equipment. The aim was that the technology should be much better than the technology that was installed in the AutoSpa in Burlington.
When asked how he discovered the WashTec products, Fred answers: "At first I looked at and explored everything on the internet, then I received an invitation to get to know everything in practice. He adds that after ten years of operating experience at the existing facility (AutoSpa Burlington), the team wanted to change and improve a few things, even though vehicles are still being washed there in excellent quality. We just wanted to continue to develop our service offering beyond what we have to date considered to be the very best. With the expertise and the tremendous support of my goals by WashTec, we finally managed to realise this project."
The car wash technology has been delivered to Canada complete with all the equipment options. The new car wash has a SoftLine² Vario with linear technology designed to travel along with the system as it moves. This involves each brush travelling up to 1.25 m along with the vehicle - a feature in which Fred sees a significant improvement in cleaning performance. "The roof and side brushes move along with the vehicle as it is pulled by the drag chain, so they are longer in contact with the vehicle. Better washing results can be achieved particularly on the difficult to clean surfaces at the front and rear of the vehicle. The dryer also works with linear travel technology and tracks the vehicle contour close to the surface. This means it delivers outstanding drying results," says the innovative entrepreneur from Canada enthusiastically.
Chris Armena, Canadian Sales Manager at MarkVII, explains that this technique is completely new in Canada. "This system delivers a wash quality that was previously unattainable by traditional car washes," he says, stressing that cleaner cars will make for happier customers who are also willing to spend a bit more for higher quality results and keen to come back.
Needless to say, two conveyor tunnel systems get two independent water conditioning systems. "Two of our state-of-the-art EGO systems FRA 1000 ECO DUO with glass bead technology have been installed here," reports Ronald Reiss from NAIS Wasseraufbereitungstechnik GmbH. "Both systems work completely independently of each other, even the underfloor container technology is separate."
In order to be able to deliver to North America at all, the systems had to receive UL CSA certification. This is - to put it simply - the North American standard, which ensures that products, components, materials and systems meet specific requirements. This applies particularly in the electrical sector. NAIS has successfully mastered this certification and is now a UL-certified company that can award the UL label itself for its own products. Furthermore, the company NAIS can now design, manufacture and label control cabinets for North America.
The conveyor tunnel systems were planned and designed for a total of 200,000 washes a year, and the water conditioning systems were also calculated for this. The service water requirement per car is between 650 and 800 litres, depending on the programme and belt speed. The total water price is on a par with Germany. "There is no need to talk any further about the profitability of a functioning water recovery system," says Ronald Reiss.
There is still need for action with regard to the washing chemicals in North America. Coloured foams, acids, alkalis and ingredients must and should be better coordinated with regard to recycling and biodegradability from the point of view of the managing director of NAIS GmbH. "A few things are sure to change with regards to this in future."
All in all a successful and extremely interesting project, which also shows that Germany is the world leader in the production of car wash technology and components.
Text/ pictures: Roland Wunder, carwashinfo 08/2018
