To be able to guarantee the continuity of the production process in your food business and to be able to work with guaranteed clean load carriers, it is important that your crate washer is working properly. That is why it is an absolute must, invariably to put an extensive annual maintenance routine on the schedule.
With the annual extensive maintenance schedule – this can be done by your own technical department or by your dealer – particularly all moving and consumable parts of the crate washer are checked. This could be:
- Pump
- Suction and blowing fans
- Chemical dosing pump
- Level sensor
- Temperature sensor
- Gas springs of the hinged doors
- Chain and chain groove
- Gear wheels
- Bearings
During the annual maintenance routine, things such as solenoid valves, plastic level sensors and the hose for the chemical pump (if there is one) are preventively replaced as standard. Nozzles are, in principle, not replaced during the maintenance routine, but throughout the year once they are no longer functioning.
Daily checks
Apart from checking all moving parts once a year, it is useful to do a visual check more often – inf fact, daily. This doesn't take much time and can normally be done during the washing process. So, for example, any leaks from the pump can be indicated in good time and be resolved simply using a repair kit. If a leak is only spotted during the major maintenance routine, then there may be more damage and that often also means the cause is more expensive to remedy.
Electrical cabinet and emergency stop
As well as all moving parts, it is also important that the electrical cabinet is checked and cleaned. Any dust that has accumulated in the cabinet must be removed (at least) annually, so that the temperature in the cabinet does not get too high, and the fan in the cabinet continues working well. Absolutely no water may be used for cleaning the inside of the electrical cabinet. The dust can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Also the emergency stop is checked, so that this cannot be allowed to fail in the event of disaster.
Preventing faults
Good maintenance of the crate washer considerably reduces the chance of faults. But it is not only good maintenance that contributes to this. The quality of the load carriers that are washed in the crate washer must also be good. The crates must not be broken or (too) damaged. For example, when there are corners out of the crates, there is the chance that this is not properly taken into the washer by the transport chain and the washer will develop a fault. Also plastic items which are still in the load carriers may cause faults by them being trapped in the chain. Make sure to be alert to this!
More information
Do you want to know more about annual maintenance routine of your crate washer? Then feel free to contact us – there’s no obligation. Our specialists would be pleased to advise you!
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