Cleaning CBL crates: besides washing, drying is also an option

Geschreven door Maarten de Geus

Cleaning crates – like CBL crates – properly is an important factor within a food industry company’s business process. But in some cases the drying, after cleaning, is just as important. A blower unit then offers the solution.

Crates that are often used in the food industry are the so called CBL crates. CBL stands for Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (Central Bureau for the Food Trade). CBL crates – also called fresh containers – are black stackable containers made of regranulate (recyclable HDPE) and are available in six different sizes.

CBL crates are used a lot for vegetables. To be able to choose the right crate washer, it is important to look at what degree of soiling the vegetables cause. Often the soiling is fresh and the crate washer works more or less like a rinsing machine. But vegetables can also cause stubborn, dried soiling. An increased retention time, higher wash temperature and possibly more chemicals are then necessary during the cleaning process.

Crate washing: dry or wet

In a standard crate washer the crates are cleaned in one or two washing zones and then rinsed in the rinsing zone. After this process the crates will come out of the machine whilst wet. Because the CBL crates have many openings, it takes longer for them to dry. This is not a problem if the crates do not need to be used again immediately, and therefore have longer to dry in the air. Neither is it a problem if the load carriers are used again immediately for products that are wet anyway, such as washed vegetables. But there are of course also products for which it is of the utmost importance that the crates are dry. Think for example of a bakery’s distribution of balls of dough.

A crate washer equipped with a blower unit

It is an option for a crate washer to be fitted with a blower unit. This is then fitted onto the back of the crate washer and connected to it. In the blower unit, the load carriers are dried by powerful stainless steel fans that blow warm air at approx. 50 degrees Celsius. This ensures a better blow drying capacity. The smartly designed blower nozzles ensure that the air rakes across the crates like a kind of ‘air knife’. All sides of the load carrier get treated. Because the blower fans have been placed in the upper part of the unit, the water is blown away at a high air speed from the bottom of the load carrier. The blown away moisture is guided out via a conduit.

If a blower unit with an insulated housing is chosen then the insulation will ensure that the temperature in the unit is maintained. This ensures better after-drying for the load carriers. Also, the insulation ensures the machine’s lower noise levels.

Crate washer checklist

Do you want a quick and easy insight into what to think about when purchasing a crate washer? Then fill in the checklist ‘Points to consider when buying a crate washer’. The checklist will provide you with the following:

A better understanding of the variables involved in selecting a crate washer
You will avoid making a hasty decision resulting in choosing the wrong crate washer for your business
You will take the next step in selecting the perfect crate washer for your business.

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This text has been written according to the editorial guidelines of Elpress and was originally published on 22 December 2020. The last update of this article took place on 18 August 2026. The content of this page has been written and approved by Maarten de Geus.