A large dairy farm in Virginia had been in the market for improved ways to wash their empty trailers. Historically, they had used a standard hose and spray nozzle attached to a Strahman mixing valve station. They had several issues with their set up.
First, they found the mixing valve to lack the high pressure wash they desired. Second, they realized that their mixing valves were inefficient to operate. Finally, the mixing valves caused ergonomic nightmares for fork lift operators (loose hoses on the floor) and users (poor water pressure and inconsistent performance).
As a replacement, they considered a high pressure system with 1-2 drops designed to operate at 10 gpm @ 400psi (160°F) supplied by a pump manufacturer. Though this system may have been an improvement over their old mixing valves, the skid cost was quite prohibitive. Additionally, the continuous power cost of running the pump, and supplying the heat transfer in their tank, added to the price concerns.
This system was quoted at approximately $20,000.00 as a base price, not including, among others, detergent inlet options. These chemical detergent feed options raised the price an additional $1,500.00. They ultimately decided against that proposal.
HelioJET® considered two options: multiple single drops or a Central Cleaning System with booster pump. Because of the supply conditions at the plant, HelioJET® engineers decided to propose multiple single drop system.
The chief engineer at the dairy farm wanted a quote for three (3) Model HelioPAC-1500 (180-165) P/N: PAC-15. They each provided 200psi @ 180°F which was more than suitable. He added the detergent inlet assembly, a longer hose (75 feet), and the hand crank hose real as options. The total price came to less than $4,000.00 for each drop.
Mechanical – HelioJET® water conditioning equipment is used to combine steam and water in a highly efficient (98%+) process to deliver 170°F, 250 psi water to the dryer fabrics. Internal brush showers are also provided, which can be rotated to dislodge any buildup within the showers during predefined purge cycles. The entire cleaning process is managed using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) that allows for fine tuning the application as needed to match the level of contamination and to do so in an easy and safe manner.
Operational – The wash sequence consists of a HelioJET® rinse (water only), chemical application with HelioJET® off, soak time and then rinse with HelioJET® shower. The entire system is then purged clear to eliminate any residual dripping onto the sheet. The HelioJET® equipment is properly interlocked with the paper machine to prevent premature cleaning while the paper is on the machine and standard operating procedures are clearly defined and followed during each cleaning process.
Chemical – A neutral degreaser is fed at 10% concentration directly onto the felt. The length of time during which the chemical is applied was adjusted depending on the extent of contamination. An anti-scale product is also fed to the suction side of the HelioJET® unit to prevent scale buildup in the unit and showers during water rinsing.
In conclusion, the HelioJET® 1500 offered the dairy farm the same simple drop set up as the other high pressure system, but did it with less operating cost (power and heat transfer); a 40% lower base price, while offering a three drop station rather than a one or two drop scenario.
The dairy farm was so happy with the cost savings and operation of the HelioJET® Solution, that they have subsequently ordered 5 more drops and have standardized their plant to use only HelioJET® cleaning equipment.