IWM Washer Improves Oil Drum Cleaning Process
Industrial Washing Machines (IWM) has developed a custom-designed carousel drum washer for a supplier of ingredients and consumables to the fast-food sector. For Friars Pride, cleaning the reusable drums in which it delivers its frying oil was becoming increasingly problematic. The company's washing processes were labour intensive and relied on the uncertain performance of an ageing washing machine. Unlike most suppliers of frying oils, Friars Pride delivers its oil in 25-litre returnable drums.
This benefits the company's customers, as they don't have to dispose of the empty drums and it benefits the environment as the drums can be used many times over before they are eventually discarded. Recently, however, it was becoming clear that the cleaning procedures the company was using were failing to meet these objectives. The procedures were labour intensive, costly and relied on a washing machine that was approaching the end of its useful life and could no longer meet the company's throughput requirements.
The machine also fell far short of the energy efficiency achieved by more modern equipment. After analysing the company's requirements, the engineers at IWM developed a purpose-designed carousel-type washing machine that has a throughput of 200 drums per hour. It delivers drums that are clean and dry both inside and out, ready for immediate reuse. As an aid to setting up and checking the mechanical functions of the machine, Friars Pride had supplied a number of sample drums. When examined after the test, the machine had cleaned all of the drums and they were ready for reuse.
Friars Pride had anticipated that the drums might be damaged during the tests and had therefore supplied a selection that it considered to be ready for disposal as it believed that they were too heavily soiled to be cleaned effectively. 'Even with our old washing machine, adopting reusable drums for the delivery of frying oil was better from an environmental point of view than using the disposable containers that are so common in our industry,' said Nigel Swepson, operation manager of Friars Pride. 'With our machine from IWM, these environmental benefits have been increased and are accompanied by substantial cost savings,' he added.
This benefits the company's customers, as they don't have to dispose of the empty drums and it benefits the environment as the drums can be used many times over before they are eventually discarded. Recently, however, it was becoming clear that the cleaning procedures the company was using were failing to meet these objectives. The procedures were labour intensive, costly and relied on a washing machine that was approaching the end of its useful life and could no longer meet the company's throughput requirements.
The machine also fell far short of the energy efficiency achieved by more modern equipment. After analysing the company's requirements, the engineers at IWM developed a purpose-designed carousel-type washing machine that has a throughput of 200 drums per hour. It delivers drums that are clean and dry both inside and out, ready for immediate reuse. As an aid to setting up and checking the mechanical functions of the machine, Friars Pride had supplied a number of sample drums. When examined after the test, the machine had cleaned all of the drums and they were ready for reuse.
Friars Pride had anticipated that the drums might be damaged during the tests and had therefore supplied a selection that it considered to be ready for disposal as it believed that they were too heavily soiled to be cleaned effectively. 'Even with our old washing machine, adopting reusable drums for the delivery of frying oil was better from an environmental point of view than using the disposable containers that are so common in our industry,' said Nigel Swepson, operation manager of Friars Pride. 'With our machine from IWM, these environmental benefits have been increased and are accompanied by substantial cost savings,' he added.
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