PROFIT
CENTERS
BY DaVIDDOughERTy
Next-generation dryer technology can improve car wash performance,
cost and efficiency
hIgh AND DRy
L
et's Face it, when drivers Pull intO an
in-bay automatic car wash, they have
two simple goals in mind: 1) to drive
away in a clean car, and 2) to drive away
after the shortest passage of time possible. In the past, that goal, when considering the
time factor, was sometimes compromised by the
drying system that awaits drivers once the washing
and rinsing cycles have been completed.
process was a necessary evil, as no one wants to
leave the wash bay with a car spotted with beads
of water while, on the other hand, the time it took
to complete the drying process—which was oftentimes never entirely thorough enough to begin
with—was seen as a detriment.
Thankfully for car wash operators and their
customers, those days of extended drying processes
are coming to an end. This article will take a look at
the new technology that is making the drying process more efficient and timely for the operator
and driver, while also providing bottom-line benefits for the
operator in terms of reduced
utility, equipment and maintenance costs.
TuRNINg DRyINg
INTO A BREEZE
You know the drying drill, replete with a 30- or
60-second countdown clock that challenges drivers
to maneuver through the dryers placed above or
along the side of the exit door, hoping to time their
departure with the exact moment that last blast of
air removes the final drops of water from the back
of their vehicle. Yes, to some, the car wash drying
14
March 2013
In addition to the timeliness issue,
legacy drying systems also suffered
from performance problems, as
well. Simple physics reveal that
when the drying air exits a dryer,
its highest and most effective rate
of speed occurs immediately at
the exit point. From there, the air
stream loses much of its velocity as
it meets the resistance of the surrounding air. Therefore, by the
time it reaches the vehicle, air flow
has been minimized, meaning that
the optimum drying air flow rate
is occurring well before it ever has a chance to meet
the vehicle.
Recent advances in dryer technology have helped
eliminate these air-flow concerns, however. Many
next-generation drying systems now feature innovative designs that use concentrated air columns, a
process called "air drafting" and an optimized array
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