In this video, I share a coating that can withstand the vigor of automated car washes. Conveyor-driven/tunnel car wash.
The first conveyor-driven automatic car wash appeared in Hollywood, California, in 1940. Conveyor-driven automatic car washes con…
In this video, I share a coating that can withstand the vigor of automated car washes. Conveyor-driven/tunnel car wash.
The first conveyor-driven automatic car wash appeared in Hollywood, California, in 1940. Conveyor-driven automatic car washes consist of tunnel-like buildings into which customers (or attendants) drive.
Before entering the automated section of the wash tunnel, attendants may prewash customers' cars.
A vehicle exiting the friction zone of the wash. Visible are side brushes, wrap-around brushes, the conveyor, and a high-pressure rinse arch.
The car wash typically starts cleaning with chemicals called presoaks applied through special arches. CTAs, or "chemical tire applicators", apply specialized formulations, which remove brake dust and build-up from the surface of the wheels and tires.
A high-pressure arch may direct water at the vehicle's surface at the end of a car wash's presoak.
A typical "tunnel" car wash viewed from the inside of a vehicle
Mitters are ribbon-like components that suspend cloth strips or sheets over the tunnel
A glass car wash building containing an inbay automatic and freestanding blowers
The car is rinsed with fresh water immediately, followed by extra services if required. In many car washes, the first of these services is a polish wax. After the polish, the wax application is typically a retractable mitter or top brush and, in some cases, side brushes or wrap-around brushes. Next is a protectant, which creates a thin protective film over a vehicle's surface. Protectants generally repel water, which assists in drying the car and aiding in the driver's ability to see through their windshield during rain. A low-end wax or clear coat protectant follows the primary protectant. A drying agent is typically applied at the end of the tunnel to remove water from the vehicle's surface before forced air drying. After the drying agent, there may be a "spot-free" rinse of soft water that has been filtered of the salts usually p..
