How does a tunnel car wash machine work?

Most people who have driven through one have never thought about what is actually happening around them. A tunnel car wash - also called a conveyor car wash - works on the opposite principle to a rollover. In a rollover, the vehicle remains stationary and the gantry moves around it. In a tunnel car wash, the vehicle is moved through a series of fixed sections by the conveyor, each section carrying out a specific wash, rinse, or dry function.

Wash configuration differs by site, but the core sections are:

• Conveyor - the vehicle's wheels sit on a moving belt or chain conveyor, which carries it through the tunnel at a controlled speed.
• Chemical arches - chemical solution is applied across the full vehicle surface to break down contaminants ahead of the wash process.
• High-pressure arches - high-pressure water jets clear loose dirt and support the wash process.
• Brush arches - a series of different brushes work every panel, wheel arch, and surface as the vehicle passes through.
• Rinse and wax arches - rinse water and wax are applied together, assisting drying and adding shine.
• High-velocity air dryers - air is blown across the vehicle to increase water runoff and speed up drying.

Entry to exit takes approximately five minutes per vehicle, but the next vehicle enters and begins washing before the one ahead has exited. That overlap, not the wash quality itself, is what gives a tunnel its high throughput - capable of washing 60 to 80 vehicles per hour.

For a busy fuel station forecourt, a dedicated car wash site, or a high-traffic fleet wash facility, that throughput is the entire commercial argument.

If you are considering a tunnel installation for a forecourt or fleet facility, call GES on (011) 402 6277. We will walk you through throughput requirements, site footprint, capital investment, and realistic payback - before you commit to anything.