Autoradam opens ‘plus sized car wash’
Autoradam has converted its location in Amsterdam Westpoort into a unique automated tunnel car wash for large vehicles. The car wash is 75 meters long and 3.25 meters high. In addition to the appropriate washing technology, it has a sturdy plastic modular conveyor belt, which makes it possible to thoroughly wash large pickups, vans and small trucks.
West of Amsterdam you’ll find the so-called industrial district Westpoort. It is characterized by business parks with stores, office buildings and hotels.
Vans and trucks come and go here, including Autoradam’s own rental and moving vans. So it’s not that surprising that a tunnel car wash for large vehicles could become a big success here.
Strong
To be able to wash large vehicles and make that as easy as possible, the strongest, uni-AMB plastic link conveyor belt from Ammeraal Beltech was chosen.
These sturdy belts are already widely used in the automotive industry, mainly in the production of electric vehicles. It’s the first time the belt has been used in a Dutch conveyor wash. Jean-Pierre Claassen of Ammeraal Beltech is proud of this project. “The combination is unique. It’s a car wash for bigger vehicles, making Autoradam the first in the Netherlands,” he says. “For Ammeraal it is also unique. We put a lot of effort into Europe . And then it is nice to come up with a project like this in addition to car washes for consumer cars.”
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Lego system
In terms of width, each plastic link belt can be flexibly adjusted. In the Netherlands, the width is usually 600 millimeters. That is considered a usable width which can handle many wheel gauges.
But because many different vehicles are washed at Autoradam Westpoort, the conveyor belts here are just a bit wider. “For the belt, that’s not a problem,” Claassen explains. “You can think of it as a Lego system. The parts always fit together. But in general, the wider the belt, the stronger it becomes.”
The belt has two tracks and the carriers are blue, in a color selected by Autoradam. The car wash technology comes from Holz/ACE Carwash Systems and the green brushes are from Brushcom.
Better drivers
In terms of lifespan, the heavier belts are expected to last at least as long as a medium-heavy-duty belt typically used for passenger cars, Claassen says. “The larger the cars, the lower the volume, most of the time.
Where in an average Dutch car wash you might wash 400 passenger cars a day, in a car wash this size you tend to wash about 250 vehicles. So the weight does increase, but the volume balances it out again.” Also, drivers of larger cars tend to be professional drivers, Claassen notes. “They understand the logistics of it a little better and won’t damage the system as quickly. An important factor.”
Autoradam chose the conveyor system from the German company Minda. Ammeraal believes it is important to have a supporting role in this. “We have always said: we are not just a belt supplier. It’s a joint operation. For example, we provide advice on finding the right conveyor builder, but also continue to provide support afterwards. Of course also when there are problems. That’s how we build a good relationship.”
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Breakthrough
Claassen expects Autoradam to be a forerunner in the industry with this new car wash. “Perhaps this is the breakthrough in The Netherlands. With a large hall, appropriate washing technology, the higher wall arches and a conveyor system with the right belts, it may just work. Maybe now the threshold will be a lot lower.”
Autoradam Westpoort is undergoing further renovation. The hall next door – where the chain car wash used to be – is now being prepared for the rental cars that will be parked there. And another vacuum square is being realized. The official opening is planned for early March.
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