Brushcom, Sonny’s, ANAC or Ergox: vote for your favorite
Brushcom, Sonny’s, ANAC Carwash and Ergox are competing in the finals for the Car Wash Innovation of the Year Award. CarwashPro asked all four finalists a simple question: what is your winning innovation?
Three awards are up for grabs, in the categories of sustainability, digitalization and technology. ANAC Carwash, Ergox, Brushcom and Sonny’s The CarWash Factory are the finalists in the technology category.
Interior carwash: turning carousel has hardly any wear and tear
ANAC Carwash’s technical innovation is the interior carousel. “What is totally awesome today is normal tomorrow and boring the day after tomorrow,” says owner of ANAC Lex Peters. “You have to keep surprising the customer. As Darwin said: ‘It is not the smartest or strongest who survives, but the one who knows how to adapt the fastest.'”
With 14 car washes, ANAC Carwash is one of the established operators in the Netherlands and Belgium. Besides car washes, ANAC also has six interior carousels, two of which are now unique interior carousels. In 2.5 years the idea for the carousel was developed. And in 2021, the world’s first interior carousel was put into operation at ANAC Carwash in Arnhem. “The uniqueness of this is that the customer is literally at the centre and the cars are not moved on a long belt, but on a turning platform..”
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How does it work?
Peters explains how the system functions. “In the middle of the carousel, customers wait while enjoying a free cup of coffee until the car is ready. On this carousel, technically eight cars can be cleaned simultaneously. The diameter of the carousel is 20 meters, has a circumference of 63 meters, a surface area of no less than 314 square meters and weighs about 35 tons. The platform runs on rollers.”
By using as few parts as possible, the design is greatly simplified compared to the traditional interior track. The underlying space is easily accessible for inspection, and because it remains clean, there is virtually no wear and tear. “The complete design has been given a refreshing and attractive look,” Peters continued. “The round shapes of the carousel are part of the building. You can see this at the carwash in Arnhem, but now it is also running in Den Bosch.”
Curious how the interior carousel is running in Arnhem? Watch the video here.
This video shows a nice timelapse of how the carousel works.
Ergox Kiosk: making car maintenance extra easy
Ergox presents the new Ergox Kiosk. With this innovation, Ergox aims to make car maintenance extra easy for the user and extra interesting for the operator. “All-in-one and mega-easy, that’s the least you can say of Ergox’s latest innovation. Ergox Kiosk brings together everything you need to make your car look like new again in one user-friendly device.”
The Kiosk guides the user step-by-step through a clear menu, choosing what to do: vacuum, check tire pressure – and bring it up to par if necessary – or refill window spray fluid. There is also an option for interior and glass cleaner and wet-look tire shine. “And Ergox wouldn’t be Ergox if it didn’t automatically offer a reusable quality glove to go with that,” he said.
Thanks to the link to a wash card, users can easily consult the credit via the touch screen and top it up on the spot.
Revenue boosting
The Kiosk has benefits for both the user and the operator. Thanks to the self-service concept, the Kiosk stimulates the use of a laundry card and thus increases turnover. The user also gets everything very clearly presented. Including unlimited advertising possibilities on the central screen.
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Rotor Buff ‘n Dry top brush: dries itself while running
Its design but also its safety and effectiveness is what sets Brushcom’s Rotor Buff ‘n Dry top brush apart from other brushes. “By combining a unique material with an advanced manufacturing method, we have developed a brush that dries better than conventional dry brushes. The rotor-shaped blades spin freely, creating an airflow that helps dry both the car and the brush simultaneously.”
The Microdry+ material which is used for the Rotor brush is an in house development. 50% material has the distinctive ability to absorb water while the other 50% is able to release moisture onto the air, thus drying itself while it is spinning. This will result in the brush drying steadily over the day while processing cars.
Each individual blade is equipped with a Velcro attachment. These Velcro attachments can be easily fixed onto the base discs ensuring quick switching between sets. Because there are less blades to be switched, maintenance time can be reduced by 400%. Switching sets averagely takes 30 minutes.
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‘No more damage claims’
Due to the nature and design of the blades, grabbing windshields, wipers and other fragile car parts is history. The Microdry+ material guarantees a solid base which gives the brush a sturdiness and prevents it from grabbing and tearing. Additionally our search for the perfect Velcro has led to an extra safety mechanism. The Velcro pieces which are placed on the base have just the right just right tensile force that in a case of an event the Velcro will come loose instead of damaging the car.
Rabbit ears
The design of the brushes is special. “At Brushcom we like to not only create the best brushes but also the best looking ones. When designing the rotor we wanted to create a soft and friendly looking brush to deliver the best customer experience for our customers. That is why we always kept an eye on the design of the brush. When the opportunity rose to create brush portraying a fluffy bunny we took gladfully took the chance.”
The Rotor Buff ‘n Dry top brush can be retrofitted onto every existing car wash equipment and is available in 7 different colors, matching every car wash style and type.
During Car Wash Show Europe, trade show visitors can check out the Rotor Buff ‘n Dry top brush at Brushcom’s booth. The booth number is 3.05.01.
SmartSTOP: detects potential collisions
Sonny’s The CarWash Factory also competes for the title and does so with the innovation SmartSTOP. This system detects potential in-tunnel collisions immediately shutting down conveyor and equipment systems when potential threats are detected.
Customized to location
All incident videos are recorded in the back office and are available for download to submit for insurance claims. Sonny’s smartSTOP is customized to each site’s needs, with everything from stop distance to designating key areas of interest. This system can be set up to utilize existing tunnel cameras to reduce implementation costs and keep your current network video recorder.
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Want to know exactly how SmartSTOP works? Check it out here.
Cast your vote!
Within this category, votes can already be cast online. Would you like to cast your vote for your favorite now? You can do so via this voting form. The innovations within the digitalization category are also already available on the CarwashPro website, and the final category sustainability will soon appear online. Wondering who all the finalists are? Check out the overview here.
During the fair on September 21, all innovations will be presented in our innovation gallery. You as a visitor decide who wins. For each category you can vote for your favorite. Will you be there to support your innovation? Register here for free for Car Wash Show Europe!
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