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Hitachi Construction Equipment

Application Snapshot - Plant and Machinery Cleaning

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The Problem

Hitachi Construction Equipment have a large range of excavators and plant equipment for sale, hire and service.  They have two sites providing excellent coverage to the Melbourne CBD and surrounds.

Being able to present equipment to hire clients clean and professional is key.  Their own Service Department need to clean so as they can access parts and conduct servicing. 

They have to clean big, fast & cost effective when dealing with heaps of caked on clay and debris.

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The Solution

Having used a Spitwater hot wash 3 phase unit before – they invested in a larger model to increase the water flow and pressure.  The SW2021 at 21 lpm and 3000 psi was just the right unit.  They also invested in using the SUTTNER KW fittings for easy lance and foaming change over.

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The Benefits  

With water flow being KING the increased flow that this machine has provided - wash bay times have come down by around 25%. 

Improved wash bay through put has allowed for increased machine hire units ready to go out with no hold ups.

The same solution was rolled out at both sites, making it easy for driver & operator to use the same units and set up when working at either site.

The new units have been set up with a PM Program allowing for maximum machine up time.  Hitachi need the wash bay operational at all times. 

Recent News

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William Adams CAT
The Problem William Adams have a large range of excavators and plant equipment for sale, hire and service.  They have two sites providing excellent coverage to the Melbourne CBD and surrounds. Being able to present equipment to hire clients clean and professional is key.  Their own Service Department need to clean so as they can access parts and conduct servicing. They have to clean big, fast & cost effective when dealing with heaps of caked on clay and debris. The Solution Having used a Spitwater hot wash 3 phase unit before – they invested in a larger model to increase the water flow and pressure.  The SW2021 at 21 lpm and 3000 psi was just the right unit.  They also invested in using a 20 metre hose for ease of getting around the machinery without having to move the pressure washer.  Adding a foaming attachment for non-touch cleaning to allow their truck wash better time on the machine to assist in removing the grime. The Benefits With water flow being KING the increased flow that this machine has provided - wash bay times have come down by around 25%. Improved wash bay through put has allowed for increased machine hire units ready to go out with no hold ups. The same solution was rolled out at both sites, making it easy for driver & operator to use the same units and set up when working at either site.
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Progressive Car Freighters
The Problem Progressive Car Freighters is a vehicle freight and transport service based in Bairnsdale Victoria.  They operate a fleet of vehicle transporters which all need to be maintained and presented professionally to reflect their business.  The hours put in cleaning this fleet quickly consumed any spare time and became costly with wages. The Solution Spitwater model SW21200DE, 21 lpm at 3000spsi diesel powered hot wash pressure washer, 50 metres of high-pressure hose in a top mount hose reel. This was setup in a dedicated wash bay which made the system easy to setup and use.  Town water supply at 21 LPM can be a problem.  This was solved by providing a buffer tank of 1000 litres. The bypass return was piped back to the buffer tank, so no water is wasted.To reach the high sides of the transporters, Progressive chose our 2000mm lances to reach those hard to get areas. The end of the lance was further enhanced with a multireg nozzle which also gave the ability to apply soap through the venturi system. Time for an Upgrade Progressive Car Freighters are not new to Spitwater equipment. They had a SW21200PE that they updated to the Diesel engine powered replacement. This unified fuel supply as per their transporters and a new unit for more hard work to come.  The old unit was serviced and a new lance and gun fitted and redeployed at one of their other sites. The Benefits A 50% reduction in cleaning times were achieved cutting costs on labour and freeing up time to perform the other tasks around the yard.   Working with Spitwater, giving a fast turn around service with no downtime.
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Western Quarries
The Problem Western Quarries is situated in Ararat in Western Victoria.  They provide hornfels rock and aggregate for use in asphalt and concrete production. They operate a fleet of excavation equipment which all need to be maintained and presented professionally to reflect their business.  The hours put in cleaning this fleet quickly consumed any spare time and had become extremely costly with wages. The machines get coated with Precoat which is a bitumen-based product containing a percentage of adhesion agent this is added to the aggregate to ensure better initial adhesion and longer-term retention of aggregate.  This coating, while better for the aggregate, coats the machine and must be cleaned off during maintenance and service times.  It was being done manually with solvents and degreasers and rags.  This has led to increased cleaning times and labour costs. The Solution Being able to clean the machines in location was a key requirement, along with a portable water supply.  So a fully self contained hot wash trailer was designed.  Using the Spitwater SW15-200DE, 15 LPM at 3000spsi, diesel powered hot wash pressure washer, 50 metres of high-pressure hose in a top mount hose reel.  This was mounted with a 1000 litre water tank on a heavy duty mine specification trailer.  The trailer is fully galvanised including the wheels with on board electric brake controller so that any suitable vehicle can tow the trailer without having to have a brake controller installed in the vehicle.  Being at a Mine site it featured the Safety pack of strobe light, fire extinguishers and wheel nut indicators.  Being outside all the time this custom trailer included a removeable front and roof panel for weather and dust protection. The Benefits Within minutes of the hot wash pressure washer firing up we started to clean the wheel loader using the hot water (coming out at around  80°C), you could see the smiles on the workers faces as the Precoat loosened and started to stream off. A 50% reduction in cleaning times was achieved cutting costs on labour and freeing up time to perform the other tasks.   Machines presented better creating better site efficiency.

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