How many crates do you want to wash? Choose the correct capacity for your crate washing machine

When you purchase a crate washer, you can of course choose from different versions. Which crate washer best suits your business depends, among other things, on the number of crates you want to wash.

The capacity of a crate washer from our standard range varies roughly from a maximum of 170 crates per hour for the smallest washer to a maximum of 1,100 crates per hour for the largest crate washer.

To be able to decide which type of crate washer is best suited to your business process, you should accurately chart how many crates you want to wash per day. However, it is not only the total number of crates per day that is important. Multiple factors play a role in choosing the right capacity of your washer.

High-capacity crate washer for peak times

It is of course possible that you get soiled crates that need to be washed evenly throughout the day. But that is of course not always the case. Companies often have to deal with peak moments: a large number of soiled crates which arrive in a short period of time. You must then ask yourself in which time period you want to clean these crates. When do you need them again? Do they have to be returned to the business process as quickly as possible to ensure continuity? Or is it not a problem if this takes a little longer?

For example, if you receive 1,000 soiled crates at the same time, do you want them ready for use again after two hours? Then you need a crate washer with a capacity of at least 500 crates per hour. Or do you receive the same 1,000 crates in the morning, for example, and you don't need them again untill the following day? Then of course, a crate washer with a lower capacity will suffice. With the latter case, keep in mind that an operation that takes a longer period of time will also involve higher personnel costs.

Crate washer capacity depends on manpower

Another important factor when choosing the capacity of the crate washer is the availability of manpower. How many hours a day do you have manpower available to operate the crate washer? If you want to wash 3,000 crates a day, and have manpower available for this task for a maximum of four hours a day, then you need a crate washing machine with a capacity of at least 750 crates. However, if you have manpower available throughout the working day, then a crate washer with half this capacity is sufficient for the 3,000 crates.

The availability of labour is only important if you opt for a crate washer with a manual input, i.e. a stand-alone version. Preferably you should have two employees available for this at the same time. But also a crate washer with one operator is possible.

Do you work with a conveyor belt for automatic crate transport? Then you need little or no manpower to operate the washer. Whether a conveyor belt is an interesting investment for you depends on the amount of crates you want to wash and the extent to which you can call on your employees to operate the washer.

Calculator: see which crate washer fits your company

Before we talk to you about the possible purchase of a crate washer, you can use our handy crate washer calculator to easily determine which crate washer suits your business. You will then receive a first tailor-made advice that Elpress will be happy to elaborate further with you during a subsequent meeting. Start the calculator and receive free advice within 1 minute.