Is it possible to increase the capacity of the crate washer at a later date?

You purchase a crate washer for washing a certain amount of crates per hour or per day. In the course of time your company will grow and you will want to wash more crates. Is it possible to increase the capacity of your crate washer or add other options in the future?

The answer is: yes. However, an essential "BUT" is attached. Adding other options to a crate washer at a later date is not an easy task and requires the necessary time and a relatively large investment.

Stopping production costs money

Elpress' standard crate washers are built on a modular principle, in other words: the crate washer consists of various components brought together in one housing. As a result, it is not necessarily possible to add parts to the crate washer at a later date, as substantial alterations are required These adjustments are time consuming and bring with them the necessary labour costs.

What cannot be ignored either, is that adapting the machine also means that the crate washer will be out of service for a period of time. And as you know also within the food sector stopping production costs money. The continuity of the production process may be jeopardised by the crate washer conversion. In fact shutting down the machine requires a double investment: labour costs for converting the machine plus costs due to loss of production.

Are you expecting to grow? Choose the right crate washer

Elpress offers various standard crate washers with different capacities. From the EKW-1500 with a capacity of 170 crates per hour (with a retention time of 45 seconds per crate) to the EKW-7000 with a capacity of a maximum of 1,120 crates per hour. When choosing your crate washer, it is important to determine how many crates per hour you would like to wash. It is also important to have a clear picture of the possible growth you are expecting for your company in the near future.

Get it right the first time with the Elpress crate washer

If growth is expected Elpress advises you to purchase a crate washer with over-capacity. It requires a larger investment when purchasing the machine but has to be weighed up against the costs of increasing the capacity at a later date. This does not only apply to increasing the capacity of the machine (the number of crates per hour), but also if you would like to expand your washer with for example a blower unit or a sticker remover. This also requires a relatively high investment and the necessary labour costs also have to be considered.

In brief: when purchasing a crate washer future-oriented thinking is essential.

Which washer suits the needs of 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.