3. Flow Rate The flow rate, measured in gallons per minute (GPM), is crucial for efficiency. A higher flow rate means quicker washes, which translates to more vehicles serviced and higher revenue.
In addition to PSI, water temperature and detergent choice play significant roles in achieving a clean finish. Hot water combined with a suitable car wash detergent can help break down stubborn dirt more effectively. Ensure you use a detergent specifically designed for vehicles, as household cleaners can be too harsh and may strip protective wax coatings.
Car wash systems can be broadly categorized into three main types self-service, exterior-only, and full-service washes
. Each of these systems has different startup and operational costs.From this kind of standard immersion testing, one would expect that bisphenol-cured VDF/HFP/TFE fluoroelastomers would not give good service life as oil seals. Similar tests with other elastomers, such as HNBR, silicone, and acrylic rubbers, show less loss of elongation. However, it is found that, in actual service, FKM shaft seals6 have much longer service life than seals of the other elastomers. In a Japanese study of FKM lip seals, rear crankshaft seals from high-mileage automobiles (70,000–280,000 mi ie, 110,000–450,000 km) were collected and examined. No serious oil leakage was found when the seals were removed from the engines. Some deposits were found around the seal lip and on the garter spring holding the lip against the shaft. No surface cracks were found on the seal lip, and only minor crazing on the crankcase side of the flexure portion of the seal in some samples. The seal compositions were not noted, but most were probably VDF/HFP/TFE elastomers with 68–69% fluorine content.
