Bell cleans up with articulated dump truck wash bay from Garic
When it was looking for a new articulated dump truck washer, Bell Equipment UK Ltd knew it would need to call on an equipment supplier with the ability to think outside of the box.
To be based at its new depot at Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire, the dump truck specialists wanted a facility that would not only be sturdy enough to clean vehicles up to 50 tonnes but that was mobile too. Bell’s wanted the flexibility to be able to offer clean up services at different locations.
The perfect solution came from UK-leading welfare and site set up equipment manufacturer, Lancashire-based Garic. No stranger to quarrying, materials handling and recycling, Garic has re-engineered many of its patented designs to meet the extra demands of these challenging sectors.
The modular 15m x 8m wash bay Garic designed for Bell’s consists of separate components that are easily transportable and completely surface mounted.
It has internal ramps suitable for Bell Equipment’s entire fleet which ranges from 25 to 50 tonne articulated dump trucks and a perimeter walkway. The 2m walkway enables easy access to all sides of the vehicle during washing and an inceptor tray collects and separates all oil and grease residues from the resulting waste water.
This world-patented tray design has attracted a lot of attention for Garic. Last year the company manufactured more than 1,600 for sale and hire across the UK.
The interceptor trays do not require expensive filters or chemicals; their effectiveness is solely based on the simple physical principle that oil floats on water. Dirty water passes through an interceptor outlet leaving the waste oil and grease on the surface. This is collected and the clean water is re-circulated. The interceptor’s u-bend design – much like a toilet cistern – removes the problems associated with water overflow.
Installed at the beginning of the year, Garic’s bespoke wash bay is already making a significant contribution to the smooth running of Bell Equipment’s operation at Barton-on-Trent. Steve Booth, Garic’s head of sales explains: “Bell Equipment use the new wash bay every day, it’s in constant use cleaning down trucks that have been on hire or are being prepared for sale. They now consider it an essential part of their set up.
“The company prides itself on the reliability of its equipment and quality of its customer service – very much like Garic does! Making sure vehicles of this size are completely clean after they’ve been working in quarries, on large construction projects or generally shifting muck calls for a big, powerful and robust solution and that’s a challenge we’re delighted to have been able to meet.”
Garic’s wash bay is easy and quick to maintain; depending on the number of vehicles passing through and the state of the vehicles. The company manufactures equipment for a huge range of industrial and construction applications and has invested £14m across its business in the past 12 months expanding its fleet, manufacturing and research and development operations. It has recently received awards for two of its latest eco-innovations.
Steve Booth concludes: “We’ve been having a fantastic run of success with our products; in the last 12 months we’ve sold more washing equipment than in the previous two years combined. I think this is partly due to increasing environmental awareness and because our equipment is simple to use and built to last.”