Tekleen Self-Cleaning Filters Save on Downtime and Improve Efficiency at Great Dane Trailer Manufacturing Plants
Great Dane is probably the most recognized trailer manufacturer in the world, with 10 plants in the USA, 2 in China and a service center in Mexico. Products include refrigerated trailers, dry freight trailers, platforms and truck bodies, as well as refrigerated truck bodies, and also aftermarket spare parts.
Before it leaves the factory, each trailer product is watertested under high pressure for integrity of the trailer structure. This quality-control process will help ensure protection of whatever is transported inside the trailer. Water in a high pressure spray hits the trailer in an enclosed room, using approximately 4000 gallons in 5 minutes. The enclosed high-pressure test and washing rooms are called Test Bays. According to Mr. Stolfe, the water pressure hits the trailer “like a hurricane.” The test bays also thoroughly clean the trailers during the test process.
The Kewanee, IL plant has two test bays where Tekleen filters are installed. Another Tekleen filter services the new test bay at the Terre Haute, IN plant. One Tekleen filter is located at the new Ellisberg, PA plant. Tekleen filters are added to new plants and to new test bays as Great Dane expands their facilities.
In general, the Tekleen self-cleaning filters are used to clean the wash/testing water so that it can be re-used. They filter out ordinary debris left behind by the manufacturing process, which can include particles such as metal shavings, as well as everyday dust and dirt. The water is then recirculated into a 4000 gallon holding tank which supplies the cleaned water back into the plumbing system where it is sprayed out again at high pressure into the test bay.
The Tekleen filters used in the various Great Dane test bays are mounted on a specially-made metal frame and are plumbed into the adjacent water bay to refill the 4000 gallon holding tank.
Labor saving is about ½ hour per day due to no longer having to manually clean the filter.
Tekleen filters take the guess-work out of cleaning schedules as well, by initiating selfcleaning when the internal pressure differential inside the Tekleen filter triggers the process.