AUTOMOTIVE DUNNAGE WASHING

AUTOMOTIVE DUNNAGE WASHING
A single car is made of approximately 30,000 individual parts. Automotive manufacturers rely on hundreds of key Tier 1 and Tier 2 key suppliers to bringing these parts to market and to manufacturing assembly lines. In fact, parts manufacturing is the largest sector of the entire automotive industry.
OEM suppliers (original equipment manufacturers) deliver a continuous supply of parts for the production of new automobiles. Without the right parts, in the right place, at the right time assembly lines simply cannot continue operate efficiently. And, the humble containers that house and transport these crucial parts are actually as integral to the supply chain as the parts themselves.
In the 1960s and 1970s, reusable plastic bulk bins and pallets were gaining acceptance in the automotive industry. And by the mid 1980s reusable plastic containers and pallets were in widespread use among auto manufacturers.
In fact, the automotive manufacturing sector was actually the first industry to require reusable dunnage washing services. Auto manufacturers have required their tier suppliers to utilize clean dunnage containers and totes for automotive parts for several decades now. Today’s automotive manufacturing industry makes use of a wide array of reusable containers, including plastic pallet and lid systems, stackable crates, protective inner dunnage and shipping racks.
As is often the case, automotive manufacturing companies lead the way for widespread use of reusable packaging. Now, following the lead of the automotive companies, dunnage washing has grown to include virtually every manufacturing industry including aerospace, defense contractors, HVAC and many more.
In the automotive industry, dunnage washing has now become just as important as part cleaning in the manufacturing process. And dunnage washing has evolved from merely providing “clean looking” containers – to a science that includes laboratory testing to ensure precision cleanliness specifications are met or exceeded.
The range of contaminants affecting automotive dunnage is long, including: coolants, oils, grease, chips, residues, dust, adhesives, grit and even gases. And the best methods for removing each may differ. Various dunnage washing process modules & detergents are available depending upon the type of contaminant – including wash, rinse, blow off, high powered pumps, nozzle sprays cleans and more – to effectively wash the dunnage inside and out.
This is one important reason why outsourcing your automotive dunnage washing services to a specialized container cleaning company is essential. Experts in dunnage cleaning, like Clark Logic, have the know-how, experience and specific cleaning solvents for every type of soil and stain.
In the automotive industry, thoroughly drying dunnage is just as important as cleaning the part storage containers. This is because automotive part materials include a wide range metals including: steel, brass, iron, aluminum, cast iron, nickel-plated, zinc, copper and powdered metals. Even the slightest dampness in dunnage containers can compromise sensitive parts and/or lead to corrosion.
Bolts, cams, manifolds, engine blocks, cylinder heads, powertrain components, transmission & axle flanges, slip yokes, fly wheels are just a few of the many automotive components that require absolute dunnage dryness.
Clark Logic offers the latest in dunnage drying technologies including state-of-the-art, high powered air knives that achieve or exceed your dryness specifications.
Every automotive part supplier has compliance continually on their mind. Whether it be TS16949:2009, Q1 Status, CQI-9 Certification, ISO 14001, or something else – maintaining the required compliance and certifications can make or break your manufacturing business.
Additionally, automotive companies have their own very specific and unique dunnage washing and drying requirements. These are typically communicated to their tier suppliers in written documentation during the RFQ process. But these dunnage washing specs may also be changed from time to time without warning to reflect the car company’s updated manufacturing processes or needs.
When choosing your dunnage washing provider it is essential that you select a dunnage washing company like Clark Logic that understands the automotive industry, and will not compromise your compliance in any way.
Clark Logic provides dunnage washing services for some of the largest automotive manufacturing facilities in Southwest Michigan. We understand the industry inside and out – and offer the most comprehensive, customizable dunnage washing solutions for automotive companies and their tier suppliers.
Clark Logic utilizes proprietary dunnage washing equipment – tailored to the unique needs of the automotive industry. We can wash any and every shape and size of automotive dunnage – with the cleanest and driest final results – to your exact precision specifications.
To better serve our automotive customers across Southwest Michigan, Clark Logic has invested in premium Sufa dunnage wash systems. Founded in 1989, Sufa was established specifically to serve major automotive manufacturers when they began directing all tier suppliers to incorporate returnable packaging in their operations. Sufa continues to be the premium supplier of state-of-the-art automotive container washing equipment to this day.
And, because Clark Logic has dunnage washing facilities across all of Southwest Michigan, our pickup and delivery times are the fastest in Kalamazoo, Portage, Battle Creek, Sturgis, and St. Joseph County. Additionally, our extensive network of Michigan warehousing facilities allows us to store dunnage that is not is use for automotive Tier 1 & Tier 2 suppliers – saving them valuable warehousing space until the containers are needed.