US Dollars
Patented Torrent Technology™ for Industrial Parts Washers
Horizon Torrent Technology™ is used for continuous and batch pretreatment washers for powder or liquid coating processes. Pretreatment washers are used to clean and prepare metal parts prior to the application of a coating. This is typically a multi-stage process that cleans and/or applies a conversion coating to the parts prior to powder or liquid coating. The pretreatment process improves the adhesion of the coating to the substrate surface and increases its effective corrosion resistance.
The pretreatment washers have solution/water tanks for each stage of the multi-stage process. The liquid from these tanks is pumped through spray nozzles to coat parts inside the canopy of the washer. In continuous washers, the parts move through each of the washer’s stages on a conveyor. In a batch washer, the parts are stationary and each stage of the washer’s chemical processes are applied to the parts in sequence.
Multi-stage pretreatment washers are used by virtually every manufacturer that has painted metal parts in their products; whether directly in their own in-house powder/paint line, or indirectly through out-sourcing.
Horizon Torrent Technology™ is also used for single stage, pre-treatment, and coating processes. An example of this would be an organic phosphating process, such as Plaforization.
Efficiency & Innovation for Batch & Continuous Industrial Parts Washers.
Better Cleaning. Less Water.
Horizon patented Torrent washers™ have rotating riser bars with attached nozzles. The spray nozzles move in a circular pattern as the riser bars rotate.
The circular rotation of the nozzles enables spray coverage of the parts with less nozzles, and thus less water flow.
Less water flow results in less pump horsepower, a reduction in electrical energy costs, and less chemical usage. The rotating action of the risers result in a swirling spray pattern which provides excellent coverage in difficult to reach areas, and superior cleaning results. The rotational velocity adds to the impingement of the water spray on the parts.
The pumps and rotating motors are VFD controlled, enabling adjustable control of flow, pressure, and rotational speed.
The innovative, patented, Torrent Washer™ design, produced exclusively by Horizon Performance Technologies supersedes the conventional design of washers, which use multiple riser columns with stationary nozzles.
The advantages of the Torrent Washer™ design include:
- Greatly improved wash solution/rinse application resulting in better chemical application and/or part cleaning. The velocity of the spray application is greatly increased because of the rotation or sweep velocity of the rotating risers. This results in greatly increased chemical application and/or cleaning of complex surfaces of the work piece. A typical average nozzle rotational or sweep velocity varies from 80-125 ft./min.
- Lower solution/rinse flow resulting from replacement of the multiple riser columns in a typical washer design. Most washers with the Torrent design have 1/4th of the number of spray nozzles of a standard riser type washer. This greatly reduces the operating cost of a washer because of the following:
- Reduced amount of energy needed to heat solution because of lower evaporation loss from the sprayed wash solution. This also means less water make-up, less chemical usage, and lower washer exhaust requirements. The lower exhaust requirements greatly reduce air make-up needs for the factory and results in lower energy needs for air make-up into the factory. Batch Torrent washers™ require little or no exhaust systems.
- Reduced pumps’ horsepower requirements due to lower solution flow rate. This results in lower pump energy use.
- Lower solution/rinse capacity is required. This results in smaller tanks, which result in a significant reduction in disposal expense of spent solutions.
- 75% less nozzles, which means less maintenance is needed inside the washer.
Electrical Energy Savings for Industrial Parts Washers
Below is an example comparison between a proposed Torrent washer™ and an existing, conventional design five-stage washer with a line speed of 12 ft./min.
Torrent Technology™
5-Stage Continuous Washer
| Stage | Flow Rate | Pump HP | Rotator HP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 294 | 10 | 1.5 |
| Stage 2 | 98 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Stage 3 | 98 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Stage 4 | 198 | 7.5 | 1.0 |
| Stage 5 | 98 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Total 36.5 HP | |||
Conventional
5-Stage Continuous Washer
| Stage | Flow Rate | Pump HP | Rotator HP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 1240 | 25 | N/A |
| Stage 2 | 450 | 15 | N/A |
| Stage 3 | 450 | 15 | N/A |
| Stage 4 | 840 | 20 | N/A |
| Stage 5 | 450 | 15 | N/A |
| Total 90 HP | |||
The HP required to operate the Torrent washer™ is less than half that of the conventional washer which results in significant savings in both electrical usage and demand charges.
Performance
The rotating nozzle bars/arms create a complex swirling spray pattern. This pattern, along with complex rotational vectors, maximize cleaning the leading and trailing ends of the parts, as well as hard to reach pockets. The rotating action also increases impingement, and coverage.
Below is a depiction of the Torrent washer™ spray pattern compared to a conventional washer spray pattern, which shows the enhancement of coverage and direct impingement due to the rotation of the nozzle bars.
Torrent Industrial Parts Washer Construction & Features
- Stainless steel construction – walls, roof, drain boards, and production doors.
- Stainless steel process piping.
- Stainless steel wetted pumps.
- Stainless steel nozzles.
- Stainless steel plank grating for internal walkway.
- Stainless steel, welded, leak tested tanks. Tank bottoms are pitched to a low point drain connection.
- Locking stainless steel tank covers with handles and latches.
- Stainless vertical pumps – seal less – VFD controlled.
- The rotating risers have adjustable speed drive mechanisms, and thus are not dependent on water pressure.
- The rotating unions are stainless steel, and oversized gearboxes are used for years of trouble-free service.
- Header pressure is continuously monitored.
- Access doors.
- Screens in each tank located in the charge box areas, upstream of the pumps.
- Electronic liquid level sensing and control.
- Optional internal LED lights.
- PLC with PanelView HMI – allows adjustment of nozzle flow and pressure, nozzle arm rotational speed, cycle times for batch washers. Also, specific recipes can be developed and programmed, such as recipes for light, medium, and heavy parts.
- Alarm faults
- 100% efficient Maxon, or Eclipse natural gas or propane fired burners.
- Optional incoloy sheathed, electric, immersion heaters with flanged connections for ease of maintenance.
Accessories
Traditional Filtering – Stainless steel bag filter housings equipped with isolation valves. Pressure monitoring is available which will provide for pressure feedback and filter cleanliness. This can notify the operator to maintain the filter and/or shut down the system if the filter is not changed and the system falls out of the process specification.
Magnetic Filter - Magnetic separator with drain board to remove magnetic fines from the process water. The return water passes across the magnetic filter where fines are collected. The magnetic section is removable from the washer to allow for easy removal of the fines.
Internal LED Lighting – LED lights mounted externally to the chamber, over a tempered glass window. The operator can turn the lights on/off via the operator interface terminal.
Oil Coalescer – The unit is located next to the washer and works in a side stream fashion, drawing a water/oil mixture off the top using a floating skimmer head and diaphragm pump. The fluid is drained through a filter bag and then through multi-matrix plastic coalescing media. The removed oil is routed to a container for disposal by the customer. The remainder of the fluid is returned to the washer. Coordination with the chemical vendor is recommended.
Blow-Off System – A high efficiency blower is used with air knives or air cannons to remove excess moisture from the products as they exit the washer. The adjustable air knives/cannons are located at the exit of the washer, inside of the canopy. The air knives/cannons can be positioned to address areas where water tends to collect on the product. The system is much more efficient than using compressed air for blow-off.
Mist Eliminator – If the Torrent washer™/coater is being used for a coating process, such as an organic phosphating process, conserving the coating liquid is economically desirable. The mist eliminator is a low pressure drop, vane type, with stainless steel construction, for vertical gas flow. It traps and drains a significant portion of the aerosolized coating liquid that would otherwise be carried out with the exhaust.
Water Treatment System – Complete Water Treatment Systems are available including:
- Carbon filter, FRP tank, brass control valve, for chlorine removal from city water supply.
- Duplex water softener, FRP tanks, water meter, salt tank with salt grid and safety shutoff float, for removal of mineral hardness from the water supply. Reverse Osmosis system to reduce the incoming water total dissolved solids by 97-98%. Includes: low energy membranes, permeate and concentrate flow meters, concentrate and recycle flow control valves, high pressure pump, 316 SS membrane housings, automatic inlet shutoff valve, low inlet pressure switch, inlet and outlet sample valves, pre filter – post filter – primary and final pressure gauges, 1.0 micron pre filter, powder coated steel frame, and NEMA 1 control box.
- Pressurize the water going out to distribution.
- Poly RO water storage tank. Includes flow controller with internal piping to continuously circulate and mix the RO water.
- Conductivity meter and sensor for remote monitoring of the stored water quality.
- UV light in 316 SS housing installed in the RO storage tank recirculation line piping, to control bacteria growth.
Ultra-High Efficiency Zirconium Filtration System – A canister-type filter is often the preferred means of filtration for a metal pretreatment process with a zirconium stage. The filter media can be sand, or it can be glass for increased media longevity. The filter tank, pump, and controller are skid mounted. The pump flows solution from the zirconium stage tank, through the filter, and back to the zirconium stage tank. Eductors are used in the zirconium stage tank for increased circulation within the tank.
The filter system includes a PLC that will allow the pump to be controlled to a constant flow, automatically adjusting for varying operating conditions; or it can be controlled to a constant motor speed. The pump can be operated by the timer through the PLC on a schedule or for a set duration. The system can also be turned on/off in manual mode.
Brands
Below are some of the brands we use for our Torrent Technology™ washers:
