setting up a foam generator for a car wash. Foam generator how to set up

Comments on the post What do you need to know when choosing a foam generator for a car wash? No

Non-contact car washing using active foam is carried out using a high-pressure foam generator. The functions of the foam generator include:

• preparation of high density foam;
• uniform spraying over the surface of the car.

Unlike conventional low-pressure sprayers, foamers (a common name for foam generators in Russia) produce more uniform and finely dispersed foam.

Content

• Foam generator device
• How to distinguish a sprayer from a foam generator?
• The principle of operation of the foam generator
• Advantages of foam generators
• Disadvantages of a foam generator
• Operating principle of the foam kit
• Advantages of foam kits
• Disadvantages of foam kits
• Foam generator for car wash from Stihl
• Foam generator for car wash produced by Karcher
• Foam generator from the company Interskol
• DIY foam generator
• Cost of foam generators

How to set up a foam generator for foam concrete?

#1

The construction of structures for various purposes is a well-coordinated process, the flawless organization of which necessarily requires specialized equipment. The foam generator required for mass production of foam when creating a solution was no exception. Thus, a foam generator for foam concrete is appropriate for the production of concrete masses with a cellular structure, and the operating principle is based on the generation of air-mechanical foam. So it is quite obvious that certain types of work cannot be done without this device, which is available for free sale, but requires significant financial investments. This essential unit is easy to maintain, provides many years of service life, but most importantly, with its participation, the output is “breathing” concrete walls of various structures. But how exactly does it work, on what principle are they designed?

#2

The principle of operation of the foam generator is extremely simple - mixing stable foam with a solution of cement and sand according to a pre-selected scheme. The output is an air mixture that has high airtight characteristics and a density less than classic concrete. If a residential building is built from such material in the future, its walls will not only be much stronger, but residents will also receive natural insulation for their apartments. So a foam generator is an important unit in construction, which significantly increases the class of the home being built. In any case, foam concrete is a lightweight construction material that leaves its predecessor far behind. Although its production is expensive, it does not exceed the cost of classical concrete by several times. The question is the quality of the building material, and the “product” of the foam generator meets all the requirements.

#3

The technical characteristics of finished foam blocks depend on the settings of the equipment itself; special attention should be paid to the quality and density of the foam itself. To obtain the correct solution, it is important to maintain the proportions of emulsion, air and water. The optimal density of foam blocks is 800, and to achieve this indicator you will need 400 kg of fine sand, 180 liters of water, 50 liters of water for foam formation, sand and cement - 320 kg and a total total volume of foam - 630 liters. The best in its field of activity is the Arecom converter, designed for 1-2 liters. To prepare, you need to combine water with cement and sand in the specified amount, and then form a foam separately. Then send the foam through a special mixer and combine it with the concrete base to subsequently obtain a cellular structure. Such foam blocks are called “breathable”, and soon they will finally replace ordinary concrete.

#4

Today, making a foam generator with your own hands is not difficult; the main thing is to have at least a vague understanding of the operating principle of this useful device. If the makings for design are completely absent, it is best to purchase a ready-made model in the store. The Fomm PGM foam generator, which works perfectly in combination with all types of converters, is optimal in a given direction. Thus, about 500 liters of foam can be produced in a minute, which significantly reduces the technological process for producing foam concrete. When additional expenses for such equipment are not included in the budget, you can make foam generators at home. The design is essentially elementary, but consists of a barrel with a connected pipe. Of course, such a mechanism has its drawbacks, but in case of emergency, not a single day will assist in the process of creating foam blocks.

#5

The first foam generators, despite their elementary design and ease of maintenance, had a number of disadvantages. For example, it was imperative to connect a compressor, otherwise the disturbed pressure would change the density of the foam for the worse and violate the characteristics of the finished foam blocks. Moreover, such models were adjusted manually, which was necessary when mixing each portion of the solution. Accordingly, this is a significant expenditure of time resources and low quality of the finished product. That is why the proposed models have been improved every year, and today they are capable of producing about 500 liters of foam in 60 seconds. If we talk about home-made specimens, then their use is appropriate only for the construction of minor structures, otherwise the technological process of the appearance of foam at one point may seem endless. So it is best to purchase a modern model.

#6

If we talk about domestically produced foam generators from the latest models, it is worth recalling what they are. First of all, this is a module for supplying a solution for the purpose of its further conversion into foam; directly a module for foaming and automation for controlling dosage proportions. In the latter case, it is necessary to clarify that the automatic mechanism allows you to control the quality of finished foam blocks, as well as the mode of their production. Setting up such equipment is not difficult, but then it makes it possible to calculate costs, determine the relevance of the specified parameters and the serviceability of the unit itself. In fact, this is a complex structure that requires constant maintenance. If this is not done in a timely manner, the machine will unexpectedly fail, or will produce low-quality goods that absolutely do not correspond to the given pricing policy.

uznay-kak.ru

Foam generator device ^

The main components of the foam generator are:

• high pressure cylinder;
• mixer elements;
• remote pistol.

The defining technical characteristic of a foam generator is the volume of the tank. There are devices with tank volume:

• 25 liters;
• 50 liters;
• 100 liters.

Some imported models have intermediate volumes : for example, 24 liters.

The tank body can be made:

• stainless steel;
• steel of normal quality, painted.

All elements of the mixer are made only from anti-corrosion, chemical-resistant steel.

The foam generator requires compressed air to operate. It is supplied to the input of the installation. Working pressure – from 5 to 6 bar .

There is a pressure regulator at the installation inlet. Control is carried out using a pressure gauge.

Attention: some sellers try to sell a sprayer to uninformed buyers instead of a foam generator. This device is unable to generate persistent foam. Instead, an emulsion is formed in it.

The fastest way to make foam concentrate

A homemade foam generator for washing can also be made from a regular sprayer, which is very similar in design to a factory foam generator.

The most convenient way to make a foaming agent for washing is from a sprayer. The design of such a device is very similar to factory foamers, although it has some differences. When choosing a sprayer, take into account the thickness of its walls, because the foam concentrate will have high pressure (up to 6 atm).

You will also need a compressor for this device. And also a foam tablet, an air fitting or pipe, gaskets, a hose adapter, a check valve, a pair of half-inch adapters and four nuts.

Take the sprayer and remove the mounting valve and fitting from it. You have a couple of through holes in your sprayer. You should also disassemble and plug the hand pump.

After this, take the adapters, screw them into the tank and tighten them with nuts. It is better to use gaskets to make the container airtight. A check valve with a fitting is screwed into one of the adapters; a hose from the compressor must be attached here so that air enters from below to form foam. And an adapter with a fixed foam tablet is placed in the other hole. After this, a hose is attached to it. A spray bottle is attached to the other end (you can take a regular garden one).

How to distinguish a sprayer from a foam generator? ^

• The sprayer design does not provide for adjustment of the mixture quality ;
• The sprayer is equipped with a foam nozzle with a large diameter outlet .

All information about engine water hammer, symptoms of this unpleasant phenomenon, how to avoid it, what to do if it does happen?

You can read everything about plastic shower cabins for dachas and more here, the most interesting and relevant information!

Foam generator drawing

When constructing a homemade model of a foam generator for the production of foam concrete, we applied the principle with paired valves numbered 6 and 8, the regulation of which sets the density of the produced material. Valves 7.9 shut off the system.

1. “Ruff” with a threaded connection and a mesh washer.
2. Main foam cartridge.
3. Washer-jet with a hole diameter of 10 mm.
4. Turbulent mixing chamber.
5. Coupling.
6. Valve for adjusting air supply and pressure regulation.
7. A valve that shuts off the air supply.
8. A valve that regulates the supply of an aqueous solution of foam concentrate and adjusts the density of the foam.
9. Solution supply shut-off valve.

For normal operation of the unit, you will need an air compressor with a capacity of 0.5 cubic meters and a working pressure of 6 atmospheres. For example, a concentrate of 100-200 liters, diluted in a container, is supplied to the foam generator using an ordinary “Rucheek” pump used in everyday life.

For large production volumes, it is recommended to use a pump model with a receiver, which is designed for 100-300 liters and a pressure of 6 atm. Such a system will allow producing up to 600 l/min and more.

It is better to fill the foam cartridge with stainless steel mesh designed for cleaning iron utensils. Mesh nets can be purchased at any hardware store; it is recommended to choose not a spiral shape, but one with thin wires. The body of the unit should be filled tightly with rolled nets along the entire length of the foam cartridge. Next, a “ruff” with a washer with meshes mounted inside is screwed onto the outlet hole. The design will not allow the mesh to fly out of the device under pressure. This filler method is not expensive and will last for many years.

The principle of operation of the foam generator ^

Foaming in the installation occurs under the influence of a fragmented jet of compressed air passing through a foaming agent - car washing shampoo. The process takes place in two stages:

1. Obtaining primary foam. A high-pressure water jet emerges from the nozzle and ejects the car shampoo solution, while capturing air, which is supplied into the device through the holes. The resulting foam is unstable and is not yet suitable for washing .
2. obtaining the final product. The mixture obtained at the first stage is fed at high speed from the mixer to the foaming tablet.

The tablet is made of a special corrosion-resistant hydrophobic wire (or mesh) with a calculated cell size.

As a result , stable foam of high expansion is formed (there is a direct relationship between the level of foam expansion and the quality of surface cleaning ).

At the exit from the foaming tablet, the foam flow takes the form of a flat jet due to parallel installed regulator plates.

Thanks to the long flexible hose, the gun can apply foam to any hard-to-reach surfaces. The maximum height of the foam jet reaches 6 meters.

The car washer prepares the foam kit in the machine.

Recommendations | World of purity

World of Cleanliness recommends washing your car in this particular way, since this technology does not have the disadvantage of microdamage to the surface and is the most effective today.

Foam kit

Foam kit is an injection device that allows you to quickly apply a chemical in the form of a foam solution to hard-to-reach surfaces. The foam kit consists of the following parts: 1. Gun with external clutch.2. Injector nozzle with internal coupling. Nozzle includes:

• A) injection unit (mixes water, air and chemicals)
• B) liter bottle (for chemistry)
• B) adjusting screw (adjusts air supply)
• D) sprayer (changes the angle of the spray jet).

3. A lance with an internal coupling and a nozzle. An injection nozzle with a plastic bottle into which auto chemicals are poured is connected to the gun using a quick-release connection (bayonet mount -1A). After pressing the trigger of the gun, a stream of water from the AED passes through the injector and, capturing chemicals from the bottle, forms a cleaning solution. A mesh insert (foam tablet) at the outlet of the sprayer foams the solution. Problems with foaming can arise for two reasons: clogging of the mesh insert, or the hole in the injection unit through which the chemical is absorbed. In the first case, you should rinse and blow out the mesh insert or replace it with a new one, in the second, unscrew the brass bottle holder and blow out the hole. The foam volume is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of air using the adjusting screw. 1-2 minutes after applying the foam, a lance (jet nozzle) is attached to the gun using a bayonet, and the foam is easily washed off along with the dirt.

Working with the foam kit: 1. Pour active foam into the bottle, diluting it with water in the proportion indicated on the label (usually 200-300 g/l). These are just approximate numbers. The optimal concentration is selected at each car wash individually depending on the time of year, the degree of contamination of the car, water quality, pressure of the high pressure, economic calculations. When using the two-phase contactless shampoo “Active Foam Power”, you should first mix the layers well.2. Attach the bottle and gun to the injection nozzle.3. Turn on the high-pressure apparatus and pull the gun trigger.

Foam generator

A foam generator is a mobile device operating under pressure, connected to a compressor of 8-10 atmospheres and designed for creating and applying solutions of chemicals. The foam generator consists of:

• tank for chemical solution with a capacity of 25/50/100 l with a filler neck (funnel),
• air pressure regulator in the cylinder,
• regulator for supplying the finished solution (on some models),
• regulator of air supply to the solution,
• chemical solution supply hose,
• spray gun,
• emergency valve,
• pressure gauge to control the pressure of the supplied air,
• level tubes.

Compressed air from the compressor displaces the working solution from the tank. Through a special nozzle, the solution foams and is applied to the car in the form of foam. Sprayers are distinguished by the absence of an air channel for foaming the solution and are applied in the form of an emulsion. The structure of the foam depends on the concentration of the chemical solution and the settings of the foam generator. The volume of foam also depends on the shape of the nozzle used. A nozzle with a narrow hole supplies the solution in the form of an emulsion, while a nozzle with a wide hole delivers a solution in the form of foam.

Working with a foam generator: 1. Pour active foam into the foam generator tank through a funnel according to the instructions, lower the water supply hose to the bottom of the tank and pour water through the level tube. On average, the product consumption is 15-20 g/l of water. The optimal concentration is selected at each car wash individually depending on the time of year, the degree of contamination of the car, water quality, and the characteristics of the washing equipment used.2. Apply compressed air by turning the tap. The working pressure in the foam generator tank is 6-8 atmospheres.3. Press the trigger of the gun and spray the product evenly onto the body from bottom to top. You can adjust the density of the foam and the flow rate of the washing solution using the air supply regulator to the finished solution, as well as selecting the appropriate nozzle and concentration of the solution.

how to apply the solution You can apply the foam to the dry surface of the car. If the body is hot in the sun, you should cool it with a stream of water to prevent the washing solution from drying out quickly. If the body is cooled in the cold, you must first knock off the ice and snow, and then warm the body with a stream of water so that the washing solution does not freeze on the surface. If the body is very hot dirty, you must first knock off the top layer of dirt with a jet of water under pressure. The company recommends applying the foam evenly with smooth movements in a horizontal plane, moving from bottom to top and treating each side of the car in turn. After applying the washing solution, you must let it work for 1-2 minutes, without allowing it to dry out.

how to wash off the solution The solution is washed off using a high-pressure apparatus. It is recommended to start washing off from the roof and then move on to the side surfaces. In this case, it is necessary to move in a horizontal plane at a distance of 15-20 cm from the surface, moving a flat, wide stream of water from top to bottom.

Drying the bodyAfter thoroughly washing off the solution, be sure to wipe the body. A napkin made of high-quality artificial suede is ideal for these purposes. For glass and smooth surfaces, you can use soft silicone water-reducing agents. If immediately after washing you treat the body with special “Fast Wax” wax, this will reduce the drying time, give the car shine, protect the paintwork until the next wash and make it easier in the future.

www.chistota.kz

Disadvantages of a foam generator ^

• Requires installation of a compressor.
• Regular refilling of the cylinder is required.

A type of foam generator is a foam kit .

It consists of the following main parts:

• trigger pistol;
• foaming agent;
• spears for watering the surface: depending on the type of car, spears are used:

- straight 50 cm long - for washing the body of a passenger car;

- straight lines 120 cm long - for washing a truck;

- curved spears - for washing bottoms and units;

• tank with active foam.

Possible improvements and manufacturing variations

It may turn out that you want to reduce the cost of production and do not want to deal with welding. Then, instead of a balloon, use any plastic container. An empty oil bottle will do. To obtain a foam generator, you need to attach a tube at the bottom and make another hole at the top of the canister. If you use a plastic container, you must remember that plastic is not as durable as a gas cylinder.

If cracks appear on the canister, there is a risk of the entire unit exploding. So when using plastic instead of a balloon, be very careful. To increase the efficiency of the device, you can purchase a special nozzle for a high-pressure washer, also called a “spear,” and a small tank from aerosol guns. This will increase production costs, but the design will become lightweight.

Foam generator for car wash produced by Karcher ^

The installation is also a foam kit. The advantage of these foam generators is German quality, however the price will be higher.

Any car wash requires a considerable amount of water. It’s good if the water is from a well, but what if it comes from a tap? In this case, you cannot do without water meters. Read the article checking water meters in Moscow to find out why regular checking of meters is necessary and how it is carried out.

During suburban construction, you cannot do without building a septic tank. One of the inexpensive options is a septic tank made of concrete rings. You can find out how it works, what is needed for it, how much it costs here, the most important and exhaustively complete information!

A detailed article about filters for water purification for a summer residence is located here: https://pro8odu.ru/voda-i-zdorove/ochistka-vody/filtry-dlya-ochistki-vody-dlya-dachi.html, choose the best option for yourself!

First stage of production

The first step is to create a sprayer. We take a piece of pipe and put a mesh made from the materials listed above into it. You can simply push a washcloth or sponge tightly into the pipe so that it cannot jump off under the pressure of water, but you first need to create a ball from the fishing line and only then place it inside. It is necessary that the water flowing through the pipe encounter as many obstacles as possible.

The more of them, the smaller the size of the bubbles, the higher the efficiency. We install threaded plugs on both sides of the pipe section. One of them will fix the fitting. On the opposite side we attach the plug to the tee. One outlet is connected by a hose to our compressor. A tee will also be installed on the compressor. You can increase the density of the resulting foam by taking a longer pipe and filling it with a denser mesh. However, this solution has a disadvantage - the supply pressure decreases.

Foam generator from the company Interskol ^

Interskol high-pressure mini washers are equipped with Italian-made foam kits.

The principle of their operation is as follows:

water is supplied under high pressure through an injector. In this case, the amount of car shampoo supplied from the cylinder is regulated by a wheel mounted in its upper part;

A foam tablet is installed on the spout of the regulator, which breaks the solution into small bubbles. When they burst, they take dirt from the car with them.

The disadvantage of this model is the lack of width adjustment of the foam jet .

Foam nozzle for touchless washing or foam generator

This is what an Italian foam nozzle for contactless washing looks like, disassembled

There are two main options for touchless washing:

1. use of a foam generator;
2. use of a foam nozzle for contactless washing.

What is the difference between a foam generator and a foam nozzle and which is better?

1. The foam generator is more expensive - its cost is approximately 5 - 10 times more than the cost of the foam nozzle.
2. The foam generator requires a compressor.
3. The foam generator is more suitable for commercial purposes; it is not practical to use it at home.

Both of these devices are not included in the mini-wash kit and must be purchased separately. Without them, it is impossible to carry out a contactless wash, because they are the ones who produce the foam.

Here the foam nozzle is attached to the gun

Let's look at the principle of foam formation using an Italian foam nozzle for car shampoo:

• A special car shampoo is poured into the nozzle and water is added in the required proportion. The ratio of shampoo and water is approximately 2.5-3 volumes of water for 1 volume of car shampoo;
• the nozzle is connected to the pistol sprayer of the mini-wash;
• When the high-pressure mini washer is turned on, it creates a high-pressure air stream in the gun, which sucks shampoo from the tank. The shampoo is mixed with water and this emulsion, as it exits the gun, breaks into a “tablet”, which causes splashing on the surface of the car. A “tablet” is a pressed metal mesh.

This is what the nozzle tablets look like

For home use, using a foam nozzle for a high-pressure apparatus (HPR) is the best choice.

This is what a foam generator that requires a compressor looks like

The foam generator is a large container from 25 to 100 liters, into which the reagent or car shampoo is poured and water is added in the required proportion in accordance with the instructions for using the reagent or shampoo. A special generator gun can have from one to four nozzles that produce foam. The air pressure supplied to the gun nozzles from the compressor must be more than 6 bar. The use of several nozzles allows you to increase the productivity of the foam generator and speed up the process of contactless cleaning. Foam generators are more effective in commercial car washes, where cleaning is carried out in parallel at several workstations and in large volumes. A foam generator requires a compressor.

The foam nozzle for contactless washing is equipped with its own special container for diluting foam shampoos in the required proportions. The proportions of water and shampoo may vary depending on the water used and how dirty the car is. Detailed information about the ratio of solution components is provided in the instructions for use of car shampoo.

Note: It is important not to confuse and pour car shampoo into the container for the nozzle, and not into the mini-wash tank, and not to feed the solution into the mini-wash through the suction hose. Such actions will lead to failure of the mini washer. Foam nozzles are much simpler in design and use than foam generators. In addition, unlike foam generators, they do not require any additional equipment for their operation and, in addition, they do not need to be adjusted to a specific compressor pressure.

Foam nozzles are produced by the same companies that produce mini washers. Each company makes them differently. Foam nozzles for shampoo made in Italy are considered the best. They are suitable for almost all types of mini-washers, in particular for Karcher. In terms of production quality and foam density, they are also considered the best nozzles. Italian foam nozzles, absolutely identical in design and material used, are produced by two different companies RA and Idrobase.

DIY foam generator ^

Some craftsmen dare to take on making a steam generator from improvised materials.

Of course, such products cannot be compared with factory foam generators, but they can be used in a private garage. Here is one such option:

1. Take a pipe (0.5 meter long) and fill it with a regular washcloth made of polyethylene threads.
2. Plug one end of the pipe. Screw a tee into the plug (one of the outlet pipes).
3. Connect a tap to supply the foam concentrate to the inlet of the tee.
4. Connect a tap to supply compressed air (from a car compressor) to the second outlet pipe.
5. Connect the free end of the pipe through a fitting to a hose for supplying foam. To prevent the washcloth from getting into the hose, a mesh filter (a rigid mesh with a large mesh) is installed under the fitting.

In this design, the density of the foam depends on the length of the pipe and the density of the sponge. The density of the foam is also regulated by the foaming agent and compressed air valves.

As a container for liquid, you can use any container that can withstand the pressure of the compressor.

How does a foaming agent work?

The foam in the unit is supplied into a special compartment at an angle of 90 degrees, where the material is mixed with air. Afterwards, a certain pressure is created, which facilitates the exit of the resulting foam mixture through the nozzle. The main task of the correct functioning of the device is to compress dense material upon entry and expand it upon exit. The composition of the foaming agent includes substances of organic or synthetic origin.

Important! During operation of the unit, it is necessary to monitor the speed parameters. In the foam cartridge, the substance turns into a thick foam. The last option will be most suitable if the device is being built for temporary use.

It is possible in the design to replace the nozzle element with a washer-jet, but with such a replacement the efficiency of the foam concentrate decreases. Features of the foam concentrate device that should be taken into account when designing:

• So that the device functions without interruption. It is necessary to add a connection diagram for a compressor that will ensure stable operation of the system with a pressure of 6 atm.
• If a 200 liter tank is used as a reservoir. It is permissible to use a household pump, which will supply foam to the foam generator.
• When a large production volume is required, it is recommended to use a powerful compressor model.
• Well-established production, which is equipped with a suitable pump with a pressure of 2 atm, produces up to 500 l/minute.
• When using a receiver compressor whose pressure reaches 6 atm. Production rates increase from 100 liters and more.

Reference! When asking how to plaster aerated concrete blocks, it is recommended to take into account the physical characteristics of the cellular material, because not every type of putty and plaster can last on such a wall.