What are the benefits of installing a belt conveyor?
We believe that belt conveyors are the future of the express car wash industry; they bring significant benefits to both the operator and the car wash customer.
Belt conveyors significantly improve the customer experience by making loading and unloading easy and stress-free. With no correlator required, our belt conveyors eliminate the possibility of wheel damage and having to reposition their vehicle.
Belt conveyors can increase the throughput of a tunnel by up to 20% when compared with a traditional chain conveyor. This increase in throughput is not caused by tunnel speed (tunnel speed is dictated by wash equipment capability not conveyor capability), but rather the exceptionally efficient use of space.
Our wash tunnel conveyors have a car pusher (or flight) every 18”. Once the front wheels are on the conveyor, the vehicle is pulled through the tunnel, eliminating the waiting time for a dolly wheel to pop up.
Lastly, because of the improved experience that a belt conveyor offers and the differentiation from competitors with traditional chain conveyors, an operator can charge a premium/ticket for the enhanced experience given by a belt conveyor.
What type of wash equipment is the STI belt conveyor compatible with?
At STI, we believe in partnership, collaboration and constant product development and improvement. For that reason, we are constantly working to build relationships with every equipment manufacturer in the industry to ensure that we can provide the best tunnel setup for your needs.
To date, our belt conveyors have been installed with AVW, MacNeil, Sonny’s, Motor City, Belanger, Peco and Petit equipment. If you are considering installing a piece of equipment and are unsure of its compatibility with our conveyors, please feel free to reach out to our team, and we would be more than happy to look into a solution with you.
How does STI provide local support?
At STI, we are fully committed to providing the best support possible to our customers, this is done in two ways:
- Warranty: We provide the best warranty in the industry, stopping at nothing to solve any problems for our customers no matter the location or time. STI offers a one-year (or 150,000 car) parts & labour warranty (with 3 stipulations), which covers the entire conveyor, including all consumables.
- Maintenance: We have two different approaches to solving on-site issues. The primary option is sending an STI team into the field to take care of the issue, but if that is not a realistic solution based on timeline requirements, STI has access to the largest number of distributors of any OEM in the industry. We will immediately have a local distributor on the way to solve any issues. Whenever dealing with maintenance or operational issues on-site, working with speed and efficiency is always top of mind, ensuring to reduce downtime as much as possible.
What is the lifespan of the consumables on STI’s belt conveyor systems?
We are committed to building the longest-lasting, highest quality belt conveyor systems available; this includes ensuring that the consumables have the longest lifespan in the industry. In addition to using the highest quality components, we are constantly innovating to increase that lifespan and ensure that we are using the best designs and technology available.
Many factors contribute to the longevity of the consumables, including geographic location, types of vehicles washed, belt duty and cleaning schedules. For peace of mind, STI also provides a best-in-industry one-year (or 150,000 car) parts & labour warranty, including consumables and structural components. Based on wear studies of some of our highest volume sites, we expect at a typical site the consumables on an STI belt conveyor will last between 800K-1.2M cars; much of this is dependent on the factors listed above.
What is the average cost of a belt conveyor system?
Typically a belt conveyor system will cost 2-3 times a traditional chain conveyor. While the cost of entry is high, we strongly believe, and our customers will agree, that the initial investment is well worth it.
With the improved customer experience, increased throughput capability, and differentiation in your wash operation, we are confident you will be thrilled with your decision to install an STI belt conveyor system.
