The Modern-Day Car Wash - Steel vs. Stainless Steel

When people go through a modern-day car wash, they want two things, one - a clean, dry car and two - a safe experience without scratching or damaging their vehicle in any way. All of the other bells and whistles are nice, but not as important as the safety features. Quality products and excellent customer service is also expected with every wash package. Car wash systems have come a long way and the technology and materials continue to evolve to provide the ultimate wash experience.

To understand why car washes, use different metals and materials and their importance, this blog will explore the different characteristics of steel and stainless steel and its relevance to the car wash industry, as well as the newest and greatest technology in car wash systems. 

Let's dive right in - Steel and stainless steel are metal alloys. They are man-made materials, created by combining two or more metals or non-metals with different properties that are suitable for various functions. To further understand what a metal alloy is, you must first explore the periodic table, which is made up of metals and non-metals. Metals occur naturally in nature, have a luster and are good conductors of heat and electricity. Multiple alloying agents can be combined to make a certain kind of non-metal for a particular task. There are more than 160 known metal alloys.  

Characteristics of Steel and Stainless Steel 

There is much to know about steel and stainless steel and their unique properties. First, all steel is iron-based and susceptible to rust whereas stainless steel contains chromium with an addition of nickel, making it non-corrosive and the ability to endure many different environments. There are four other deciphering characteristics:

• Strength and Ductility: Stainless steel is not as malleable as steel, higher tensile strength and resistant to corrosion making it bend and stretch less thus keeping your Car Wash in Alignment for longer.Individual parts last longer lowering maintenance and replacement.

• Hardness: Stainless steel is created from very little carbon and instead alloyed with nickel, chromium and other elements that provide its chemical properties. Steel is composed of mostly carbon and if not galvanized with additional carbon or zinc, is very malleable, susceptible to corrosion and can be easily damaged.Stainless Steel keeps critical parts from damaging less than other steels and metals.

• Aesthetics: Stainless steel is famous for its smooth and polished surface. The large amount of chromium present resists rusting and further corrosion. Different from its steel counterpart that is composed of mostly carbon and is corrosive when exposed to air and moisture.This means no recoating or replacement of rust damaged or corroded pieces due to chemicals and water used in car washing.Simple cleaning when needed keeps your system looking fresh.

• Cost: Stainless steel will always be more expensive than regular steel because of the extra material to make it, supply, demand, and energy prices. Stainless steel's durability and polished appearance far outweighs the cost over time compared to other metals because of the lower maintenance cost, less damage and replacement due to rust or corrosion that leads to Car Wash Down Time thus making you more profitable. 

Why Stainless Steel Is Best For Car Wash Systems 

Now that we have established the different characteristics of steel and stainless steel, it makes complete sense why the latter is used. It is strong, it does not rust with exposure to air and water and it is more pleasing to the eye, understandably these benefits are a reason it is we use it in all current car wash systems as well as:

• Cost less over time thus making the owner more profit
• Longer life of the equipment
• Less Maintenance
• Easy to clean and keep fresh looking
• People associate Stainless with Clean and Sterile thus repeat business 

ModBrite Answers The Call 

AutoBrite answers the call for superior performance and materials with their ModBrite modular conveyor tunnel car wash system. With all stainless-steel construction, ModBrite is extremely customizable and durable requiring little to no maintenance. With all of the benefits of an express tunnel in the space of an in-bay automatic, ModBrite exceeds the expectations of car wash owners and investors.

ModBrite Features:

• Dual belt allows you to wash more cars in a smaller footprint
• No rollers, no chains thus no maintenance adjustment time
• Easy & Quick lubrication points
• No guide rails to damage wheels and tires
• No correlator
• Easy on, easy off so no loader necessary
• Easy to maintain and less down time
• Environmentally friendly
• Highly customizable
• 5-year 600,000 vehicle prorated limited belt warranty
• Lifetime warranty on stainless steel body
• 18-month warranty on components

If you are ready to make 5X the profit and you desire a premium car wash system made with the highest of quality materials that can increase your revenue almost immediately, then you need to talk to the shining specialists at AutoBrite. They will help you with your customizable car wash system and get you shining into the future TODAY!