Washing wet aircraft for dry: All you need to know about the types of planes cleaning
The aviation industry has greatly evolved in how they are treated while cleaning aircraft, and avoiding manual methods towards mechanical solutions that are more efficient. Today, understanding the differences between wet and dry washing methods is very important to make decisions related to aircraft cleaning services.
What makes these two cleaning technicians different, and when should each one use? Veronika Andriaovaite explains, chief commercial officials at Nordic Dino Robotics, the main differences between the two methods as well as their best uses.
The numbers behind each method
The external washing of wet and dry planes is primarily different in the necessary resources. Wet washing includes the use of soap and soap, removing dirt, dirt and other pollutants from the outer surfaces of the plane. Despite its name, dry washing is not completely without water and represents a relatively new solution in flying maintenance. Instead of using large quantities of water, specialized cleaning factors are applied at the level of aviation with clothes or sprays and then eliminated.
These techniques differ greatly in the amount of water they use. For narrow aircraft for the body, robot robot requires about 200 to 250 liters of the mixture that weakens water (90 % water, 10 % detergents). An additional 500-1000 liters of water uses an additional 500,000 liters of water, depending on local practices and available equipment. Wind-body aircraft need 500 liters of water mixture for the laundry, followed by 1000-2000 liters for rinsing.
On the contrary, dry laundry provides unnoticed gains. Andreanovayte explains: “Automated dry washing is used less water: only 45 liters of water and 5 liters of detergents for a narrow body of the body and double the amount of the wide body,” Andrianova explains.
The numbers behind traditional manual washing reveal the reason for exploring many automatic alternative facilities. This thick operation consumes between 8000 and 10,000 liters for tight aircraft for the body and 10,000-12,000 liters for broad planes. In addition to using excessive quantities of water, manual washing requires large human resources and investment in time. Eight to twelve people usually complement the procedure in three to six hours for narrow aircraft for the body and six to eight hours for wide planes.
“Modern aircraft cleaning machines significantly reduce these time frames: tight planes can be completed within 1-2 hours, and broad body aircraft in about 4 hours. They only take a single robot operator or manual assistants,” Andreanova notes.
When to use wet washing for dry
The choice of the appropriate cleaning method depends on several factors, especially the plane and the operational environment. It is recommended to wash wet to the highly dirty aircraft that are not cleaned for long periods or a large surface pollution. It is sometimes referred to as “deep hygiene”, and this method provides superior cleaning results. Meanwhile, dry washing is best suited to clean the routine maintenance of the aircraft that is served regularly and did not accumulate the accumulation of heavy dirt.
Is there a specific form or schedule that determines when each method is used? “Instead of following a strict percentage, we recommend a start -up washing in principle after long periods without cleaning, followed by frequent dry laundry cycles to maintain hygiene and prevent the accumulation of heavy pollution. This approach is more effective than rotation between the methods in a fixed schedule,” Andreanovayte recommends.
Another consideration when choosing a cleaning method is the area where the plane works. Dry washing should be avoided in sandy environments, especially in the Middle East, where the accumulation of sand on the surfaces of the planes should be avoided. The use of dry washing method in these conditions would grind sand and abrasive molecules on the surface of the plane, which may cause damage to the outer end of the plane and settle its dynamic properties.
According to the Nordic Dino expert, the majority of the company’s customers who work in sandy areas avoid dry washing completely:
“Think of it like washing a car covered with sand – no one will try to clean it without water first. The same principle applies to the planes. Heavy pollution requires wet washing to simply avoid dirt staining across the surface, while light pollution can be treated safely in dry ways.”
Wet washing and environmental restrictions
However, wet washing is not always a available option. Environmental regulations and water restrictions can limit many airports whenever and where this method can be used. These restrictions vary greatly by area and airport, as well as through the types of cleaning factors used.
“The basic condition is the basic water collection and sewage system for surface flow, and it is required for both the interior and outdoor laundry operations. Besides this basis, local regulations determine additional requirements such as environmentally friendly cleaning factors for chemicals with industrial power-and supplementary water treatment systems,” Andreanovitte explains.
Most Nordic Dino customers work with standard sewage systems without additional treatment facilities. It is important to note that the infrastructure of the drainage is not available globally across airports, which means that washing aircraft usually occurs in dedicated laundry bays, laundry shelves, or aircraft sheds equipped with appropriate drainage systems.
There are airports in which wet washing is restricted due to environmental concerns, including some major international centers. In some cases, operators chose to carry out dry washing exclusively because the requirements of wet washing operations are prohibited.
“For example, at the Frankfurt Airport, washing wet airport in the barn facilities due to the sewage and assembly systems that cannot deal with the surface flow effectively. In Barcelona and Madrid, wet washing is banned during the summer months due to the lack of national water, with all the water available for tourism, but in the wet winter it is allowed.
Both wet and dry washing serve basic roles in the external cleaning of the aircraft, as each of them provides distinctive advantages. More importantly, both methods are dealt with more and efficiently through automated washing systems, such as Nordic Dino solutions. Whether the implementation of wet or dry roads, it provides a faster, safer and cleaner alternative to traditional washing methods.
