Chemical Dosing Automation
The use of pumps and controllers that inject the chemical product in the programmed quantity, without measuring or pouring it by hand.
An automatic dosing system draws the product directly from the container and injects it into the machine or circuit at the moment and in the quantity set in the programme. The most common pumps are peristaltic pumps, which push the liquid by compressing a flexible tube, and venturi systems, which draw in the product using the flow of water. In industrial dishwashers and washing machines the pump is triggered by a signal from the machine; in more complex installations, such as CIP circuits, dosing can be regulated with conductivity or pH probes.
Compared with manual dosing, it reduces the variation in concentration between washes, avoids operator contact with concentrated products and makes it possible to know the actual consumption. It requires calibrating the pump on installation, periodically checking tubes and connections, and adjusting the dose when the water hardness or the type of soiling changes.
Instaquim products whose technical data sheet indicates their use with automatic dosing:
- Solmatic (pH 1 %: 12.5; 2-10 g/kg of dry laundry) and Tensomatic (pH 9.3; 2-8 g/kg): laundry washing, combined in systems with automatic dosing.
- Oximatic (hydrogen peroxide; 2-6 g/kg of dry laundry): bleach applied by means of an automatic peristaltic dispenser.
- Suaumatic (pH 1.5; 5-10 g/kg of dry laundry): neutralising softener for the final rinse, suitable for automatic dosing systems.
- Deterdur (pH 1 %: 12.5; 1-5 g/l at 55-60 ºC): dishwasher detergent for water up to 40 ºHF; the data sheet recommends automatic dosing.
- Detersec (pH 2.5; 0.1-0.5 g/l at 65-80 ºC): rinse additive for the dishwasher's final rinse; the data sheet recommends automatic dosing.