 Riveer's forklift washing solution |
Forklifts of Omaha has begun using a portable stainless-steel WashMaster 500 closed-loop degreasing and wash water reclamation system from Riveer Co of South Haven.
"Washing forklifts is a very niche market," says George Strapko, who handles sales and marketing for environmental specialist Riveer. "The forklift dealer contacted us, and we built a 12 x18 ft. (3.6 x 5.5 m) system." Other standard sizes are 6 x 12 ft. and 12 x 12 ft.
The equipment dealership in Omaha, Nebraska is a sister business to Forklifts of Des Moines in the Iowa capital. Rick Radcliff, owner, says the dealerships handle the same forklift brands - Clark, Linde, Sellick, Nissan - in both locations.
The Des Moines location was started in 1954 and has been under the same family ownership since 1976, Radcliff notes. The original name was Clarklift of Des Moines Inc.
Riveer's WashMaster 500 cleans, contains and filters wash water, removing the contaminants for recycling or discharge to a drain. It is useful to clean off oil, emulsions, grease or other grime.
The unit has a 200 gal. settling tank and forklift ports for moving both the rack and the filtration unit. An intuitive interface in the form of Riveer's GripStart-brand technology makes its equipment extremely easy to operate.
As for the WashMaster's origins, "we had the idea eight years ago as a concept", Strapko says. "We thought it would be good for general industry applications" such as machine tools, but now it appears to have new life in the forklift industry. The average price of a WashMaster 500 is USD35,000.
Riveer's government work with large wash systems underscores the importance of leaving no environmental footprint after the US or allied forces leave a military theatre.
In transporting a wash system for a military application, "we send a shipping container that is flown to a base camp by helicopter and assembled" for use in cleaning large equipment, Strapko says. The Riveer washing systems capture oils and other contaminants before they can penetrate the sands or soils of the host country. When no longer needed, the system is disassembled, repacked and sent to another location.
Riveer was founded in 1983 as a supplier to the federal government of industrial and military-grade pressure washers, parts cleaners, custom wash equipment and complex wash systems.
In addition to the WashMaster, other Riveer products include aircraft cleaning and de-icing systems and other washing units under the names MudMaster, BirdBath and Phosphater.