What this application involves
“Container” covers any food-handling vessel between a small Gastronorm 1/9 (175 × 108 mm) and a 200-liter dough tub: GN1/1, GN1/2, GN1/3 hotel pans; Cambro polycarbonate storage tubs; produce lugs; dough fermentation tubs; ingredient totes; sauce buckets. They have different geometries but a common cleaning problem: deep interior surfaces, narrow openings, and food residue that hand-cleaning cannot reach evenly.
Why traditional methods fail
A three-compartment sink reaches the inside of a Cambro tub only if a worker physically scrubs every wall. The same applies to GN containers, dough tubs, and ingredient totes. The operator’s discipline is the cleaning quality — not the equipment. This is exactly the scenario that produces FDA SSOP violations and BRC non-conformances.
Conventional dishwashers may handle GN pans but rarely handle the 30L+ dough tub or 200L fermentation vessel because the wash chamber is too small.
How the PTW-1900 handles container washing
The 750 × 1000 × 1900 mm chamber holds containers up to GN 2/1 size (650 × 530 mm) flat, or 200L dough tubs upright on a single-tier trolley, or 30+ GN containers loaded on a multi-tier bakery trolley. The 360° rotating base ensures spray nozzle reach to the deep interior of upright tubs.
For acidic-residue containers (tomato sauce, citrus, dairy), recommend SUS316 chamber upgrade and acid rinse cycle.
Recommended cycle settings
| Container type | Cycle | Loading |
|---|---|---|
| GN1/1, GN1/2, GN1/3 hotel pans | Standard 6-min | Multi-tier trolley, up to 30 per load |
| Cambro polycarbonate tubs | Standard 6-min | Inverted on tube-rack inserts |
| Dough tubs (50–200L) | Heavy 9-min | Single-tier, inverted, mouth-down |
| Produce lugs | Standard 6-min | Stacked on flat trolley |
| Sauce buckets | Standard 6-min | Inverted, mouth-down |
Container washing FAQ
Q: Will polycarbonate (Cambro) tubs survive 82°C cycles long-term? A: Yes. Food-grade polycarbonate is rated to 100°C+. The PTW-1900 82°C cycle is within tolerance. Cambros that show stress crazing after 1–2 years are usually showing damage from impact handling, not from wash cycles.
Q: Our dough tubs (45L Anchor) have hot-glue product labels. Will those survive? A: Hot-glue labels typically peel under 82°C aqueous cycling. We recommend label-free dough tubs in industrial use, or laser-etched ID instead of stick-on labels.
Q: How are containers loaded for upright wash? A: Inverted on a tube-rack trolley insert. The open mouth faces down, water sprays up into the interior, drains out the bottom. Standard accessory: GN1/1 inverted rack insert holding 30 pans per trolley.
Q: We use stainless steel ingredient totes (60L) in our dairy plant. SUS304 or SUS316? A: SUS316 recommended for dairy. Lactic acid pits SUS304 over multiple-year contact.
Q: Can we clean fermentation vessels (200L stainless)? A: 200L vessels fit single-vessel per cycle (custom chamber may be needed for 250L+). For brewery and kombucha operations we often customize chamber to 1100mm width for larger fermenters.