Scenario summary
Regional grocery chain commissary serving 100–300 stores with prepared foods: rotisserie chicken, hot-bar items, sushi, sandwiches, fresh salads. Wash volume: 800–2,500 trays daily, mixed soil including rotisserie fat (heavy), sushi rice (sticky starch), and acidic sauce residue.
The cleaning challenge
Rotisserie trays are the worst-case soil — heavy chicken fat with carbonized fond. Acidic sauce residue (BBQ, vinaigrette, citrus) pits stainless and requires acid rinse to remove pigment.
Recommended PTW-1900 setup
Chamber: SUS316 upgrade (rotisserie fat + acidic sauces).
Heating: Electric 70 kW.
PLC profiles:
- Standard 6-min — daily mixed-soil deli trays
- Heavy 9-min — rotisserie trays with heavy fat
- Acid Cycle 6-min — weekly pigment-removal cycle
- Allergen Reset 8-min — gluten/dairy/nut production changeovers
Detergent: Alkaline pH 12.0–12.2 daily, food-grade acid (phosphoric or citric) for acid cycles.
Throughput: 45 trays per cycle, 6–10 cycles/hour depending on profile mix. Daily capacity ~3,500 trays.
Expected ROI
- Labour savings: 6 wash workers → 2 → ~$130,000 annual
- Tray lifetime extension: weekly acid cycle removes pigment stains, extends tray service from 18 months to 4 years
- Payback: ~5 months
Supermarket deli FAQ
Q: Sushi rice — sticks to trays. Cleaning strategy? A: Pre-rinse spray-arm at chamber loading removes loose rice. Standard 6-min cycle handles residual starch.
Q: Hot-bar pans with crusted sauce — heavy cycle? A: Heavy 9-min with alkaline pH 12.2. For acidic sauces (BBQ, teriyaki) add acid rinse.
Q: Chain audit (Kroger KQA, Tesco TFMS, Walmart RSPI) documentation? A: PLC CSV cycle log + chemical dose log. Most grocery-chain auditors familiar with this format from supplier-audit experience.