The brief: a cleaning step that fits where a full line won't.
Clean Works (CWI) makes UV-based cleaning systems for produce and agriculture. A full-size line needs floor space that a packing room or a smaller grower often doesn't have. The Mini puts the same UV cleaning process on a machine short enough to roll through a door. The catch is that everything still has to fit inside a compact stainless frame without making the machine hard to open or hard to service.
How we built it.
The whole machine was modelled in SolidWorks first, so the UV chamber, the belt path, the panel and the covers were worked out on screen before any stainless was cut. Frame, enclosure and guarding were laser cut, formed and TIG welded in our own shop. The conveyor runs a modular plastic belt through the chamber, and strip curtains at each end keep the light inside while product moves through.
Controls were done here too: the panel, the stack light, the e-stop and the logic that ties the lamps and the drive together. When the controls team shares a floor with the welders, the panel ends up where a technician can reach it instead of wherever it happened to fit.
The machine sits on locking casters. It rolls into position, plugs in and runs.
What CWI got.
A finished machine, powered up and run on our floor before shipping, with covers that latch open for lamp changes and belt cleaning. One supplier for the frame, the fabrication, the belt and the controls, which meant one drawing package and one person to call when a question came up during the build.
Why this matters if you sell equipment but don't build it.
CWI's product is the cleaning process. Building the machine around it is our job. That is a common arrangement: a company with a proven product and customers waiting, but no shop to build the hardware. We take the design, theirs or ours, build and wire it, prove it runs, and it ships under their name. The idea-to-production page covers how we usually set that up, and the machine building page covers what a full turn-key build includes.
Frequently asked questions.
Can PLM build equipment under my company's brand?
Yes. The Clean Flow Mini carries CWI's name, not ours. We build to your design or develop one with you, and the finished machine ships as your product.
Does a UV cleaning conveyor have to be stainless?
For food and agricultural product it usually does. Stainless handles washdown and does not corrode around the moisture that comes with fresh produce. We build the frame, enclosure and guarding in stainless as standard for this kind of equipment.
Can UV treatment be added to a conveyor we already have?
Often, yes. It depends on the belt, the space above it and how the light needs to be contained. Send photos and dimensions and we will tell you whether a retrofit makes sense or a purpose-built unit is the better route.