Crate and Pallet Washer Electric Motors

On a crate or pallet washer most electric motors either push water or blow air: the main wash pump sends hot detergent water to the nozzles, a blower in the drying section strips water off the crates, and a small geared motor pulls the crates through the tunnel on a chain or belt. Maker catalogues show 1.5–15 kW for crate washer pumps, 5–5.5 kW for drying fans and values as small as 0.12 kW for the chain drive; large pallet washers have pumps from 4 kW up to 18.6 kW and blowers of about 30 kW.

DRG Motor is a manufacturer, supplier and seller of electric motors. We do not sell the washer, pump casings, nozzle and filter systems, gearboxes or inverters. Pump, blower and chain-drive motors for such washers, all three-phase, are listed on Buy Electric Motors Online.

How does a crate washer work, and where are the motors?

Plastic crates (E1–E3 types), trays and moulds from meat, dairy, bakery and fresh produce plants are placed upside down or lengthwise in a tunnel washer, and a chain or spiral carrier moves them through pre-wash, main wash, rinse and optional drying zones. There is no soaking bath; cleaning is done entirely by spraying and the rinse water flows back to the main wash tank. Most of the electrical load therefore sits in the heaters, and most of the motor load in the pump and the drying fan.

Transport chain and crate turner

A single stainless chain or spiral pulls the crates through at even spacing; on the first maker’s 70–150 crates/h machine this drive is only 0.12 kW. Drive motors that small are outside our range (our smallest motor is 0.25 kW). On high-capacity lines the chain motor grows, but we found no catalogue value for it; selection is made from application data: line speed, number and weight of crates, sprocket diameter and the flange of the existing gearbox. On one-operator machines the mechanism that turns crates over is often mechanically linked to the drive chain.

Wash pump and high-pressure pump

The main wash pump is a centrifugal pump that takes water from the tank through a filter and delivers it to dozens of nozzles. Across the third maker’s series the pump grows from 2.2 kW to 9.2 kW with model size; for stubborn grease, blood and protein, 5.5–15 kW pump options at 3–8 bar are offered. Higher pressure means a larger pump motor; raising pressure by changing nozzles can overload the motor.

Drying fan and pallet washing

If washed crates are to be stacked at once, the water on them is blown off with cold air. The third maker’s blow-off module carries one or two 5.5 kW fans; these are high-pressure centrifugal fans, usually direct-driven by a 2-pole motor. Blower motors of this kind are listed under Fan Motors.

How pallet washing differs

Plastic pallets and large container lids are much bigger and heavier than crates; on the fourth maker’s machine pallets travel upright through a tunnel 180 mm wide and 820 mm high. The main wash there uses a 4 kW pump giving 1,000 l/min at 2 bar, the 40–80 pallets/h model doubles the pump count, and one or two 5 kW high-pressure fans can be added for drying. The fifth maker’s large two-stage pallet washer shows the scale: a 25 hp wash pump, two 40 hp dry-off blowers and a 7.5 hp mist collector motor.

How is it different from bottle washing?

In bottle washing the bottles are dipped in caustic baths inside pockets, and a heavy pocket chain needs a big main drive. Crate and pallet washers have no bath and light transport; motor power is concentrated in pumps and fans. Water in crate washers is mostly 30–60 °C in the main wash and 80–85 °C in the rinse; the motor stays away from the tunnel vapour, beside the tank or under the machine. Our motors are IP55; water from the cleaning hose passing over the machine must not be aimed straight at the motor. If a stainless-housed motor is needed inside the washing area, that type is not in our range; please ask us.

How many kW is a crate and pallet washer motor? Catalogue values

A) Motor ratings given in maker catalogues and data sheets:

Crate washers use roughly 1.5–15 kW for the pump depending on capacity and pressure, and 5.5 kW (one or two) for drying fans; pallet washers go from 4 to 18.6 kW for the pump and from 5 kW to about 30 kW for blowers. Total connected loads such as 9–32 kW in data sheets include heaters and should not be used to pick a motor.

B) Where DRG fits: 1.5–15 kW pump motors and 5.5 kW fan motors match our 2-pole 90S to 160M frames, the 18.6 kW pump the 18.5 kW DRG-160L-2 and the roughly 30 kW blower DRG-200L1-2. The 0.12 kW chain drive is outside our range. Where values are given in hp, confirm the motor against the machine maker’s actual kW plate.

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Worked example: motor from pump flow and pressure

The power a centrifugal pump gives to the water is flow times pressure: P = Q × p. Compare three pumps whose data sheets state both flow and pressure:

Small pumps get a motor clearly larger than the hydraulic power; the gap narrows as pumps grow. In practice: if you plan a nozzle or pressure change, work out the new Q × p and check on the pump curve whether the existing motor covers it. The kW for pumps and fans can be tried with our pump and fan motor power calculator.

Starting sequence on a large pallet washer

Take the fifth maker’s machine with equivalents from our range: DRG-160L-2 for the pump and two DRG-200L1-2 for the blowers (rated torque: DRG-200L1-2, 96.8 Nm).

Blower impellers are heavy and take several seconds to reach speed; starting both fans DOL together strains panel and supply. Bringing the fans in one after the other with star-delta or a soft starter cuts the peak to roughly a quarter. See our star-delta tool for details.

DRG motors for crate and pallet washing lines

Models in wash pump, high-pressure pump and drying fan sizes, with 400 V current:

Close-coupled wash pumps use a flange-mounted (B5 or B35) motor; coupled pumps and fans use a foot-mounted (B3) one. Cast iron housings span 0.55 to 355 kW, aluminium housings 0.25 to 11 kW; pick 2-pole for pumps and blowers, 4- or 6-pole for geared chain drives. Tabletop crate rinsers running from a wall socket rely on single-phase drives, which we do not carry, and brake motors are also absent from our list. Plate power, speed, voltage and connection, together with shaft diameter, key and flange or foot size of the present motor, are compared with the machine documents; fit is confirmed with you on that basis, and no firm fit promise is made without dimensions.

B5 dimensions for close-coupled pump motors

B5 flange values of frames seen on crate washer pumps, mm:

If the impeller mounts on the motor shaft, D × E and the spigot N must be the same as on the old motor. For pump motor models see Pump Motors.

Live price table

Prices of our models in wash pump and drying fan sizes are pulled live from the shop:

DRG MOTOR motors are guaranteed against material and manufacturing defects for 2 years from the delivery date (warranty certificate).

Motors in this power range

• DRG-90L-2 – 2.2 kW – 2895 rpm – 90L cast iron
• DRG-112M-2 – 4 kW – 2905 rpm – 112M cast iron
• DRG-132S1-2 – 5.5 kW – 2930 rpm – 132S cast iron
• DRG-160L-2 – 18.5 kW – 2940 rpm – 160L cast iron
• DRG-200L1-2 – 30 kW – 2960 rpm – 200L cast iron

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Browse the products, ask for a quote: suitable motors for your crate or pallet washer are on Buy Electric Motors Online. Send the flow and pressure from the pump plate together with a photo of the motor plate via WhatsApp; on +90 (542) 666 11 11 you can also ask for a quote by giving the machine’s crates or pallets per hour.

Frequently asked questions

Should a crate washer pump be 2-pole?

Small and medium pumps in the data sheets mostly run on 2-pole motors; keep the old motor’s speed when replacing. With a 4-pole motor the pump pressure drops sharply.

Why does the drying fan motor run hot?

If the intake filter is blocked or the fan cowl is caked with wet dirt, the motor cannot cool. Keep filter and motor fins clean and do not run the fan against a closed damper.

Is the crate washer motor price shown online?

Yes; once kW and speed are fixed, the live table on this page and the model’s shop page give today’s figure.

Questions: +90 (542) 666 11 11 · info@drgmotor.com · contact page. For general notes on motor supply to the food industry, read our food industry motor supply article.