KATMA CleanControl Saves Time, Water, Chemicals, and Energy

KATMA CleanControl from Rietberg has developed a patented fully automated solution for cleaning truck loading areas. This young company from East Westphalia raises cleanliness standards in transport logistics to a new level. At the same time, the system conserves resources, as each cleaning process saves time, energy, chemicals, and water compared to manual cleaning. Nearly industrialized, the new solution guarantees a higher and consistently maintained quality in cleaning. The process is designed according to HACCP guidelines, which is particularly relevant for food, feed, and pharmaceutical transports.

(Rietberg) The company founders Patrick and Felix Kathöfer grew up in the rural area of the Rietberg district of Westerwiehe (Gütersloh district) and repeatedly observed the labor-intensive manual cleaning of livestock transporters and truck trailers. Both worked at Miele in the electrical and metal technology sectors. This led them to the idea of developing a fully automated solution for this inefficient and time-consuming task. “We built the first prototype in a former chicken coop,” recalls Felix Kathöfer. “Before and during the development process, we continuously exchanged ideas with logistics experts to find out what requirements they have for truck loading area cleaning and where obstacles arise.” It became clear that the cleaning takes too long, often cannot be certified, the cleaning results fluctuate, and in most cases are inadequate. Truck loading areas are usually cleaned by freight carriers using high-pressure cleaners with chemical products that must be precisely dosed and tempered. Additionally, prescribed exposure times must be observed. “However, these specifications are not always followed precisely due to the high time pressure in logistics and the lack of qualification of the drivers,” says Patrick Kathöfer. “This can lead to the spread of germs and chemical residues. Especially in food, feed, and pharmaceutical transports, this can negatively affect the goods.”

Cleaning with Consistently High Quality

To avoid these dangers in the future, KATMA CleanControl has developed a fully automated solution for truck loading area cleaning. It ensures that the process is faster, more sustainable, and cleaner than manual cleaning. The cleaning process, including disinfection, takes only 20 minutes instead of 40 to 50, while maintaining higher and consistent quality. The driver only needs to park the vehicle in front of the base station, secure the doors, and start the program. The patented robot then drives out of the base station into the truck loading area, cleans, and disinfects it. “The process works 24/7 without personal supervision. The time savings are not the only advantage for transport companies,” explains Felix Kathöfer. “Per wash, up to 75 percent of water and 90 percent of chemicals are saved. This is, of course, much more efficient and sustainable. Especially this year, we have all painfully experienced how precious drinking water is and that prices for chemicals and energy fluctuate.” The robot doses the cleaning agents precisely according to the specifications, and the system recycles up to 70 percent of the water used. Thus, cleaning according to food standards is possible with a fresh water consumption of 150 liters, while the manual washing process requires about 650 liters of fresh water. Additionally, energy consumption can be reduced by at least 60 percent, leading to significant cost savings.

Each individual cleaning is documented according to HACCP guidelines, certified, and assigned to the vehicle. The certificate is integrated into the ERP system, so that, for example, each individual fruit loaded afterward receives its own certificate according to HACCP standards. When approaching, the trailer license plate is automatically recognized, the certified washing process is directly assigned in the customer database, and digitally recorded in a cloud. Thanks to the cloud connection with location search function and online reservation, each cleaning can be optimally planned by the dispatchers of the freight companies, eliminating annoying waiting times.

The patented fully automated solution for cleaning a truck loading area.

Service and Repairs Included

The truck loading area cleaning is available 24/7, as no personnel is required due to full automation. The system is suitable not only for freight companies with their own fleet but also for operators of washing facilities and service stations. It can be flexibly set up on the company premises or at the washing facility. To ensure optimal utilization of the system, operators can also make the system accessible to other transport companies. This way, maximum utilization can be achieved, and the already subsidized acquisition costs of up to 70% can be amortized more quickly. The space requirement for the cleaning system is three meters plus the length of a truck parking space. With the purchase, operators receive comprehensive full service. The refilling of chemicals and maintenance is completely handled by KATMA CleanControl, which monitors the system around the clock as part of remote maintenance. This allows for early detection and proactive resolution of low fill levels or potential repairs. This service is billed through the so-called Pay-Per-Wash model, where a fee is paid to the manufacturer for each wash.

“With our system, we create a kind of loading space TÜV for food and pharmaceutical transport,” explains Felix Kathöfer. “The certificate provides food manufacturers, logistics providers, and retailers with transparency and an unprecedented level of security for the clean transport of their goods, which they can use for public relations purposes.”

Photo: © Max Zdunek / Caption: The company founders Felix and Patrick Kathöfer (from left to right)