Transforming industrial parts cleaning with SafetyKleen

Scaling innovation in industrial cleaning

Tharsus collaborated with SafetyKleen, the European market leader in industrial parts cleaning services, to develop and manufacture 25,000 Strategic Machines across 5 different product ranges between 2012 and 2024. SafetyKleen sought to revolutionise parts cleaning with a more robust and efficient solution but faced technical and commercial roadblocks. Through our Solve + Scale + Supply approach, we helped SafetyKleen overcome these challenges, including the successful launch of Jetkleen. This strategic machine delivered enhanced performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, reinforcing SafetyKleen’s position in the market.

About SafetyKleen

SafetyKleen provides parts-cleaning solutions across various industries, firmly committed to excellence in equipment, sustainability, and customer service. Their goal was to develop a next-generation cleaning machine that would deliver superior efficiency while reducing customers’ operational costs.

The challenge

SafetyKleen identified a major opportunity for a game-changing parts cleaning system. However, the early-stage concept had a few barriers preventing its commercial viability:

• Complexity – The original design was intricate, making it difficult to manufacture at scale.
• Cost – The high production costs risked limiting profitability and adoption.
• Reliability – The existing pumping and heating technology posed performance and durability concerns.

Our Solve + Scale + Supply approach

Solve: Engineering the right product

We worked closely with SafetyKleen to reimagine the Jetkleen machine. Our engineering team:

• Analysed the design for inefficiencies and streamlined components.
• Engaged industry experts to optimise pumping and heating technologies.
• Developed prototypes that maintained high performance while reducing complexity.

Scale: Developing a robust manufacturing process

Once the design was refined, we focused on scaling production efficiently:

• Established a manufacturing process that ensured consistent quality.
• Implemented rigorous testing to validate performance and durability.
• Designed the assembly process to support increasing production volumes without compromising reliability.

Supply: Delivering market success

With a well-engineered product and a scalable manufacturing process, we moved into full-scale production:

• Manufactured nearly 25,000 units over our 12-year partnership.
• Iterated on the design to optimise costs and ensure long-term reliability.
• Provided ongoing support to maintain high performance and meet market demands.

The impact

• Enhanced market position – Jetkleen quickly became a leading solution in industrial parts cleaning.
• Increased customer value – SafetyKleen customers benefited from lower operational costs and improved efficiency.
• Scalable, reliable manufacturing – Our process ensured that each unit met SafetyKleen’s high standards, supporting long-term success.

Our work with SafetyKleen exemplifies how Tharsus enables businesses to turn ambitious product concepts into commercially successful solutions. Through our Solve + Scale + Supply approach, we helped SafetyKleen overcome critical challenges, delivering strategic machines that met market and operational needs.

To simplify your product’s path to market, schedule a confidential consultation with our experts today through our contact form.