Right tools for the job
February 1st 2005

Choosing the right cleaning machine is simply a matter of assessing the job in hand, says Euromec

Without the right machinery, keeping on top of the dust and grime that can accumulate in factories and distribution centres can be a full time job – yet, with the right equipment, it needn’t be.

There are two main types of cleaning machines: sweepers and scrubber-driers, both available as walk behind or ride-on models. Walk-behind cleaners are smaller and lighter than ride-on versions, and will be used where the area to clean is small.

Warehouses or distribution centres usually require ride-on machines to cope with the larger areas involved.

Sweepers collect dry dust and debris with the minimum amount of hassle, whilst scrubber-driers apply water and detergent to the floor, and use a scrubbing action to remove grease, staining and ground-in dirt.

Advances in technology mean that small ride-on scrubber driers offer far greater productivity than equivalent pedestrian models, and do not cost a great deal more.

In the warehouse, racking systems, storage areas and mezzanine floors create cleaning challenges not found elsewhere.

With racking systems, the areas to be cleaned include the floors in the aisles, the floor area under the racking, the rack structure itself and the product on the racking. With a wide aisle system, a compact rideon sweeper could be used, enabling it to work alongside the forklift trucks and order pickers, keeping the floor between the aisles, clean.

Sweeping under the rack can be achieved by using a side brush that extends from the sweeper, and sweeps dirt into the path of the machine’s collecting system.

Cleaning elevated areas such as the racking beam can be done using hoses and vacuum cleaners – extensions of the sweeping machine’s cleaning system.

But narrow aisle storage systems, as well as simply being narrow, mean the truck guidance system must also be considered: Most compact ride-on machines can get down aisles as narrow as 1500mm.

However, with guiderails, using an extending brush to clean under the racks is no longer possible. Wire guided trucks are therefore preferable for cleaning operators, as the floor in unobstructed.

After deciding the type and size model required, the available different technologies and configurations to best suit the particular environment must be considered. Power choices can vary from electric, diesel, LPG or petrol-engined.

Sweepers Sweeping machines work on the principle of rotating a cylindrised brush (the main brush) against the direction of travel of the machine, lifting dust and debris from the floor. The sweeper’s internal system then deposits the collected rubbish in a hopper using a vacuum system and/or throwing the dirt. The hopper will be at the front of a machine if it is a forward throw machine, and at the rear if it is an over-through machine – both effective systems in collecting dirt and debris. However, the over-throw system has the advantage of having the collection hopper at the rear. This puts the driver at the front of the sweeper for a better view and easier manoeuvrability.

Sweepers use side brushes to increase sweeping width and efficiency. Side brushes rotate so that they sweep dirt into the path of the main brush. They can oscillate so that when they meet an obstruction, they retract, and can be fitted to one or both sides of the sweeper.

As with any brushing operation, a sweeper’s brush will raise dust. To control this dust, mechanical sweepers have vacuum systems. These suck the dust to the hopper in the same way as a domestic vacuum cleaner. Large air filters trap the dust particles and periodically, the filters are shaken to drop the dust into the hopper. Some sweepers extend the vacuum system beyond just the main brush to include the side brush for effective dust free sweeping – important in warehouses storing food and electronics.

Scrubbers Scrubber driers work by applying water and detergent to the floor. Then using a system of brushes, the floor is scrubbed to remove grease, staining and grime. Scrubbers may have one, two or three brushes depending on the cleaning width requirement and the pressure they apply will be adjustable to cater for different cleaning tasks. Dirty water is collected in a waste water reservoir to be emptied when cleaning is finished.

For outside applications, the bigger machines are better, as they clean large areas in a quicker time – particularly important in loading bays, where is it necessary to obtain the maximum throughput available. This requires a machine with not only an efficient sweeping mechanism to remove all debris, but one that is also capable of sweeping wet and dry, preventing potential hazards to forklift truck drivers and dock personnel.

Trailers that carry out the loading and unloading in the bay also require regular scrubbing which must be carried out in a short space of time, especially with vehicles transporting food produce, such as those used by major supermarket chains. Some scrubber driers used for trailer cleaning purposes are capable of cleaning the inside of trailers in an impressive 12 minutes.

But regardless of the application, or whether sweeper or scrubber drier, the labour saved by using cleaning machines suited to the job can soon repay the initial outlay – and will help maintain cleaner, healthier premises.

As is clear from the above, by using elementary common sense, selecting the right cleaning machine for any given application is simple: What are you cleaning; how big is the area; what are its confines and; how quickly does it need to be cleaned?

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