Page 48 - CIJ Feb 2024 Digital Edition

Know Your Product

Industrial Cleaning

Using the Right Brushes

Industrial cleaning requires specialized personnel, methods and
equipment to rid the facility of potential hazards like contaminants.
Cleaning services are not restricted to industrial plants or manufacturing
units but include factories and warehouses, power plants, hospitals,
food preparation and pharmaceutical production facilities. One of the
specialised tools required for cleaning services is brushes.

Jai Sanghavi, Director, Borghi Brush Machinery Pvt. Ltd, and Aditya
Khatod, Partner, Poona Brush Company, suggest parameters to be
considered to fit the right brush with the application.

ditya Khatod, Partner, Larger the diameter of the fibre 70 degrees, regular Nylon6 or
Poona Brush Company, or wire, greater the stiffness of the polypropylene are suitable. For
gives us insights on brush. But the with the same fibre temperatures up to 120 degrees,
various aspects of brush diameter, the variation in its trim Nylon66 or PBT can be used
Acomponents and design. length can change the final feel of and for very high temperature
Brushes are made from different the brush. applications, metal bristles can do
fibres and wires like polypropylene, A fibre of diameter 1mm will the job.
nylon, abrasive nylon, PBT, PET, always be stiffer than a fibre of In addition, for high rpm or load
PVC, MS, SS, brass, and copper. diameter 0.5mm. But if the 1mm applications, the brush and support
The properties of the material are fibre is of length 85mm and the structure are designed accordingly.
matched with the application. Fibre 0.5mm fibre is of length 25mm, If flexibility is also required, the
is selected depending on the surface the brush with the 0.5mm length drive or brush support has to be
on which the brush is to be used with be stiffer. Depending on selected accordingly.
and the finish required. Apart from space availability, the height and
this, the grade of nylon (06, 66, diameter of the fibre are selected.
612), grit on nylon and diameter This will determine the hardness
of the fibre are also factors that or softness of the brush. The
contribute to the choice of brush. density of the brush also plays a
The working environment is also vital role. Depending on the space
crucial to the choice of fibres. In availability for the application, the
places which have acids or acidic height and diameter of the fibre is
fumes, only polypropylene fibres determined. The denser the brush,
can be used as they can withstand the stiffer it gets.
chemicals. For applications Some applications require a
where water or any solution is dense brush but some specifically
continuously used, the properties require a brush of less density.
of the fibre have to be selected The grit level also determines
accordingly. For temperatures up the stiffness of the brush. Lower
to 70 degrees C, regular nylon 6 the grit, tougher or stiffer the
or polypropylene can be used. For brush and vice versa. Based on
temperatures up to 120 degrees the application, the grit level is
C, Nylon 66 or PBT is used. For decided.
very high temperature applications, As for withstanding heat,
metals fibres have to be used. for temperatures up to 60 or

FEBRUARY 2024•Clean India Journal
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