The overall winner – out of a total of 89 entries – of the Amsterdam Innovation Award 2018 was given to KIRA B50 from Kärcher.
KIRA B50 is the first autonomous cleaning machines that presents the whole package; a step forward in robotics technology for the cleaning industry and overcomes some of the obstacles of similar machines. Size and design is what makes this machine attractive to a wider range of applications. So far, robotic scrubber dryers have been most suitable for extremely large areas, but the KIRA B50 is even suitable for areas under 1,000sqm. KIRA B50 can take itself to a docking station to charge the battery as well as fill and empty tanks, means that the level of human intervention is minimal – and that is what true autonomous cleaning is.
Michelle Marshall, chair of the Jury, said, “When talking about smart solutions we must, of course, mention robotics. This is not the first year we have seen autonomous cleaning machines, however each year we observe the technology moving forward and overcoming some of the barriers to them becoming more attractive for real-life cleaning operations.
“In any cleaning operation the staff play an invaluable role and as a jury we were pleased to see they are not being forgotten in the development of new solutions. Manufacturers of cleaning tools are developing products designed to be more ergonomic and cause less fatigue, and to make every day cleaning challenges more manageable.
“So many of the products we have seen have been designed with sustainability in mind, both in terms of using less water, energy and chemicals and in the way they are manufactured. It’s extremely positive to see that those aspects are now seen as a given. Total life cycle impact, ‘Cradle to Cradle’ and the circular economy are terms we are now commonly seeing being put into practice.”
Tork Paper Circle from Essity won the Visitor’s Choice Award. Essity is helping its customers to become fully circular with the introduction of a recycling service for its paper hand towels. With the help of recycling specialist partners it is setting up the service on a local level and helping to cut the carbon footprint of paper hand towels by 40 per cent.
Powr-Mop Lite from SYR won the Equipment/tools for cleaning, care and safety Award. This is a motorised flat mopping system that features an oscillating head that operates at 3500 mini-scrubs per minute. It can clean all hard floors and is designed to make the job of the operator less tiring. This is a battery-operated tool that can clean up to 400sqm on one charge.
SystemONE from Vermop won the award in the E-cleaning category. Manual cleaning equipment becomes connected through a digital online module. So, mop handles, vacuum cleaners and trolleys can offer direct feedback on cleaning activity in real time. Data is collected from appliances and the Equipe Digital trolley makes it available to customers via a web portal.
The Amsterdam Innovation Award handed a donation of €12,000 to the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF) Flying Doctors, and its project in Kilindi, Tanzania, providing accessible water and sanitary facilities for the community.
At this year’s Interclean Amsterdam, the floor plan comprised of stands from 892 companies located across 47 countries. A grand total of 33,710 professionals from 143 countries visited over the four days. As many as 77% of the visitors came from outside the Netherlands with some interesting newcomers from Jamaica, Seychelles, Swaziland, Mongolia and Bolivia.
First edition of Healthcare Cleaning Forum
Also taking place alongside Interclean Amsterdam 2018 was the first ever International Healthcare Cleaning Forum. This brought together 300 healthcare professionals from 46 countries to explore and discuss the biggest challenges and solutions in healthcare cleaning today. The Forum complemented the rest of the exhibition – showcasing the latest innovations in healthcare cleaning, through expert demonstrations and seminars.
