Some companies still do not realise that the most expensive piece of equipment being used within the company is a broom, which involves expensive manpower. Sweepers, on the other hand, work at least 10 times faster and more accurately than the swiftest apprentice and cover a full shift without the need for a tea-break.
Nowadays, sweepers are already an essential production tool for those companies whose processes can be ruined by dust: the electronics and food industries, for example, are required to keep production areas scrupulously clean; applied paint finishes require dust-free conditions while certain brick dusts have been classified as a possible health hazard by many companies. Therefore, the number of users and of possible applications is almost unlimited, as sweepers can be employed anywhere ranging from medium to large dry floor areas.
The procedure of specifying and buying a sweeper begins with identifying your cleaning needs. Your local dealer will perform a cleaning survey to assess your cleaning requirements. This survey asks specific questions about your facility and its use in order to recommend the most efficient equipment for the job.
Size of area to be cleaned
First of all, consider there are two types of sweepers:
Walk-behind or pedestrian machines: The operator pushes the sweeper (manual type) or drives it by engaging a drive motor (self-driven type.). Pedestrian sweepers are quite economical, simple to use and service, handy in narrow spaces, and are usually recommended for areas up to 4,000-5,000sqm.
Ride-on sweepers: They are larger machines and the operator sits on them. They are usually recommended for larger areas (4,000\5,000sqm upwards) as they boast a larger sweeping path, a higher operational speed and a bigger dirt container.
For the picking up of particularly fine dust, choose a sweeper equipped with Polyester Bag Filters. Polyester bag filters are made out of polyester, whose filtering degree is approximately 3mc. The advantage of this type of filters is that they are antistatic, have a very long lasting life, a better filtering degree, and are easy to replace.
An additional factor to consider when evaluating a sweeping machine is the type of debris collection system the machine uses. There are two types of collection systems –
Overthrow principle: Some small ride-on and walk-behind sweepers use the overthrow sweeping system.
This type of sweeping principle works very well for sweeping light, but visibly bulky debris, like thermocol, and offers better visibility and manoeuvrability. It does not work well for very heavy debris.
Direct throw system: The main broom sweeps debris into a hopper located in the front of the machine.
This allows the hopper to be removed from the machine and debris to be dumped directly into a trash bin. Most large industrial sweepers use the overthrow system of collection.
Type of floors
The type of floor mainly affects the choice of brush to be mounted on your sweeper, with the roughest surfaces requiring the most aggressive bristle material. Bristles are usually made of PPL (Polypropylene) which is suitable for the sweeping of most areas, or made-up of natural fibres (for the picking up of light debris) or made of steel, ideal for applications on rough floors. For the sweeping of uneven floors, look for modern machines equipped with a self-adjustable, floating main broom, as it will perfectly adapt to the floor level.
