Sweeping off the Broom

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.

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.

Type of dirt/debris

Typical debris include dust, sand, leaves, dry chemicals, dirt, cans and drink cups, packing materials, etc. The type and volume of debris affects the choice of sweeper, brooms and the capacity of dirt containers, as well as dust filters and dumping ability.

The filtering system plays a very important role, as it allows air vacuumed-up by the fan to flow through it and retain the dust. The size of dust particles is important as according to the filtering degree of the filters, measured in microns, dust may be retained or may not be retained by the filter. A filter whose filtering degree is 12\15mc will retain all particles whose size is larger than 12\15mc, but not smaller sized ones. Once filters are shaken, the dust will be dropped directly into the 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. Remember that water may damage the filters, therefore we recommend to turn-off the vacuum-fan when sweeping on wet areas.

Power source

Sweepers are available with engines powered by petrol, LPG, diesel, or are battery driven. Petrol and diesel powered machines are usually more suitable for outdoor applications, and battery or LPG powered units are better suited for indoor use because of noise and air-quality concern. As a matter of facts, LPG is now being used to fuel large size sweepers all over the world; providing all the advantages of diesel or petrol coupled with those of electricity. LPG is the most versatile fuel for sweepers as it is suitable for use in all industries. Thanks to a sophisticated engine management system and regulated catalytic converter, high output is delivered along with low emissions and low fuel consumption.

Noise levels have also been lowered – adding to the operator’s level of comfort. For the operating company, the very long service interval will bring welcome reductions in maintenance costs and downtime.

Inclines to be swept or passed through

Another important issue is the machine’s climbing ability. A parking garage, for example, would require a sweeper with a powerful enough drive to best handle the inclines. Enough consideration must also be given to the difference in levels between adjoini
ng areas and the inclines that the sweeper will have to sweep or pass through. Areas with dead-end aisles or tight corners will need a sweeper with excellent manoeuvrability, and that will often affect the overall size of the unit.

Debris dumping and disposal issues

Depending on the type and quantity of debris, dumping and disposal can be issues that affect a sweeper purchase. For maximum convenience, look for sweepers that can raise the dump hopper high enough to clear the lip of a typical dumpster – usually about 130cm. Machines that have high capacity dump hoppers will minimize the unproductive time spent dumping debris and maximize productive sweeping time. The dirt container can be located either in the front or the rear part of a sweeper, and will receive the dirt thrown by the main brush or dust dropped by the filters. Its capacity may vary according to the size of the machine.

On larger machines, due to the larger filling capacity, it could become quite heavy when full. To overcome this problem, it should be mounted on wheels to reduce transportation fatigue, or equipped with a hydraulic dumping system

Equipment Maintenance

When a company owns and operates a sweeper, agreements need to be made for maintaining it. For long term performance, invest in equipment that is rugged, powerful and designed to meet the harsh demands of industrial and manufacturing applications. Also, look for equipment that offers easy routine maintenance and no-tool access to brooms, filters, engine and other parts. Regular maintenance by an authorised dealer is often a wise investment in equipment longevity and reliability.

Current practices, problems and issues

New sweeping solutions are often sought when current cleaning practices are not performing as well as you would like. Often, a company may want to move away from a small walk-behind sweeper to a ride-on sweeper because its needs have changed – the facility has expanded, cleaning time is too long, labour costs are high. Or, maybe the equipment you’re using is getting old and no longer performs up to specifications. In either of these cases, investing in larger and more efficient sweeping equipment will help reduce labour costs, which usually represents over 90% of the costs to clean. These changes in needs or insufficiencies often form the basis for selecting new equipment to solve problems that previous practices can’t handle.

Some recent entrants, for example, outperform their predecessors by offering complete hydraulic power, which means increased productivity and durability, a better filtration system, driving comfort refinement and increased value for money. Belts, pulleys and clutches, in most cases, have been completely eliminated. Fully hydraulic driven traction, container lift, brushes and vacuum fan, will enable the cleaning of the dirtiest floors very rapidly, and keep routine maintenance exceedingly simple, thus reducing downtime. We also know that, in many cases, humans can adapt to unsuitable conditions, but such adaptation leads often to inefficiency, errors, unacceptable stress, and physical or mental cost.

Such human irritations and inconveniences are not inevitable, but fine manufacturers have adopted a design approach that puts human needs and capabilities at the focus, when designing a new sweeper. The aim is to ensure that users and machines work in complete harmony, with the equipment and tasks aligned to human characteristics.

People size, shape, and strength, for example, have been largely taken into account, and this variability influenced the design process of some latest ride-on sweepers. In order to fit these variables to different users, these machines are equipped with adjustable seats, adjustable handle\steering wheels, soft touch controls, wheeled containers equipped with reduction boxes to reduce human fatigue.

Visibility is also important. Some machines are so poorly designed that the user is unable to see the work area clearly. Some new machines are designed to allocate the user at the center of the sweeper, in order to gain visibility on both sides. Additionally, many cleaning machines are becoming increasingly sophisticated and, with such a rapidly changing landscape, enabling users to handle the latest technology is a challenge for all manufacturers.

You should go for equipment that offers a “start” and “go” experience, where all controls are very simple to use, and most features such as the main brush, the side brush, the rubber flaps – are self-adjusting according to the type of floor, degree of wear, etc.

Bear in mind that a clean working environment helps promote worker safety, productivity and product quality. That’s why the sweeping equipment you select for your plant is nearly as important as the manufacturing equipment you select. In addition, the cleanliness of your plant, warehouse or machine shop conveys a quality image that carries over into higher employee morale and positive reactions from visiting customers and vendors. In short, keeping the workplace clean adds real value to virtually any enterprise.

Additionally, the increasing costs related to human labour can well justify the employment of a sweeper. In fact, comparing direct costs between hand and mechanical sweeping methods is a relatively straightforward matter and, even if a small company is spending as little as ten hours per week on cleaning, just a small pedestrian sweeper can show huge savings as well as go a long way to meet the growing health and safety standards.

 

Stefano Simonetti

Marketing Director-Eureka srl, Italy

Eureka srl products are exclusively distributed by Diversey in India