Manufacturing challenges
The manufacturing sector has a diverse set of specialist needs above and beyond general cleaning, says John Brill, sales director for Nilfisk.
To run a production plant cost effectively manufacturers need to reduce downtime as much as possible. Switching production lines from one product to another or running production lines in parallel all increases cleaning requirements and costs.
Free-from manufacturing has exploded over recent years as a result of an increase in allergies and life style choices. No cross contamination between lines is therefore critical meaning deep cleans in between runs and open areas that need cleaning more frequently.
Cross contamination can arise from many sources including air borne allergens that settle on equipment, overhead beams and floors. Cleaning regimes are therefore paramount as the value of maintaining manufacturing operations more than offsets the increased investment.
TCO
With constant pressure on margins and labour costs rising there has to be an ongoing focus on cost effective methods of cleaning. Financial managers are now focusing on Total Cost of Ownership.
The right cleaning equipment, working well will certainly make a difference on all levels and should be ergonomically designed for ease of use.
The first issue to be addressed when cleaning floors is sweeper only, scrubber dryer only or a combined sweeper/scrubber that will complete the job in one pass.
Most machines come in a variety of cleaning widths so consideration needs to be given to the size of the aisles and the type of debris on the floor. A sweeping machine will make quick work of loose debris but could emit dust and allergens into the air. Additionally the floor may still be left dirty creating slips and trips risks. Swapping over from a sweeper to a scrubber dryer will delay the cleaning process and of course there is the issue of 2 machines to be funded and stored.
A combined sweeper/scrubber dryer is an obvious answer, new models such as the new Nilfisk CS7010 are a far cry from machines of yesteryear and come with an impressive technical specification.
Nilfisk innovations including SmartFlow and Ecoflex technology mean that the CS7010 uses less water and chemical than other machines. This increases productivity considerably using less time to dump and refill. The battery powered models run up to 5.4 hours in combined sweeping & scrubbing mode – no down time. The optional Dustguard system sprays a fine mist during sweeping minimising airborne dust and the risk of cross contamination.
The CS7010 combined sweeper scrubber, with a cleaning width of 1245 mm, is available in LPG/Hybrid, Diesel/Hybrid and ePower Battery. The award winning, eco-friendly design dispels the complexity and high maintenance of hydraulic systems, eliminating hydraulic reservoirs, filters and 98% of leak prone hoses, pumps, motors & valves.
