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Tools on Tuesday - Floor Scrubbers
August 28, 2007
Keeping the plant floor clean is just as important as keeping plant equipment lubricated. It is the third “S” in lean manufacturing’s 5-S process - “Shine”. Clean well maintained floors increase productivity, promote good housekeeping, and improve morale.
Floor scrubbers are a great tool in the floor maintenance arsenal. From small walk behind models to the larger ridden types a properly selected and deployed scrubber can make a plant floor shine in minutes verses hours.
Considering the amount of traffic and volume of materials passing through the plant we are beginning to recognize a need for additional scrubbers. Recently we rented a few different types of scrubbers to thoroughly clean the entire plant with excellent results. We walked away from the process with more than a few considerations prior to making our next purchase.
The List
- Size Matters – not only square footage of the plant that requires cleaning but the width of the scrubber and its ability to get into small spaces.
- Walk or Ride – exercise is great but if you have to walk 100,000 square feet a day riding is much better. The one downside to ridden models is size. If you have small spaces you may still need a walk behind.
- Propane or Electric – Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I don’t care for propane because of the exhaust and handling of cylinders.
- Cylindrical or Disc Brush – The jury is still out. We tried both units with much success. The cylindrical seemed a bit more aggressive but was more expensive to purchase and operate.
- Cleaning Solutions – Selecting the proper cleaning solution for the application is critical. Just as important is the proper disposal of scrubber waste water. For rules and regulations in your state click here.
- Maintenance – like all equipment floor scrubbers have to be maintained. Wear components should be easily accessible and convenient to change such as brushes and squeegees.
Links:
Selecting a floor scrubber article
Factory Cat
Tennant
Advance
Minuteman Powerboss
American Lincoln
Kent
Posted by David Sanders on August 28, 2007 | Comments (0)
