Jack Cockerham, key account manager – transport at Kärcher UK, discusses the importance of workshop cleanliness to boost efficiency when it comes to vehicle maintenance:
The growth of national and global logistics solutions to facilitate increased e-commerce demand has led to an enhanced focus on keeping vehicles on the road, resulting in greater pressure placed on the automotive industry. Naturally, there will be times when vehicle maintenance is necessary to protect the safety of the driver and other road-users and maintaining a clean workshop can help to get vehicles back on the road quickly.
Messy and unkept workshops are a health and safety risk with the potential for trips, slips and injuries as staff move throughout the premises. To help counteract these challenges, battery-powered equipment can help reduce the number of wires strewn across the floor, whilst efficient cleaning machines can help whisk dirt away to keep surfaces clean and spill-free.
Battery powered solutions are ideal for use in the workshop due to their high-power output, enabling users to effectively remove unwanted particles, spillages, and stubborn dirt. Understanding which machines to select and when to use them will help boost cleaning productivity.
There are two main solutions that can be applied within larger workshop spaces to tackle dirt in varying ways: vacuum sweepers and scrubber driers. Whilst both come in larger ride-on formats, push behind versions are also highly efficient solutions for maintaining workshops.
Vacuum sweepers
Ideal for the removal of coarse and stubborn dirt, dust, and waste, vacuum sweepers disperse dust using a roller brush before utilising a suction turbine (fan) that lifts disrupted dirt from the surface and deposits it in a filter system. This supports the quick removal of unwanted surface material from hard flooring.
Kärcher has developed a range of vacuum sweepers with its EASY operation concept built in, which ensures that the machines are simple and convenient to use. Each member of the workforce can be trained on how to use the machine effectively and efficiently without the need for extensive courses. To help maximise the full potential of the machines, Kärcher’s in-house Kärcher Academy is able to train staff on the latest techniques and cleaning methods.
Machines, such as the KM 75/40 W Bp push vacuum sweeper, are ideal for workshop environments as they come with a 40l waste container with a trolley system to ensure long, fatigue-free cleaning. This is ideal for pack-downs at the end of the working day, enabling users to swiftly restore the workshop to a clean state ready for the following day.
Additionally, as the KM 75/40 W Bp is battery powered, it can be used during the working day for spot cleaning without causing disruption to colleagues.
Scrubber driers
For a more intense clean that utilises cleaning agents and water to break down excess oil and grease build-up, scrubber driers are a suitable solution. Walk-behind scrubber driers offer manoeuvrability that will allow users to get closer to floor edges and move around different objects easily.
For a deeper clean, walk-behind scrubber driers, such as the B 60 W Bp Dose, are ideal as the roller brushes pass over the surface, loosening dirt alongside the application of water, before the dirt and wastewater is collected at the rear of the machine, leaving surfaces close to dry. This swift and productive process allows the team to get back to repairing vehicles quickly.
Built-in functions, such as the KIK system (Kärcher Intelligent Key System), enable facility managers to pre-set different cleaning modes, to ensure the same level of clean is acquired regardless of the user. Managers can adjust the height of the roller brush, squeegee, and speed of clean.
Operating on battery power, the BR 30/4 C Bp Dose can clear up a quick spillage, as it does not require a plug and long cables to get to work.
In summary…
Guaranteeing and maintaining a clean and tidy workshop is a must to help workers get back to repairing vehicles in a safe environment. Utilising battery-powered machines is one way that dirt and spillages can be effectively and efficiently removed, to allow professionals to focus on getting vehicles back on the road rather than worrying about the surfaces.
