MP-HT’s Design Solutions for Consistently Efficient Brushes
Aware of the importance of keeping brushes clean and clear, MP-HT‘s technical department has implemented several small design and manufacturing solutions in its sweepers to facilitate inspection on one hand and to simplify and reduce maintenance requirements on the other.
MP-HT sweepers have a structural design that allows inspection of the machine’s main components, including the brushes, with extreme ease: simply remove or raise the waste container and in an instant the operator can check for any trapped material and the condition of the main brush.
Another feature, standard on some models such as the WIND ZERO and optional on others such as the ride-on AGILE or the walk-behind HANDY, is the side brush with electric gearmotor, without belts. In addition to better withstanding the impacts caused by work, the main advantage of electric brushes is lower maintenance requirements, a substantial reduction in time required for any repairs compared to belt-driven brushes, and therefore a reduction in costs.
For over thirty years we have been manufacturing industrial sweepers and urban sweepers capable of making cleaning not an obstacle to overcome (that hinders work) but a practice that adds value to your work, helping to save time and money.
Discover all the advantages of MP-HT sweepers, and how they will help you transform the cleaning task from a costly nuisance to added value for your company.
Sweeping the floor is a cleaning operation that all of us have done. Regardless of whether the activity is manual or mechanical, the type and quality of the brush, whether installed in a professional sweeper or that of a simple broom, fundamentally affects the effectiveness and sweeping results that can be achieved.
Sweeper Brushes: Functionality
Side and main brushes are fundamental parts of the sweeper.
The sweeping system consists of one or more side brushes, which direct the dirt toward the center, that is, toward the cylindrical main brush, which has the task of loading the dirt into the waste hopper.
In front-loading sweepers, the main brush moves the dirt forward, while in rear-loading sweepers it “throws” it backward toward the container located on the rear of the machine.
Knowing and being able to choose the most suitable brush type for the type of dirt and surface to be cleaned significantly affects the machine’s cleaning performance, just as proper maintenance ensures effective work over time.
Types of Sweeper Brushes
In sweepers there are therefore two main types of brushes:
- Main brushes: with a cylindrical shape, these brushes have a rotating motion with an axis parallel to the ground and rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of travel. Their task is to collect the dirt and throw it into the container compartment.
- Side brushes: with a disk shape, side brushes have a rotating motion with an axis perpendicular to the ground and serve to direct dirt into the collection path. They also allow dirt to be collected near edges and against walls, curbs, etc.
Both types of brushes are distinguished by:
- the size and material of the brush body, which can be made of plastic, cardboard, wood, or iron.
- the length of the bristles.
- the density of distribution of the bristles.
- the thickness of the bristle.
- the material of the bristle, which can be polypropylene (PPL), tampico, mixed steel, nylon, or steel.
How to Select the Right Brushes for Your Sweeper
When choosing a brush, in addition to examining its technical characteristics, it is important to evaluate the type of flooring and dirt to be cleaned.
As a general guideline, to collect coarse and heavy dirt, even adhering to the flooring (e.g., wet leaves), it is recommended to install brushes whose bristles are more rigid, suitable for collecting heavy and coarse dirt (e.g., metallic materials and dust in workshops and metalworking facilities), while bristles that are more soft and thin are better suited for collecting light and very fine dirt.
If there is a need to scrape the floor surface, it is advisable to install brushes with polypropylene bristles combined with steel bristles.
Care and Maintenance of Sweeper Brushes
For good cleaning work, another fundamental aspect is regular and careful maintenance of the brushes.
There are a few simple precautions to consider to ensure that the brushes, both main and side, remain efficient over time:
- at the end of each work session, check that there is no material tangled on the main brush such as straps, ropes, etc.;
- similarly, ensure that there is no material tangled in the brush drive components, for example in the belts;
- periodically check the condition of wear of both the main and side brushes. On average, depending also on the type of floor being worked on, brushes have a lifespan ranging from 150 to 250 working hours.
