Planned Maintenance for Your Floor Scrubber or Sweeper Can Save You Money.
By Rick Schott Circle the author on Google+
If you use a floor scrubber or sweeper on a daily or weekly basis you probably know that ongoing maintenance costs are a big part of ownership. Even the best, most heavy duty, floor cleaning machines need constant daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance. These machines literally live in dirt every day. They are designed to ingest the same materials that we want to remove from our facilities. These are the materials that if left uncleaned would make their way into our HVAC systems, machinery, appliances, carpet, and furniture to name a few. In addition to that we put various chemicals through our scrubbers that clean, degrease, and sometimes even remove floor finishes. Imagine what these chemicals might do to bearings, seals, vacuum motors, etc.
Your first and most important step to lowering your cost of ownership is operator training and accountability. Most reputable floor scrubber providers will usually offer to train your operators free. Take advantage of this service whenever you appoint a new operator for a sweeper or scrubber. Issue keys to the machine to each operator only after they complete training. Sweeper and Scrubber operators need to know:
**What cleaning tasks can be accomplished with this machine (and what tasks should not be tried)
**What cleaning agents can be used, how much, and when to use them
**Techniques for safe, efficient, and effective cleaning
**Pre-operation checks
**Proper clean up and storage procedures
**Battery maintenance and charging procedures
**Basic trouble shooting and maintenance
A more thorough planned maintenance procedure should be done on the equipment about every 100 hours of use. The best way to be sure this occurs is to monitor the floor cleaning machine’s use during the first few months. When the 100-hour mark is reached use that time period as your interval going forward. Doing the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance is critical to reducing your cost of ownership and extending the life of the machine.
Some companies do PM work in house. This may be a good solution for you. Planned maintenance procedures are usually outlined in detail in your operations manual. The work should be performed by a technician with electrical and mechanical experience. Contracting with your Equipment dealer may be a better option. Be sure to hire a dealer that truly is trained to work on your floor sweeper and scrubber. Although the machines seem simple, the electronics have become very sophisticated and cleaning machines generally have their own unique quirks and problems due to the environment that they live in. Other reasons to contract out your PM Service may include:
**Having an experienced expert looking over your machine to spot small problems before they erode into expensive problems.
**Keeping your maintenance people focused on keeping your plant running
**Your scrubber or sweeper service tech will generally have common wear parts on the truck that you may need for optimum performance.
**A written report is generally provided that outlines any abuse, neglect, or other potential problems.
**A scheduled PM with your equipment dealer will actually get done on time. Many times in house PM procedures get pushed off due to more important tasks at hand.
**Machines that have been regularly serviced almost always last longer and have a higher trade in value when it comes time to upgrade your equipment.
Factory Cleaning Equipment, Inc. offers planned maintenance programs for all brands of floor sweepers and scrubbers. We can also help you train your staff to properly maintain and operate equipment. Please call 800-793-3790 to discuss your maintenance options.
By Rick Schott
Circle the author on Google+.