Sweepers

A sweeper is composed of:

• A sweeping system, or sweeping head, which is equipped with one or more side brushes that convey the dirt, the small pieces of solid debris and the dust towards the center of the machine, and thus towards the central brush, which sweeps this material into the hopper (or container).
• A vacuum system, or vacuum unit, equipped with a fan that creates a strong vacuum to suck up the dust raised by the main brush, and conveys it through the filtering unit and delivers it into the hopper.
• A filtering system equipped with filters that prevent the vacuumed dust from being reintroduced into the environment via the discharged air.
• A waste hopper, or container, where the dirt collected during the work is deposited.
• For medium or large ride-on sweeper models, there is an assisted dumping system. By means of electrical or hydraulic motors, the debris hopper can be raised and subsequently rotated to lower the dirt into waste containers, even at height.
• A series of accessories to enable the sweeper to deal with specific dirt situations.

When the sweeper begins to operate, the brush or side brushes are tasked with conveying the dirt to the central part of the machine. Subsequently, the combined action of the central brush and the vacuum turbine allow the removal of the dust and small debris. Thanks to the filters, the dust is filtered and trapped so clean air is returned to the environment, while the small debris ends up in the hopper, to be disposed of correctly in accordance with the type of material. There is also always a system to clean the filter, in some cases mechanical and in other cases with an electrical motor; this system enables the convenient removal of dust from the filter.

There are walk-behind and ride-on floor sweepers with working (or cleaning) widths of different sizes. Comac offers a range of sweepers with a working width that varies from 50 to 120 cm. The range also includes street sweepers with a working width of up to 323 cm if equipped with side brushes and a swinging brush.

The walk-behind sweepers are guided by the operator who walks behind them, controlling them manually using a handlebar. Meanwhile, in ride-on sweepers, the operator is seated on board the machine and controls its movements via the steering wheel and pedal controls.

Sweepers also vary in terms of the type of power supply and the type of loading system. Indeed, there are sweepers powered by internal combustion engines, by diesel, gasoline, LPG and battery, as well as hybrid sweepers. In addition, they can be front loading (recommended for collecting heavy materials) or rear loading (recommended for collecting large debris or light dirt).

Small sweepers are usually equipped with a manual dumping system, while medium or large sweepers have a lifting system for dumping that can be electric or hydraulic.

It is really easy to use a sweeper, whether it is a walk-behind or ride-on model. Naturally, larger machines have more specific controls, but in all cases these are easy, user-friendly machines requiring the minimum learning time.

The choice of sweeper must be made by assessing the needs of the operator, in accordance with the environment in which it will work.
The internal combustion engine (powered by gasoline, diesel or LPG) is suitable for use in outdoor environments; while the battery-powered version can work outside but it is undoubtedly more suitable for working in indoor environments. Some Comac sweepers can be equipped with hybrid technology (powered by battery and gasoline), developed specifically to satisfy the requirements of those who need to sweep both indoor and outdoor environments with a single machine.
The Comac sweepers are designed to ensure extended usage times in the battery-powered versions. These versions can therefore be used for large indoor surfaces, too, without the need for compromises.

With the sweepers, it is possible to collect everything except rope, strings and metal or plastic supports: these can wrap around the central brush and could damage it. In any case, the dirt collected must not be stuck to the ground, and the sizes of individual elements should not exceed those provided for the dirt to pass into the debris hopper. For this reason, large sweepers can collect larger, heavier waste than small ones.

All the sweepers are equipped with a waste hopper; it can be fitted at either the front or the back. Both systems offer pros and cons. Comac uses a rear-mounted hopper on smaller models, favoring this due to the ability to collect dust and loads of waste of limited size and weight. On the larger models however, a front-mounted hopper enables the collection of larger, heavier waste (for which these models are more suitable).
The focus is therefore on the functional aspect of the individual models, without compromising on other aspects such as visibility, accessibility, comfort, effective container volume, and type of filters.

To unload the waste hopper, the observations regarding loading methods apply here, too.
On smaller models, for reasons of cost and due to the small quantities of waste collected, a debris hopper with manual dumping system is naturally used. For larger models on the other hand, the dumping system must be hydraulic and installed at height (generally at about 1.4 m from the ground) so the waste can be unloaded into suitable containers.
For intermediate models (such as the CS700/800), the machine is available in both manual dumping system and assisted dumping system versions. The final decision in this instance is left to the user, according to his or her specific needs.

With the exception of machines specifically created for use on roads (generally called street sweepers), where waste is collected via vacuum or combined mechanical/vacuum action, for industrial machines, destined to be used in private spaces, the collection of residues occurs via a mechanical action, with vacuuming of the dust raised in the area of the central brush only. As such, the cleaning action is therefore clearly different in the central area where the dust is removed, as compared to the area covered by the side brushes, where the dust falls back onto the surface.
The right side brush does not increase the working width and thus the hourly performance of the machine, but rather enables the removal of dirt mainly along walls or on pavements, where the central brush cannot reach. So it's clear that situations really requiring a second side brush (fitted on the left side of the machine) are few and far between; very often it's fitted more for commercial reasons than for necessity.

Yes, if we are talking about a wet surface or limited water patches. Clearly in such conditions there is no issue with dust, and as such, it is necessary to work with the vacuum function off. This suggestion also means the filter is protected against the effects of damp, which would damage its surface and make it difficult to clean, forcing it to be replaced.

The sweeper is a simple machine requiring no continuous maintenance. Like all cleaning machines, just a minimum amount of maintenance is necessary after use: emptying of the waste hopper, cleaning of the filter, visual check of the brushes. With the motorized versions, it is important to follow the manufacturer's indications (oil, filters and so on), even though the technologies implemented on modern sweepers mean that these are now reduced to a minimum.

It is advisable to have a check carried out by an authorized technician at least once a year, or after 250 hours of work. It is important not to work, and thus collect dirt, in environments with rope, strings, straps or nylon packaging of a size that could get caught up in the central brush and progressively prevent it from working.