Road sweeper cleaning

As many users of Road Sweeper Hire services will be fully aware, down time of the road sweeper can cause your job to run in to delays which in turn can affect many of your on site services and plans.

Most of these down time problems can be eliminated with good “house keeping” techniques, some of which are explained below. While these techniques are wholly the responsibility of the hire operator and should be carried out as a matter of course, as a site manager you can help to ensure these steps are being taken care of as they should be.

Before i go on i would like to bring to your attention one of the most innovative designs to hit the Road Sweeper industry in a long time. This is the “Tempest” leaf blower developed by Stocks Sweepers Ltd, which can be seen in the video below:
GOOD HOUSE KEEPING
Below is a short list of some of the items that site managers should look out for while utilising road sweepers on their sites to ensure ultimate use of the hire period and to maintain good cleaning of all areas: 
  • Regular tipping of waste collected from site.
  • Filter screens are cleaned after each tipping of waste.
  • All brushes attached to the vehicle have a good amount of bristles.
  • Inlet hoover boxes are cleared of any blockages.
  • Water levels are topped up during use if required.
  • Vehicle is travelling at an appropriate speed during sweeping 2-3mph.
  • Thick and stubborn debris is cleared prior to sweeping.
  • High pressure water is used in the correct manner.
  • Fuel is topped up before the day begins.
  • Oil levels are checked regularly to avoid engine ware.
The above is not a completely exhaustive list, it will however help to prevent the most common stoppages of the road sweeper and alleviate unnecessary down time.
Here at JPM Contractors Ltd all of our operators are trained in the above techniques and our machines are checked every evening to prevent these kind’s of problems arising.

JPM Contractors Ltd meets with Jeff Stock



Image courtesy of Stocks Sweepers Ltd

 
JPM Contractors Ltd was invited along to meet with Jeff Stock of Stocks Sweepers Ltd to view the latest addition to the Stocks Sweepers Ltd armoury. The newly manufactured truck mounted sweeper.

Before we go on, here is a little bit about Stocks Sweepers Ltd taken from their website.

This was not your usual type of business meeting, no five star hotels, continental breakfasts or lunch in a fancy restaurant. This was far more down to earth. A lay-by in a truck stop just of the M25 with tea & coffee in polystyrene cups, real men!!!!

As we pulled into service area the Stocks Sweepers Ltd sweeper was clearly visible from a couple of hundred yards away among the masses of heavy vehicles parked up enjoying their elicit break time. Painted in a very lively Green colour with the regulatory, so called, “Chapter 8” paint on the rear door made sure that this machine stood out from the crowd.
The paint is not the only thing making this innovative vehicle stand out from the crowd, Jeff Stock and his team of engineers have applied the knowledge gained from the time they have spent supplying replacement road sweeper parts worldwide and coupled this with hard work to employ some exciting new creations to ensure that this new vehicle is not just a replica of the old guard. Stocks Sweepers Ltd experience of supplying replacement parts has allowed an in depth view on the areas of a road sweeper that come under considerable stress and need replacing all too frequently, which in turn has led them to make some simple but effective changes to the sub frame and main sweeper carriage. While these changes will never be able to completely remove the need for replacement at some point, they will definitely improve the working life of the sweeper as a whole and reduce the amount of down time for repair.
About The Chassis
Jeff had this kit mounted on a brand new, sparkling Iveco chassis (not a choice that we at JPM Contractors Ltd would have made, always preferring DAF). The choice of chassis is a very personal impulse, as with all makes and models there are as many detractors as there are fans. This blog takes no opinion on the different manufacturers of chassis available in today’s market place.
About the improvements
The first of the improvements comes in the form of increased volume to the main chamber, by extending the width of the body two inches on either side, Stocks Sweepers Ltd have increased the payload of the vehicle, giving extra sweeping time on site. This has been coupled with an increase in the amount of water the vehicle can take on, 1400ltrs, again extending the sweeping time on site when using the high pressure water. One of the more practical improvements has seen shaker cables added to the internal filter grills, giving the operator the opportunity to shake off any debris that will have no doubt collected on the filters during operation which means that the need for jet washing the grills has also been reduced. Some very intelligently placed grease nipples have been added to the vehicle to allow easy access to regular maintenance points. A locker has been added beneath the donkey engine to allow for the carrying of essential tools for roadside repairs. This chamber also houses the extension tubes for the gulley sucker (great idea). The addition of a plenum chamber has decreased the noise generated by the vacuum, while giving a slight increase in the suction available. Other improvements include bearings on the channel brushes to reduce ware, an improved inspection chamber on the roof and in-cab tipping.
The overall impression of JPM Contractors Ltd was one of admiration. In terms of building truck mounted sweepers, Stocks Sweepers Ltd are a relative new comer, however, this company is destined for big things, watch this space.