Deep cleaning in continuous operation: new Sword Brush® with microfilament technology thoroughly removes even fine dust particles
Compact design allows easy integration into various processing lines
Dust particles are a constant challenge in furniture production, as they can damage surfaces and, if not removed efficiently before each individual processing step, result in rejects. Chips and particles are basically removed by hand or by using compressed air. However, these cleaning methods are not sufficient as particles are merely carried away and do not provide a consistently high cleaning quality. Wandres has therefore developed the new Combi Sword Brush Una U, which exploits efficient microfilament technology. The microfilaments create a particularly large contact area with the dust particles. The particles adhere to the filaments and are reliably removed from the surface without the need for cleaning agents. Cleaning with the Combi Sword Brush Una U eliminates the need for cleaning and anti-static agents, which reduces both operating costs and environmental impact. The filaments can also penetrate fine surface structures due to the very thin filament diameter, achieving a deep-cleaning effect. The integrated pressure buffer, which allows individual filaments to adapt to the surface shape, provides for a consistent cleaning quality. The Sword Brush® was specially developed to be integrated into existing production lines, and its compact design makes it easy to retrofit.
“Mass production of furniture boards and panels generates a considerable amount of dust and particles through drilling, sawing and milling. These may damage the surfaces during stacking and transport or impair subsequent production steps. The result can be production downtime and loss of quality
if particles are pressed into the surface, for example,” says Martin Tritschler, Head of Sales at Wandres GmbH micro-cleaning. Industrial environments where high production speeds and flawless results are required, need efficient cleaning solutions to thoroughly remove various types of particles and chips. A range of methods are available, such as compressed air cleaning or manual dust removal. However, manual procedures are time-consuming and generate high labour costs. Compressed air processes are expensive to operate and are unable to remove very fine dust that adheres strongly to the surface. “Manual cleaning effectiveness varies depending on the daily performance of the particular employee in question, while compressed air cleaning can result in particles being carried over into the production environment,” Tritschler adds.
On the other hand, it takes just a few steps to integrate the various types of Combi Sword Brushes into industrial processing lines. They are specially designed to react appropriately to the changing particle load in continuous operation and ensureonsistently high cleaning effectiveness.
Large contact area and constant cleaning result 24/7
At the heart of the new Una U product range are special microfilaments. Due to their fine structure compared to conventional brushes from other manufacturers, they can reliably pick up even tiny dust particles and feed them into the extraction system. The pressure buffer is a crucial element here, as it ensures that the filaments stand vertically on the surface without bending, meaning they are in the best position to remove the particles from the surface. This mechanism enables the system to adapt to different surfaces: “Because the brush is pressed onto the panel with a constant pressure, a consistent cleaning performance is ensured over the entire contact surface,” explains Tritschler.
The brush regenerates itself automatically thanks to a continuous self-cleaning function, which enables consistent results around the clock. Particles are removed from the brush mechanically via a roto rack and pneumatically via a self-cleaning nozzle. Afterwards, they are driven towards the suction unit. With particularly high particle volumes, the cleaning result can also be improved by combining air and wiping technology. By installing an air pre-cleaning stage at the infeed of the brush, large quantities of particles are sucked up directly instead of falling to the floor. This always keeps the working environment clean.
Compact design for easy integration
However, Wandres has not only been focussing on cleaning efficiency during the development of its products. “Low resource consumption and short maintenance and assembly times are key factors in an industrial environment,” explains Tritschler. This is the reason why the Combi Sword Brush Una U does not need any additional cleaning agents. However, it may still make sense to equip the brushes with the Ingromat system for some surfaces or applications, for example before applying the topcoat. In this case, instead of microfilaments, brush filaments with a slightly larger filament diameter are used. These are permanently coated with a microfilm of the cleaning and antistatic agent Ingromat. Micro-moistening ensures the necessary adhesion between the dust particles and the filaments and minimises the use of cleaning agents, while the subject surface remains dry. The brush system does not take up much space in existing production lines because of its small footprint. The machine is also available in different nominal widths so that it can be adapted to the roller conveyor width on site. “Production of furniture panels always creates chips and dust. We therefore felt it was important to provide customers with a solution for many cleaning applications that can be easily and reliably integrated into production processes without impairing them or slowing down the process flow. At the same time, a reliable cleaning result is guaranteed in continuous operation – irrespective of the design and surface quality of the panels or the production speed of the systems,” summarises Tritschler.
Further information is available online at www.wandres.com
