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Vacuum Cleaners
Vacuum cleaners are cleaning machines that use suction to collect dirt, dust, waste products from industrial processes, and other kinds of debris for disposal, recycling or reuse. Industrial vacuum cleaners are used exclusively by professionals for building maintenance and industrial workspace cleaning. Commercial vacuum cleaners may be used for similar purposes, but they are characterized less by efficiency and use in heavy duty cleaning processes as much as they are by economy and use in light duty cleaning processes.
Vacuum varieties are vast and include small vacuum cleaners and portable industrial vacuum cleaners, which can be designed for industrial use, but they are mainly used in commercial contexts in less demanding applications. In industrial settings like woodworking, metalworking, or other processes that create a constant flow of debris, vacuum equipment that operates on a higher level than commercial vacuums is needed. Continuous duty vacuums are built to operate 24 hours a day with limited interruption; in settings where dangerous debris is created regularly, explosion proof vacuums may be necessary to reduce the risk of fire or other danger. Sometimes HEPA vacuum cleaners are put to use on manufacturing floors to help filter workspace air while vacuuming. Auto vacuums, some of which can be wet dry vacuums, are high-capacity, specialized vacuums used in the cleaning of vehicles. In building maintenance applications and in some industrial settings, central vacuum systems allow for the collection of debris throughout a building by central vacuums that connect to built-in vacuuming ductwork.
Every manufactured product available has to be made somewhere, and most of them come from companies that use a streamlined process to maximize output. These processes produce excess bits of stuff in huge quantities, and something has to clean up after them. Vacuum cleaners can be the perfect industrial cleaning tools; unlike sweepers, they don't kick up dust, which in some cases can be hazardous, and their use is minimally labor intensive. Vacuums can be configured to pick up almost anything; fine powders, abrasives, explosive media, litter, non-free flowing media, metalworking chips, toxic media, coolant, oil mist and welding fumes are all fair game, though a vacuum designed for picking up wood chips differs in design from one that vacuums fluid waste. Some of the waste materials produced by industrial processes can be reclaimed and reused after processing. Vacuums are an excellent means of collecting waste industrial materials for reuse. They don't damage the material, and specialized filters can be designed to minimize the number of unwanted materials like dust or dirt collected by accident. After being collected, the waste materials can be cleaned if necessary and then reprocessed for future use. An added benefit of using vacuums to clean workspaces is that they can be fitted with HEPA filters; in environments where a high-volume of waste shavings or dust are created, HEPA filter vacuums can remove the large particles as well as fine particulates that degrade workspace air quality.
A vacuum is an area from which air has been fully or partially removed. On the earth's surface, every object is subject to the force exerted by the weight of air. When air pressure in one area decreases, more highly pressurized air from nearby floods into the lower-pressure area until equilibrium is achieved; this is what causes wind. Vacuum cleaners use a fan or system of fans to artificially lower air pressure in the enclosures where they collect debris. The more highly pressurized air outside of the enclosure rushes in, bringing nearby dust, dirt, debris or fluid with it, depending on how strong the vacuum cleaner is. Every vacuum configuration is different. Small, portable vacuum cleaners can collect debris in fabric filter bags or removable plastic containers. Sometimes disposable filters are lined with larger, removable filters to provide extra air filtering. Almost every variety of vacuum cleaner is designed to connect with attachments that allow for vacuuming in different places. Vacuums for carpet cleaning usually feature an agitator for easier removal of dirt from carpet fibers, and auto vacuums use special attachments that help them clean tight spaces more easily. Continuous duty vacuums feature large collection enclosures that can be emptied quickly and easily so the machine can be put back to work without too much delay.
Backpack vacuum cleaners, canister vacuums, rider or walk-behind vacuum cleaners, and vacuum cleaner trucks are just a few of the available portable vacuum cleaner configurations. The overwhelming majority of vacuum cleaners are at least semi-portable, and most of them are very portable. Even continuous duty vacuums, which can be quite large and are generally used only for the constant cleaning of warehouse or factory workspaces, are often equipped with wheels. Central vacuum systems are the least portable of all vacuum cleaner systems. In large-scale building maintenance contexts where constant cleaning is required, central vacuum systems are a good solution to the problem of maintaining efficiency. Through inlets in a built-in system of ductwork, maintenance employees can connect hoses and vacuum attachments to a single central vacuum located in a mechanical closet. Because the central vacuum is isolated, and its room is usually located in a basement, the noise generated by vacuuming is very limited compared to most portable vacuums. This feature is invaluable in contexts like colleges where vacuuming is needed even as classes are proceeding. Instead of using many vacuums with many filters, maintenance crews that use central vacuums have only one machine to empty and service.
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Industrial Vacuum – National Turbine Corporation |
Industrial Vacuum - VAC-U-MAX |
Industrial Vacuum – National Turbine Corporation |
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Industrial Vacuum - VAC-U-MAX |
Industrial Vacuum – National Turbine Corporation |
Industrial Vacuum - VAC-U-MAX |
The History of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners
Before industrial vacuum cleaners were a series of small, less powerful vacuum models. This series began with the manual vacuum, the very earliest of which was invented in the 1860s by Daniel Hess. This model featured a rotating brush and a bellows, which generated suction. The next type of vacuum was the powered vacuum. The first powered vacuum patent was submitted in 1898. This model, invented by a man named John S. Thurman, blew dust into a receptacle instead of sucking it. Other models, did, however, use suction. A few years later, in 1905, the domestic vacuum cleaner was first put on the market by a British manufacturer named Walter Griffiths. The next year, James B. Kirby developed his first vacuum, called the “Domestic Cyclone.” His inventions would later lead to the now-famous Kirby Vacuum line. Through the 1920s and 1930s, manufacturers continued to revise and improve upon their inventions. Most notably, when hired by Hoover, the industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss reconfigured the look of the vacuum cleaner. He made it lighter, more efficient, more attractive and even added a signal indicating when it was full. It was not until after World War II, however, that vacuum cleaners became a common household item. Before that, they were a luxury item.
It was not until later in the 20th century that manufacturers began using industrial vacuum cleaners. This was when technology caught up with the need to clean spills and purify air on a larger scale. Commercial and industrial customers suddenly had the opportunity to clean using powerful vacuums like the wet dry vacuum cleaner, which can suck up both wet and dry debris. Today, industrial vacuums used in factories, clean rooms, manufacturing plants and more, and they continue to evolve every day.
Design
Production Process
Industrial vacuum cleaners are typically assembled on a line with subassembly stations. Oftentimes, small parts made from metal are sent to the manufacturer via a subcontractor. The manufacturer stores these parts and turns to them when they’re ready to assemble one or more new vacuums. On-site, they make any plastic parts they need, such as exterior housings, hoses, handle parts, wheels, connections that support the bag, etc. Typically they do so via injection molding.
Materials
Industrial vacuum parts can be made from a variety of different materials. For example, the housings of wet dry vacs are usually made from rotationally molded polyethylene. Other vacuums, particular the canister vacuum, feature removable canisters made from plastic. Meanwhile, dust bags are usually made from woven or non-woven fabric-like synthetic fiber. If the dust bag is lined, it is likely lined in plastic. In addition, many components of industrial vacuums are made from stainless steel. In fact, some vacuums, like the tank shop vac, are made almost entirely from stainless steel.
Design Aspects
Individual vacuum cleaners can vary in terms of airflow, filter material, dirt storage units and power source. In addition, to match the many different applications they serve and materials they pick up, industrial vacuum cleaners are sold in a very large variety of sizes and styles.
- Airflow Design
Airflow, which is defined in this context as the velocity of the air stream produced by a vacuum cleaner's motor, varies because some applications require the pull of a stronger airflow than others. For greater suction, manufacturers must use greater air pressure.
- Filter Design
Filters are one of the major components of industrial vacuum cleaners. Manufacturers design them based on the material they will be sucking up and the level of clean they need to achieve. For example, some are equipped with filters that can only pick up dry material, while some are only meant to pick up wet materials, while others still can pick up both.
In addition, some air filters are designed more precisely than others. Water filters, for instance, force dirty air through a water bath before it goes back into the atmosphere. In doing so, they disallow dust from becoming airborne again. In addition, other industrial vacuum cleaners use activated charcoal filters, which remove odors from the surface they are vacuuming.
- Dirt Storage Design
When they pick up dirt, some industrial vacuum cleaners engage with the cyclonic separation principle, while others take a more traditional approach, with a disposable or reusable bag.
Features
In general, vacuum cleaners work using an air pump, such as a centrifugal fan, to generate a partial vacuum capable of sucking dust, dirt and other particles from floors, furniture, and other surfaces. Industrial vacuum cleaners work in much the same way, except on a larger scale and with a wide range of individual differences.
Industrial vacuum cleaners are unique in that they can suck up dirt and particles on a much larger scale than regular household vacuum cleaners.
Types
Some of the standard industrial vacuum styles available to customers include auto vacuums, backpack cleaners, canister vacuums, central vacuum cleaners, continuous duty vacuum, explosion-proof vacuums, HEPA vacuum cleaners, rider sweepers or walk behind sweepers and vacuum cleaner trucks.
Auto Vacuums
Auto vacuums, which are, true to their name, manufactured for general vehicle cleaning and for use at automotive service centers and car washes, may be portable or stationary. In addition, like many other industrial vacuum cleaners, they have removable attachments that are designed specifically for their application. In this case, the attachments are designed to clean vehicle interiors.
Central Vacuums
Central vacuum cleaners and central vacuum systems are used to tackle the cleaning of large buildings, such as college dorm halls or academic buildings. Typically, the motor and dirt filtration unit are mounted in an outlying location, where they are connected to a series of ducts that are built into the building itself. To operate them, workers can connect hoses, pre-separators, tubing and other vacuum attachments to the duct inlets that are found dispersed intermittently around the building.
Explosion Proof Vacuums
Explosion proof vacuums have another very specific task, which is to clean flammable liquids and other hazardous media, such as combustible dust, without sparking an explosion or fire.
HEPA Vacuum Cleaners
HEPA vacuum cleaners are equipped with HEPA filters. HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, also known as ultra-fine air filters, are installed in industrial vacuum cleaners to act as secondary filters, removing any potentially harmful dust before it reaches the operator. These are used extensively in the food industry, where they remove ultrafine food dust from production lines and processing equipment, and rid pipes, walls and beams of debris.
Advantages of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners
Fast, Large-Scale Cleaning
Industrial vacuum cleaners allow you to clean your space on a large scale. Also, designed to be efficient and with equipped implements designed for your application, an industrial vacuum cleaner will clean your space much more quickly.
Improved Air Quality and Health
With features like HEPA filters, industrial vacuums are more effective at trapping and removing allergens, bacteria, industrial debris and other contaminants from the air. This means that they will keep you, your staff and your customers healthier.
Long-Term Savings
Industrial vacuum cleaners are designed to withstand tough conditions and be used for hours at a time. So, while they are more expensive than at-home vacuums, they will last longer and work better. That means that, in the long run, you’re saving money.
Deep Cleaning
Because industrial vacuum cleaners are so much more powerful than regular vacuum cleaners, they can pick up a great deal more than them. In general, they are able to reach down into rugs, carpets, and floors and generate deep and lasting clean.
Accessories
To aid them in their endeavors, industrial vacuum cleaners are frequently equipped with useful accessories like angles brushes (like the crevice tool) to get into hard to reach places, color-coded industrial brushes to prevent cross-contamination, overhead cleaning supplements, wall nozzles and overhead cleaning supplements.
Installation
Most regular vacuum cleaners are portable and require no installation, only an outlet. However, some are central systems, and central systems do require installation. You or your manufacturer must install your processing lines, hoses, tubing and all other attachments to your location’s duct inlets. In addition, you must make sure that you have a suitable outlying location for your vacuum’s motor and dirt filtration unit.
Standards
If you are working within the United States, it’s important that your industrial vacuum cleaners adhere to the standards put forth by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
If you are working within the European Union in a potentially explosive environment, both you and your manufacturer must follow the ATEX directive. The ATEX directive consists of two directives outlining what equipment is allowed within and what work environment must be maintained within a potentially explosive atmosphere. An area such as this is known as an ATEX zone. In addition, atmospheres are divided into different ATEX zones based on their atmospheric conditions. Make sure both you and your manufacturer follow the correct standards for the zone ATEX assigns you.
In addition to these standards, your vacuum needs to be up to the standards of your industry and application. For example, if your vacuum is meant to clean a large restaurant, it must meet the standards of the FDA.
Things to Consider
The vacuum cleaner market is flooded with options. To help you discern when choosing between industrial vacuum cleaners, consider the following:
Power
Check the power and performance of a vacuum system. The horsepower is not the true determinant of performance; instead, factor in the airflow and waterlift specifications. A vacuum with high airflow suits better to capture powder-like substances, like dry whey and flour. A vacuum with good waterlift will effectively lift heavy pieces; it is used to collect cooking oil, water, and other heavier particles.
Continuous-Duty vs. Intermittent-Duty
Commonly, industrial vacuum cleaners are either Continuous-Duty Vacuums or intermittent. To pick heavy debris, continuous-duty vacuums are better suited; whereas in less demanding workload, intermittent works well.
Single Stage vs. Multiple Stage
Continuous three- or two-phase units are the most efficient at work that suits even the most demanding working conditions; they are also reliable and last for long. A good single-phase power option works fine in conditions that are less challenging; however, they do not last for long. They only should be used for general cleanup for short periods, like an hour or less.
Central Vacuum Systems vs. Portable Vacuums
If the facility needs cleaning only in a specified area, it is better to install processing lines with a central vacuum system. A central vacuum helps to cut down the time to the cleaning process, as the waste is disposed through the processing lines. It does not have any disposal bags or other carriages attached to the units, it only consists of a suction unit with a connecting hose, which can be attached to various processing points during operation. However, if you need flexibility, go for portable vacuums.
In addition to all of this, you need to find the right manufacturer. How do you do so? You do so by locating a manufacturer who is not only skilled and knowledgeable but who also displays a strong commitment to customer service. Look for the manufacturer that takes all of your requirements into consideration and strives to do the best work possible for you. Find that manufacturer by reaching out to one or more of the excellent companies we have listed near the top of this page. Make sure to give them all the details of your application, to make sure that they can accommodate you. Good luck!
Vacuum Cleaner Types
- Auto vacuums are designed to clean the interior and upholstery of automobiles.
- are machines worn on the
back of the user. Backpack vacuum cleaners provide mobility along with
the higher cleaning capabilities for awkward areas such as stairways.
- are not the standard walk behind units. They have
wheels that allow the unit to be pulled behind the user as they walk
with the separate suction attachment. These wheeled canisters house
the suction motor and filtering system.
- Central vacuums are vacuums to which networks of ducts are connected for use in large scale cleaning operations.
- Central vacuum systems are networks of ducts connected to a central vacuum for use in large scale cleaning operations.
- are designed for use in commercial and industrial environments.
- Continuous duty vacuums are vacuums used for constant cleaning of industrial workspaces.
- Explosion proof vacuums are industrial vacuums used in the vacuuming of materials that pose a fire or explosion risk.
- use High Efficiency Particulate Air filters during the vacuuming process.
- Industrial vacuum cleaners are vacuum cleaners used exclusively in industrial contexts.
- Portable vacuum cleaners are portable cleaning machines that use vacuum suction for cleaning purposes that require both mobility and maneuverability.
- are similar to walk behind sweepers.
Rider sweepers are motorized and ridden by the user. They also have
larger storage
tanks
and therefore have a larger cleaning capacity in terms of area.
- Small vacuum cleaners are vacuum cleaners that are used in light duty vacuuming applications and are usually very portable.
- cleaners are any vacuum cleaning machine that is mounted on
the back of a truck. Vacuum trucks are specifically designed to load
and
carry bulk materials; loading involves the use of vacuum suction to
move material from an area into a storage compartment on the truck.
- Vacuum equipment is all of the machinery and accessories related to vacuum cleaners.
- s are machines that are
used for cleaning large floor space area. They can be used for hard
or carpeted floors; they are battery or gas operated and many of them have rechargeable batteries.
- Wet dry vacuums are specialized types of canister vacuums that can be used to clean up wet, or liquid, spills as well as removing dry debris.
Vacuum Cleaner Terms
– A specification that rates the output
power of vacuum cleaners rather than their input power, as measured at
the vacuum cleaner inlet with air flow suction. This is also referred
to as “sucking power.”
– A characteristic of vacuum motors that are air-cooled
with a ventilator that is independent of the cleaning air. Usually found
in either tangential exhaust systems or peripheral systems.
– International
professional designation available through training and testing by the
Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).
– Family
of chemicals used as refrigerants, being tightly regulated and phased
out of production due to stratospheric ozone depletion potential. Examples:
R-11, R-12, R-113, R-114, R-115.
– A design
of a vacuum cleaner in which the filtering system cleans the dirt suction
airflow before it goes through the fan
or fans of the suction motor. This prevents damage to the fan that results
from material carried by a dirty-air system and usually creates considerably
more suction, particularly when a hose and attachments are used.
– Cyclonic systems that separate the dust particles
from the airflow by spinning the air with a separation chamber. The spinning
causes centrifugal force to move the dust particles outward while the
air exits from the inner part of the chamber; some cleaners utilize multiple
chambers and most cleaners add filters to increase the total system filtration
efficiency.
– A design of a vacuum cleaner that has the air
carrying the dirt passing through the fan of the suction motor into the
bag. Typically, this does not create as much suction with attachments;
it commonly creates more airflow when operating with big openings and
short airflow distances.
– A design of a vacuum cleaner in which the airflow,
which picks up the dirt, passes through the fan of the suction motor
before it is cleaned by the filtering system.
– A special type of vacuum cleaner hose that has
internal wires that carry electrical current to the power nozzle’s
motor. Typically, these hoses reinforce the hose, but not always like
crush resistant hoses.
– A kind of filter media consisting of very
fine synthetic fibers on which a static electric charge builds as air
passes through. The charge draws the smallest allergen and dust particles,
helping the filter retain them.
– The fan or impeller that creates the suction necessary for
the vacuum.
– The percentage of particles retained by
the primary filter as air passes through it. The efficiency increases
as the size of the particles increase.
– A filtering efficiency
specification whose purpose is to effectively remove radioactive dust
from plant exhausts without redistribution. This filter must be able
to capture 99.97% of all particles 0.3 mm (micrometers or microns) in
size or larger from the air that goes through it.
– A type of filter or paper bag that uses similar
construction or fibers to that used in a true HEPA filter. While being
a significant improvement over regular filters, the vacuum that uses
it may not have a completely sealed filtration system, so there is no
guarantee that the stringent HEPA specification will be met by it.
– A kind of filter that is able to capture micron
size particles at an extremely high efficiency rate.
– The exhausting of cleaned air through many
small openings on the vacuum motor perimeter.
– In relation to the airflow in a vacuum cleaner, the
opposition to a passage of air. This occurs in a variety of ways in a
vacuum cleaner system.
– This manufacturing process creates dust recovery
tanks along with other vacuum equipment. It is the molding of a flat
aluminum disc to make a deep container from one piece of metal without
soldering so that all parts made this way are free from air leaks and
ensure the highest vacuum strength.
– The exhausting of cleaned air through a single
exit on the side of the motor.
– A characteristic
of particular vacuum motors in which the cleaning air flows through the
casing to cool it.
– A filtering efficiency specification
for filters utilized in environments that require the maximum degree
of clean air, like pharmaceutical labs. Specifically, these filters must
retain particles 0.12 mm or larger with the efficiency rating of 99.999%;
the testing and marking of certified ULPA filters ensures that these
filters are attaining the ULPA specification.
– The speed of air at any given point
in the vacuum cleaner system. It is the force of the air that collects
the dirt and moves it into the bag or dirt receptacle.
– In terms of vacuum cleaners, a measure of the power
of the vacuum created by the suction motor. This is essentially a measurement
of how high water is lifted by a vacuum hose attached to a tube placed
in water.
More Vacuum Cleaners Information
Vacuum Cleaners Informational Video