By DJ Slater

In an effort to provide greater efficiency and eliminate issues surrounding hydraulic leaks, Nilfisk-Advance, a global manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment including sweepers and scrubbers, has developed a new range of hybrid and electric drive ride-on sweeper-scrubbers for large facility applications. The new CS7000 line is intended to replace the Captor line of battery and engine-powered machines, both of which utilized hydraulic pumps, motors, hoses and valves.

“Electric drives are a more efficient alternative to hydraulics and, considering the level of power required for floor-cleaning machines, can be designed into cost-effective systems that provide greater energy efficiency, resulting in increased runtimes and reduced fuel consumption,” said Mike Kanitz, a product manager at NilfiskAdvance’s North American headquarters in Plymouth, Minn. “With the price of fuel being what it is, the demand for low costs and more efficient, sustainable cleaning is definitely there.”

The CS7000 line incorporates two hybrid-drive models and one battery-based machine. The hybrid sweeper-scrubbers are available with either liquefied petroleum (LP) gas or diesel engines, Kanitz said. All three models, which were launched this year in North America, Central America and South America, target industrial cleaning applications such as in warehouses, shipping areas and manufacturing facilities.

The LP machine is powered by a 0.96 L, three-cylinder Kubota WG972 Tier 3-compliant engine rated 30 hp, while a 1.26 L, three-cylinder Kubota D1305 Tier 4-compliant engine rated 29 hp is used on the diesel model. Those engines are smaller than the 1.6 L engine used in the predecessor Captor line, and Kanitz said the company went with a smaller engine because it of its compact size and better efficiency. A 36 V battery provides power to the ePower all-electric machine.

The engines drive a Niehoff brush-less alternator through a belt-drive system that powers the electrical components used to operate the propulsion, steering, scrubbing and sweeping systems. The steering and propulsion functions are operated through brushless ac drives, while dc motors are used for the cleaning systems. The propulsion drive results in a maximum transport speed of 5.5 mph and a working speed of 3.5 mph.

The sweeper/scrubber system incorporates a 36 in. x 12.2 in. main sweeping broom, two front side brushes, a 115 sq.ft. Donaldson high-capacity PowerCore UltraWeb filter with a variable frequency shaker, three, 17 in. disc scrub brush drives, a dust-control fan and two vacuum fan motors with a 48 in. water lift capacity, Kanitz said.

Because the sweeper-scrubbers use a cylindrical sweeping system and a separate disc scrubbing system, it is able to clear debris and scrub a surface area in one pass, he said. The CS7000s have a 48 in. triple disc scrub deck that provides up to 400 lb. of scrub pressure. The sweeper-scrubbers have a sweeping coverage rate of 146,400 sq.ft. per hour and a scrubbing coverage rate of 118,600 sq.ft. per hour, as well as two, 75 gal. recovery and solution tanks.

The LP hybrid machine has a runtime of up to 5.5 hours per 32 lb. LP tank, while the diesel hybrid gets up to 15.5 hours per a 9.2 gal tank. The hybrids are also able to operate on battery power for about 15 minutes if the user runs out of fuel.

The diesel and LP hybrids in the new CS7000 sweeper-scrubber line are based on Kubota engines, while an all-electric version incorporates a 36 V battery.

“If you run out of fuel, you can use the battery to drive the vehicle to refuel,” Kanitz said. “If you want to operate the machine in a confined space, where you don’t want exhaust fumes or heat, with reduced noise, you can do that as well by running it off the battery.”

The hybrid models produce about half the emissions of comparable models, while the battery-powered model, which has a runtime of 5.4 hours on a single charge, doesn’t produce any emissions. The ePower machine is also quieter, with an operating level of 72 dB(A), while the LP and diesel hybrid model operate at 82 and 81 dB(A), respectively.

The CS7000s incorporate a button-based control panel with a variety of functions. The control panel has signal indicators and switches for increasing or decreasing solution amounts, adjusting broom height and the filter shaker, controlling detergent amounts, and raising or lowering the hopper. Level indicators for the solution tank, fuel and battery charge levels are included, as well as sweep/ scrub and engine runtime and broom direction from a central LCD display.

The panel also controls optional features such as the EcoFlex system and DustGuard. The EcoFlex system gives users more control over the CS7000s’ cleaning capabilities, such as reducing solution strength or using a 60-second burst of maximum cleaning power. The DustGuard helps reduce airborne dust generated by side broom sweeping by as much as 85%, Kanitz said. The DustGuard releases an ultrafine mist that suppresses dust particles, which are redirected back into the brooms. “(The mist) weighs down the dust particles that rise up off the floor, which keeps them on the ground,” he said.

Also optional are pressure washer and heated water systems that provide users a more flexible and effective cleaning option, Kanitz said. The heated water option uses waste heat from the engine coolant without additional fuel cost or the need to fill the tank with hot water for improved cleaning performance and minimal detergent usage.

All three models of the CS7000 measure 97 in. long by 48 in. wide and 59 in. high. The height hits 79 in. with the low clearance overhead guard and 82 in. with the standard overhead guard. dp