Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Autonomous cleaning is in high demand
With the pandemic still very much in the forefront of everyone’s minds, there is now an even higher demand for automated and socially distanced cleaning.
Earlier this year, ICE launched the highly anticipated Co-Botics line - a comprehensive range of autonomous floor cleaning machines. ICE believes automation will help shape the way cleaning operations and functions are carried out in the future, but in a collaborative and cohesive way.
The Co-Botics equipment has been designed to integrate into cleaning team operations, picking up the manual and repetitive tasks, which will then allow operators to focus on hygiene and sanitising activities to promote cleaner and safer environments.
“It's not about replacing people; it's about embracing technology to deliver higher cleaning standards, infection control and 'proof of clean',” says the company. “Using autonomous cleaning is a very natural and progressive way of how we can help support and deliver these measures and improve wellbeing for hygienic environments - to Co-Exist, to Collaborate, and to work Cohesively within the workplace to drive standards, efficiency and sterility.
These machines are as close to human activity as anything available. They are extremely intelligent and can be fully operated, controlled, and managed by the cleaning teams on site. The features ensure the delivery of the following key requirements when using autonomous equipment in day to day cleaning activities:
* Safety and efficiency - safe, consistent, and easy to map and control
* Intelligent - it will clean any area without the need for technical intervention
* Environmentally friendly - water recycling capabilities and a run time of up to five hours
* Proof of clean - fully integrated telemetry and cloud-based reporting on a clean by clean basis.
ICE currently has machines installed and operating alongside cleaning teams in schools, airports, train stations, hospitals, hotels, manufacturing/warehouse facilities, and retail environments across the UK.
We are already seeing how the introduction of Co-Botics is helping facilities to provide hygienic and safe environments for employees and visitors. In fact, Luton Airport has become the first airport in the UK to receive certification from the Airports Council International Airport Health Accreditation programme, which provides airports with an assessment of how well their health measures align with worldwide standards and industry best practices. The airport has introduced Co-Botic equipment into its daily cleaning operations, which has hugely contributed to the accreditation and means that passengers and staff can be confident of the utmost cleanliness and hygiene levels throughout the airport.
It is not only airports in the transport sector that have benefited from introducing autonomous cleaning equipment. Train stations such across the UK have integrated robotic sanitising machines into their cleaning operations as part of a drive to re-instill confidence in travel as the pandemic continues.
In the area of education, schools have found that introducing autonomous equipment has resulted in increased efficiency as the Co-Bots are utilised to clean the corridor and hall floors whilst the valuable labour resource focuses on detailed cleaning tasks such as sanitising and deep cleaning. They also see real value in deploying autonomous equipment to support in the fight against viruses. The Co-Botic equipment helps with socially distanced cleaning and will be able to support cleaning with minimal human interaction during any future outbreaks or lockdown situations.
The demand for Co-Botics is really gathering pace, possibly fueled by the heightened priorities for infection control at an appropriate distance. To clean as we have always cleaned will not be good enough as the world around us changes and we are always looking for ways to innovate and develop. Facilities service providers must achieve more, both in terms of productivity and quality, without compromising financial budgets. Therefore, we believe that investment in automated cleaning is not just pioneering, but essential for future cleaning.
3rd June 2021