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::: SWEEPERS and the italian cleaning industry
by Chiara Merlini
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Pedestrian
or ride-on,
sweepers
account for 12%
of Italian output of
cleaning
machinery.
lthough with various ups and downs
over the years, reflecting a market
that is more or less inclined to invest
in these machines, sweepers make up a segment
of great interest in the world of industrial
cleaning. We’re not talking about road sweepers
here, which merit a separate chapter. Instead
we’re going to focus our attention on the market
for sweepers designed for confined spaces.
::: The market
According to data provided by AfidampFAB, the
trade association that brings together manufacturers
of professional cleaning equipment, products and tools, this kind of machinery (sweepers
with and without suction and ride-on sweepers),
this category accounts for 5.8% of the
Cleaning Universe and 11.9% of total machines.
31,162 sweepers left Italian factories in 2006:
10,505 for the domestic market (40% of production)
and 20,657 for export.
This is the size of the market in terms of items
and breakdown. As for its value, sweepers are "worth" more than 60 million Euros, with export
sales of over 36 million and almost 24 million
Euros generated from sales on the Italian
market. As with all other types of machines, exports
are important, though in recent years there
has been a slight decline. This is due to general
market conditions: competition from Asia
and still increasing sales of wet/dry cleaners,
which sometimes compete directly with sweepers.
Competition from Asia is less worrying here
than in other sectors, however: sweepers have
a significant technological content and buyers
of such machines (which require a fair capital
investment) prefer to go for reliable machines
with, in a sense, a "guaranteed" quality brand.
However, according to our estimate, an upward
sales trend has been recorded last year; in 2007 sales of sweeper machines rose overall in the
range of 15%, the Italian sales were 1% up and
the sales abroad were 25% up. A positive result
either in absolute value or volumes.
::: An open debate
 When it comes to ride-on sweepers, there are
different opinions concerning the benefits of
front and rear collection/emptying.
The reasons for preferring front collection/
emptying, as argued by Romolo Raimondi
(RCM) in a recent article published on Dimensione
Pulito, are to be found both in lower
costs (smaller diameter brushes and less brush
contact making for less wear) and in better dust
pick-up, as the brush creates smaller vortices of
air. Moreover, the emptying point is closer to
the ground and so makes it easier to empty accumulated
dirt, while the rear steering wheel
facilitates cleaning "around the column”. Plus,
rear collection/emptying – of which Raimondi
is a convinced supporter - offers greater load capacity, as the brush loads the dirt from on
high, meaning a deeper container; the rear container
offers greater visibility and safety; there’s
more space for the filter and ground-level collection
and thus less raised dust; the front steering
system also makes for maximum visibility
and precise more natural steering, resulting in
better efficiency. What’s more, front wheel steering
makes it easier to move away from edges,
while the "Dust Buster" system reduces the
amount of dust raised by the side brushes.
 Daniele Bonini (Isal) takes the opposite view.
He believes that the direct system makes it possible
to face and solve more situations than rear
collection, since this system repeats the simplicity
of the actions implied by the concept of
“breaking-up”: a sharp sweep of a brush collects
the dust directly in the pan. With regard to pedestrian
and ride-on motorised sweepers without
hydraulic emptying, Renzo Lusardi (Leader
2000) prefers those with rear collection/
emptying, since the position of the container
lets the central roller turn slower, meaning less
vortex and so more efficiency. Others in the sector
have no particular convictions about a given
solution, though they all prefer – to different
degrees – one system rather than the other,
stressing that the final choice in each case depends
on various factors, such as the intended
use. Some believe that front collection is more
efficient for industrial applications, while rear
collection is ideal for picking up finer particles.
::: Italian exports
Isal specialises in sweepers
and exports virtually all
around the world: Europe,
Latin America, the Middle
East, Asia (Malaysia, Thailand,
Taiwan and Korea) and
Australia. As Daniele Bonini
points out: “A company
must offer a good range of
sweepers to satisfy its customers.
Thus it’s important
to sell a mix representing
the full range in each country
and on each market.” Mazzoni serves mainly
the European market (West and East) and
especially the Mediterranean area. Dante Rossetti,
Marketing Manager at Lavorwash (selling
in Europe, South America and Asia) says
that “The range has been further extended in
2008, with electrical and battery-operated rideon
machines with an automatic waste container
lifter.” Novakem, which exports to France, Spain
and Portugal, has machines ranging from 60 to
220 cm wide. Most demand for sweepers comes
from industry and cleaning firms, followed
by the public sector, hospitals and clinics.
How does this demand differ? What are the
factors with the most “weight” when it comes
to the final choice?
Here too – if we consider the export market as a whole – the quality/price ratio is all important,
even though the availability of spare-parts and
ease-of-use plus productivity are crucial too. Easy
handling is another incisive factor especially
in West Europe where the market appears to be
less conditioned by the price factor than others,
such as East Europe, Latin America and Asia. In
other words, people are prepared to pay more
for quality (i.e. attention paid to ergonomics,
anti-pollution systems, silent working, etc.).
::: A tradition
 Italian production of sweepers goes way back
to the late 1960s. RCM (Raimondi Costruzioni
Meccaniche) of Casinalbo (Modena) started producing
mechanical sweepers in 1967, followed
one year later (1968) by a patent registered by
Poli [di Vincenzo e Giovanni] for the first characteristic
“pushed rotary brush collector”.
Family traditions that continue today and evolve
in line with the size of the companies. In fact,
2003 saw the official purchase of the majority
shareholding in Comac SpA and its controlled companies: the result was the Comac Group,
consisting of all the companies and trademarks
that once belonged to the Ruffo family: Comac,
Tmb, Ruffo and Cofirent. Pride in the
Made in Italy label can be seen in the message
launched by Fimap, the company run by Massimiliano
Ruffo. To be "Italian" for Fimap means
having extra value linked to ones roots, the
guarantee of a quality brand, with the final goal
being to stress the Italian nature of the brand
and give the brand a strong recognisable style.
Dulevo International was set up in 1976, it
has grown ever since and has always believed in
re-investing a lot of its profits in R&D.
To create more specific practical machines to
meet the needs of the areas to be cleaned, thus
satisfying the express and unexpressed needs
of the user is the mission of MP (a company
from Padua that is highly active in this area).
While the core business of some firms is still the
production of sweepers, the general trend is for
diversification, offering the market a wider range
and so guaranteeing greater competitiveness.
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