Making the case for warehouse cleaning robots

As the UK economy bounces back and warehouses and logistics providers are busier than ever, Jonathan Stacey of Crescent Industrial asks whether warehouse cleaning robots are an expensive vanity or a cost-saving reality.

Volumes are climbing, labour is short meaning housekeeping tasks like floor cleaning are squeezed at a time when hygiene and health are more important than ever.

That’s why future-thinking logistics leaders are increasingly turning to automation. But are robotic floor cleaners an expensive vanity for cash rich businesses looking to dazzle customers with “innovation”, or are they a truly market-ready method of warehouse cleaning with genuine cost saving benefits?

The UK’s leading logistics providers are finding the latter. So far, UK deployments of the Sweep XL robot floor cleaner has automated cleaning and brought a plethora of positive results to warehouse providers across the country. Not only is labour resource freed for higher value tasks, but consistent cleaning schedules deliver a healthier workplace and automated updates provide transparent reporting on what was cleaned and when. There are many more benefits, but you get the drift.

“That sounds expensive?” I hear you say. Contrary to popular belief, the Sweep XL robot delivers a healthy saving compared to the cost of traditional cleaning in most large warehouse applications. When comparing the costs of traditional cleaning (equipment rental, service support and labour rates) coupled with mediocre outcomes to a fully automated cleaning system, traditional cleaning quickly looks outdated, expensive and inefficient.

“My warehouse is too busy”, you may be thinking. “Fork lifts, LLOPs, PPTs, pedestrians and myriad other moving things means automation is not appropriate for my warehouse.” But don’t be too quick to dismiss the power of today’s automation. The Sweep XL has a super smart system of navigation including a vast array of lidars, sensors and ultrasonic ‘eyes’. This means the Sweep XL delivers cleaning in changing, dynamic spaces whilst avoiding obstacles and moving objects, the robot will even clean inside pallet bays when they’re empty!

So maybe automation is closer to a cost-saving reality than you may have first concluded. Being truly autonomous (meaning the robot self deploys, self-empties and self-recharges) the Sweep XL is helping deliver safer and healthier workplaces leaving you free to focus on higher-value tasks. Furthermore, companies are finding the Sweep XL a perfect low risk-way of introducing automation to the workplace, whilst demonstrating the value of true innovation to customers who have ever growing expectations.