Product review - ISSA/INTERCLEAN Amsterdam

15th of June 2010

ECJ looks back at the Amsterdam show with a round-up of the new products launched there.

Converts tap water

Making its debut was the Activeion Ionator EXP from Activeion, which converts tap water into ionised water for chemical-free cleaning.

The hand-held unit, which is slightly larger than a conventional trigger-spray bottle, is designed to be filled with tap water with no added chemicals. A 12V diaphragm pump sets off a continuous flow of water when the trigger is pressed. The tap water passes through a water cell that applies a small electrical charge, then through an ion-exchange membrane where it is separated into an oxygen-rich mixture of positively and negatively-charged nano-bubbles.

Ionised water is a bacteria-killing cleanser claimed to be able to break down dirt from most surfaces including glass, stainless steel, wood, carpet, natural stone and clothing.

Tel: +41 22 533 00 33. Email: andre.krell@activeion.com

Cleaning crime scenes

The National Academy of Crime Scene Cleaners launched its European biohazard cleaning training programme, having run courses in the UK since February 2009.

Course attendees are trained in hypodermic needle collection; bio-hazard waste removal; maggot and fly infestation removal; floor removal following decomposition; and body fluid and body matter removal. Operatives are trained to clean and decontaminate all kinds of rooms and buildings.

In the UK the academy has a network of trained cleaning operatives who can respond within two hours to any request for cleaning a hazardous area. It anticipates running courses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in 2010, and elsewhere in Europe next year.

Tel: +44 1239 621821. Email: markbaxter@ultimacleaning.com

Prozone for ozone

Washroom hygiene specialist Vectair Systems unveiled its Prozone Ozone Generator, a unit that cleans and refreshes the air while neutralising odours in areas such as hospitals, care homes, doctors' surgeries, washrooms, offices and hotels.

With a programmable timer allowing up to eight start/stop times per day and the ability to regulate ozone output, Prozone can be fixed or portable.

Also new on the stand was Sensaflush, a urinal flush management system claimed to reduce water consumption by up to 90 per cent.

Tel: +44 1256 319 500. Email: info@vectair.co.uk

A cracking idea

Visitors to the Vileda Professional stand could enjoy an egg-shaped vision of the future with the company's concept trolley, the EggCellence. At first sight it looks like a double bucket mopping system, but inside is an organic closed circuit cleaning system.

The operator takes off the top of the EggCellence, puts clean water in the tank, dampens their mop and starts work - no chemicals are needed. When used water needs changing a light flashes on the EggCellence lid, but there is no need to find fresh water because the trolley automatically transfers the dirty water to its internal mini-sewage plant where a microbial reprocesses the dirty water and transfers it back to the clean water tank, ready for re-use.

The biomass in the sewage has a three month lifespan and once removed from the cart can be used as an organic fertiliser.

Tel: +49 6210 80 871 000. Email: vileda.professional@fhp-ww.com

Airblade debut

Dyson exhibited at ISSA/INTERCLEAN for the first time, with the Airblade hand dryer being the main focus of the stand. Claimed to dry hands hygienically and energy efficiently in 10 seconds, the Airblade is different from traditional warm air dryers in that the user places their hands into the unit, and it scrapes water from the hands using air.

The dryer has a number of independent hygienic credentials, says Dyson, including the Royal Society of Public Health in the UK. It is also the only hygienic commercial hand dryer certified by NSF International in the USA.

The machine has also been awarded the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label, for which all aspects of its carbon footprint had to be measured.

Tel: +44 1666 827 200. Email: info@dysonairblade.co.uk

Heavy duty pumps

The new Hawk HHP pumps from Leuco are heavy duty units designed for the most demanding of high pressure cleaning applications. There are two models with Ecobrass heads and flow rates of 38 litres per minute at 350 bar and 25 litres per minute at 500 bar.

Tel: +39 0522 927036 Email: info@hawkpumps.com

Bioplastic agreement

QTS has signed an agreement with NatureWorks to produce a range of washroom dispensers made entirely of Ingeo bioplastic - a bio-based material derived from plants like sugar beet, corn and wheat.

Tel: .+39 02 9596661. Email: qts@qtsitaly.it

Industry newcomer

Hygiene Vision is a new company which made its debut at the show. It is headed up by Bill Yemc, former managing director of Technical Concepts.

The product range developed by Hygiene Vision is designed for away-from-home washrooms. VisionAir is an air care system claimed to offer low cost in use, combining programmable dispensing with 9,000+ spray aerosol refill to give up to six months' service. Two dispensers and 14 fragrances are available in three aerosol refill types - Mini, Maxi and Maxi-Plus (which has been awarded the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label).

For areas outside the washroom there is a air care system powered by oxygen, called Oxy-gen, which offers continuous fragrance and odour control.

VisionCare is a skin care system, with a dispenser designed to accommodate the full range of the company's skin care products. An aerosol soap system has also been developed, which can be used with foam hand wash, hand sanitiser and toilet seat sanitiser - VisionShuffle.

Tel: +44 870 0122733. Email: bill@hygienevision.com 

Replace the rubber

The new patented Hygienic Squeegee from Moerman is designed for HACCP-compliant floor cleaning and features rubber that can be replaced thanks to its locking cassette system.

Available in 40 and 60 cm and a number of colours, Moerman Hygienic Squeegees and their replaceable rubber cassettes are individually packaged in a plastic food compliant polybag with label.

Tel: +32 51 48 88 66. Email: info@moerman.be

Hygienic door handle

Purleve is an hygienic door handle which made its debut. Suitable for use in all types of away-from-home applications, the handle boasts a sanitary experience for each user.

Using automatic sleeve dispenser technology, Purleve uses an electronic sensor to advance an antimicrobial sleeve over the handle with every use. It can be used on push-pull doors, doors with no private-use locks, doors with rotating lock handles or doors with rotating handles but no locks.
The recyclable Microban refills are easy to install while using no paper and producing almost zero waste. Each one offers thousands of uses.

Tel: +32 14 55 63 35. Email: info-europe@purleve.com

Deal with dog waste

Aimed at local authorities is a range of products designed by Rossignol to deal with the issue of dog waste.

The most simple solution is a glove-bags dispenser with a capacity of 200 glove-bags. Then there is a totem which combines a bags dispenser with identification board - a Rossignol bin can also be attached. Then there is the Apollo 22L dog waste collector which incorporates bags dispensers and double-opening bin. Finally, the Caneo 55L is a waste bin system combined with two bags dispensers.

Tel: +33 2 43 01 55 55. Email: contact@rossignol.fr

Eco-conscious

Washroom hygiene solutions and tissue firm Sofidel prides itself on developing products that respect the environment while being economical.

The company's Eco-Dispenser range has been designed using 100 per cent natural raw materials, without additives or artificial colours. In manufacture carbon emissions have been reduced, as has energy consumption. Each unit is totally recyclable in one single block.

In terms of paper consumption, this can be reduced by up to 50 per cent says Sofidel, thanks to the combination of W-folded hand towels and interfolded toilet tissue.

Also recently launched is a line of antibacterial dispensers incorporating silver ions. Suitable for use in food processing areas, healthcare and schools, the units are said to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. As with the Eco-Dispenser line they are produced with minimal environmental impact.

Tel: +39 0583 2681. Email: sofidel@sofidel.it

New seat for all

To ensure every user of a toilet has a clean, 'new' seat Hygolet has developed the S3000 no-touch toilet seat device.

The seat ring of the unit is covered by seamless Hygoplast sleeve and when the user waves a hand in front of the sensor the clean sleeve is moved forward by an electric motor powered by a DC battery pack. At the same time the used section of sleeve is rolled up and can be disposed of without any negative environmental impact.

One Hygoplast roll lasts for up to 125 uses.

Tel: +41 44 933 56 56. Web: www.hygolet.eu

Dispenser debut

Brightwell Dispensers’ new premium Mercury washroom dispenser range made its worldwide debut. The range, which is made from tough ABS plastic with a brushed stainless steel cover plate, includes a soap dispenser, paper hand towel dispenser, jumbo and multiflat toilet tissue dispensers plus a 25-litre waste bin.

The company’s BrightLogic automated dosing system for dishwash and laundry applications was also a main feature of the stand. Suitable for use in small dishwash and laundry operations as well as in large industrial sites, it's said to be highly durable and easy to install and use. It features the new BrightChem tubing which has been tested using a wide range of customers’ dishwash and laundry chemicals, while a second new feature allows the unit to be programmed using a notebook computer and wireless dongle.

Tel: +44 1273 513566. Email: sales@brightwell.co.uk

Pure air devices

The Cleanaer range of air purification and odour control devices is said to reduce airborne contaminants like dust, smoke, ash, cat allergens and dust mite allergens in minutes.

Developed by Atrium Innovation Cleanaer technology protects the air by releasing partially charged droplets called LiquidIons which attach to contaminants. The LiquidIons combine with these unwanted particles, removing them from the air by bringing them to the surface and rendering them inactive.

The devices are small and battery-operated, making them easy to install and completely silent. They offer continuous protection and four fragrances.

Atrium Innovation is seeking distributors around the world.

Tel: +44 1491 822 726. Email: info@cleanaer.com

Battery network

Union Power Systems serves the needs of the industrial battery market. With its sister company UK Batteries it can offer a next day delivery solution, supported by a centralised customer service team and field based network of engineers.

The company has already worked with cleaning machine manufacturers supplying Trojan products, as well as Full River and Platinum Branded.

Tel: +44 845 458 0105. Web: www.unionpowersystems.com

Going international

The official launch of BICSc International took place on the British Institute of Cleaning Science stand. The new international trading arm of the institute aims to improve co-operation and raise standards in international cleaning.

BICSc International will provide accreditation standards in other countries as it now does in the UK. The auditing of quality standards will be initially carried out in the UK until auditing teams have been set up in other countries.

As part of the establishment of an international network, an agreement has been drawn up for co-operation with Netherlands research institute for cleaning VSR.

Tel: +44 1604 678710. Email: info@bics.org.uk

Colour change

Visitors to the Kärcher stand were surprised to find that many of the company's professional floor cleaning machines are now anthracite grey instead of the traditional yellow. The German manufacturer made the change in response to the findings of a customer satisfaction survey involving cleaning contractors, hoteliers, retail store operators and others.

Anthracite grey scrubber dryers, vacuums and sweepers look unobtrusive and generally blend well with their surroundings says Kärcher. And the new grey colour is not easily soiled, which reduces the cost of cleaning the machines. They also feature a colour-coded system of user prompts that makes them easy to operate and maintain. All operating controls required for the cleaning process are yellow, while those relating to maintenance and service are light grey.

High pressure cleaners have retained their yellow and black livery, as have most of the vacuum cleaners.

Tel. +49 7195 14 0. Email: info@karcher.com 

Chemical-free arm

Tennant Company and its chemical-free technology arm ORBIO Technologies Group showcased the new ORBIO brand on its stand. Following the success of the cleaning machine producer's ec-H2O technology - which converts plain tap water into a cleaning agent - Tennant established the new group in order to expand the core technology into new categories, applications and market spaces.

In addition to the ec-H2O technology, for example, ORBIO has licensed a second technology to Activeion Cleaning Solutions for use on the Activeion Ionator EXP hand-held spray devices.
Said Karla Leis, general manager of ORBIO: "We are currently working within Tennant and with other companies to determine the scalability of this exciting new technology to determine an appropriate product suite that will meet the market’s growing demand for chemical-free cleaning technologies."

Tel: +32 3 217 94 11. Email: europe@tennantco.com

Small footprint

In developing the new Shopster Vermop says it has combined all the functions of a professional cleaning trolley with the footprint of a wet mop trolley. This model can be combined with all Vermop floor cleaning systems, whether they are one- or two-step methods.

Vermop has actually extended its Twixter mopping system specially for the Shopster with the addition of a compact 30 cm version. This cleans surfaces up to 20 square metres.

While housing storage space for equipment and supplies, the compact dimensions of the Shopster mean it can fit into a broom cupboard and even when fully loaded it can be moved through corridors.

Buckets for surface cleaning as well as different solutions for material transport or disposal are available. All components can be retrofitted and converted without tools using simple plug-in connections.

Tel: +49 8105 77 88 9 0. Email: info@vermop.com

Focus on green

Green Hygiene – A Leader in Sustainability was the theme of this year's SCA Tork stand. The sustainability message was backed up by references to SCA’s latest third party accreditations. The company recently appeared in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list for the sixth year running and also featured in the Ethisphere Institute’s list of the world’s most ethical companies for the third year in a row.

To underline the hygiene message, SCA also revealed full details of its latest Hygiene Matters study which is published every year to raise awareness of hand hygiene.

Tel: +46 31 7460626. Email: asa.kalentun@sca.com

Service priority

As well as launching new cleaning machines for all sectors, Hako-Werke highlighted its online service contract management and location system.

The company understands that lowering machine life costs and maximum availability for use of cleaning machines are of vital importance to its customers. Mobile Service enables service engineers to receive orders online on their service notebooks, along with all information about the machine. When on-site the engineer inputs any information relevant to the contract, such as work time and parts used. There is an electronic spare parts catalogue and a feedback report.

The mobile service concept forms part of the Hako Value Package (HVP) which also includes purchase and finance alternatives.

Tel: +49 4531 806 369. Email: info@hako.com

Adjustable green clean

Cleaning machine producer Nilfisk introduced its Ecoflex concept, which enables the operator to adjust the amount of water, chemicals and pressure to the floor surface. This, the company claims, results in clean floors with minimal environmental impact.

Different situations require different levels of cleaning, and with Ecoflex Nilfisk says the operator can match machine performance to soiling on the floor. When encountering more soiled areas, for example, the 'burst of power' button can be activated for extra performance.

The onboard system has the ability to turn off detergent supply and clean with tap water only. Ecoflex is available on several existing and most upcoming scrubber dryer models.

Tel:  +45 4323 8100. Email: mail.com@nilfisk-advance.com

Together for first time

Rubbermaid and Technical Concepts (TC) exhibited together for the first time following Rubbermaid’s acquisition of TC in 2008. Various new products were being launched.

The Microburst Duet dual-refill air freshening system automatically switches between two complementary fragrances loaded into the dispenser. Flexible programming enables the facilities provider to select which fragrance will spray when.

The Hygen microfibre cleaning system for healthcare environments uses premium quality split microfibre material which is claimed to be bleach-tolerant, durable and capable of trapping and holding 95 per cent of bacterial micro-organisms. The system also includes the Flexi Frame which adapts to the shape of the surface.

Tel: +352 268939319. Web: www.rubbermaid.eu

Elegant design

Hagleitner unveiled two new additions to its Xibu range - the Xibu Touchtowel mechanical hand towel paper dispenser and the Xibu Sensefreshair air freshener dispenser.

The Xibu Touchtowel is said to be both elegantly designed and user-friendly. It has an automatic refilling system with reserve function while the delayed dispensing feature helps control consumption.

The Xibu Sensefreshair air freshener dispenser can be adapted for individual requirements and features a built-in motion sensor, brightness measurement control and interval fragrance.

Tel: +43 6542 72896. Email: info@hagleitner.at

Dryer alliance

Smartdri is a new hand dryer developed as a result of the business alliance between Simex of Spain and the USA's World Dryer. Claimed to dry three times faster than conventional hand dryers in just 10 seconds, Smartdri has been designed to optimise drying time, energy consumption and noise levels.

Switches offer three options for customising air flow, sound and air temperature.

Tel: +34 93 753 81 84. Email: atencion@simex.es

Comprehensive lines

IPC Integrated Professional Cleaning now has a number of companies in its group and there were various product launches at the show.

IPC Euromop unveiled its Levita soap dispenser. Made from IPC’s HDS antibacterial plastic, this is said to be capable of reducing bacteria from surfaces by up to 99.8 per cent. The dispenser has an anti-drip valve and can be operated with the elbow if required. It can be filled with either soap or sanitising gel.

Floor care system manufacturer IPC Gansow developed the ECS Eco Cost Cleaning Solution which is claimed to dramatically reduce water consumption on its scrubber dryers. The system uses IPC Gansow’s Micro Scrub technology which combines the action of a microfibre pad with a cleaning head that operates at extremely low pressures but at speeds of 600 rpm. This is more than three times the speed of a conventional scrubber dryer, according to the company.

New from IPC Pulex is the Ultra Pure System based on water purification technology for cleaning glass surfaces at up to 20 metres.

The lightweight Wow cleaning trolley was launched by IPC Ready System, which is compact and manoeuvrable, making it suitable for restricted areas and tight spaces.

And from IPC the Sanivap is a cleaning method using saturated high temperature steam (150°C) at a constant five bar pressure to destroy bacteria, germs, moulds and other pathogens in a thermal process.

Tel: +39 0421 205511. Email: info@ipcleaning.com

Semi-formulated

New from Invista at the show was the FlexiSolv range of water-dilutable micro-emulsions. These semi-formulated solutions are said to be compatible with a wide variety of other solvents and additives without losing their stability.

A proportion of the solvent in FlexiSolv formulations has been replaced with water. This means that they can be used either as they are by the end user, or as a core product by solution formulators.

The products can be used for a range of applications including paint stripping, graffiti removal, floor cleaning, degreasing, flux cleaning, resin cleaning, adhesive removal and ink removal.

Tel: +1 770 792 4221. Web: www.flexisolv.com

Durable performance

The PowerGlide UHS battery burnisher from Pioneer Eclipse boasts a number of features to features adjustable burnishing pressure, ergonomic handles, on-board battery charger, quick pad changing and dust collection system.

The Pioneer33 is a six-battery scrubber dryer delivering four hours of run time, with high capacity solution and recovery tanks. For heavy duty applications a dual vac can be installed quickly, while a splash skirt floats independently of the scrub deck to ensure proper contact during operation.

Tel: +1 336 372 8080. Email: export_jvd@pioneer-eclipse.com

 

Related Articles

Our Partners

  • ISSA Interclean
  • EFCI
  • EU-nited