Use-Case – SMITH JB1350 Ride-on Sweeper

The Challenge

A metalworking facility situated near Graz operates an outdoor yard spanning approximately 12,000 m², used for loading, storage, and lorry movement. Until recently, maintaining cleanliness in this area depended on two walk-behind sweepers and manual broom sweeping.

Dust and metal fragments regularly built up, leading to slip risks and visible dust clouds whenever forklifts passed through. Despite employing two full-time operators plus additional overtime, some parts of the yard were only thoroughly cleaned every other day, and customer audits repeatedly highlighted dust management as an area for improvement.

Manual Process

The previous cleaning method combined walk-behind sweepers for the main thoroughfares with manual broom sweeping around loading bays, racking, and corners.

Before Automation:

• Daily area covered: 12,000 m²/day
• Cycle time per machine: 1,500 m²/h per walk-behind sweeper plus manual broom cleaning
• Total daily hours: 2 operators × 7 h + 2 h overtime sweeping = 16 h/day
• Labour cost: 16 h/day × €25/h = €400/day
• Rework/issues: Roughly 4 repeat sweeps per week due to dust complaints and audit observations

Even with two walk-behind sweepers, the cleaning pace was restricted. These machines slowed considerably on outdoor concrete and tarmac, and frequent emptying of dustbins and changing of bags led to further downtime. Corners, docking points, and fence lines still required broom work, which was often left for overtime shifts.

Automated Solution

To streamline labour and enhance air quality, the facility acquired a SMITH JB1350 Ride-on Sweeper to handle all outdoor cleaning in one organised route.

After Introducing the SMITH JB1350 Ride-on Sweeper:

• The machine is run at 60% of its peak capacity to ensure reliability
• Updated cycle time: 8,000 m²/h × 60% = 4,800 m²/h effective
• Total daily hours: 12,000 m² ÷ 4,800 m²/h ≈ 2.5 h sweeping + 2 h spot/detail work = 4.5 h/day
• Labour cost: 4.5 h/day × €25/h = €112.50/day, rounded to €125/day to include checks and battery charging
• Quality improvement: Over 60% reduction in dust-related complaints and almost no repeat sweeps required

The 120 L dustbin meant emptying was needed only once per route, rather than several bag changes. The built-in misting system and vacuum greatly reduced airborne dust, and the more than 6-hour runtime enabled a single operator to clean the entire yard and adjacent car parks within one shift.

ROI Calculation

Investment:
Machine cost: €4,999
Daily savings: Before: €400/day – After: €125/day = €275/day direct labour
Further labour consolidation (eliminating ad-hoc overtime and manual broom work): ≈ €100/day
Total daily savings: €275/day + €100/day = €375/day
Monthly savings (22 working days): €375/day × 22 = €8,250/month
Payback period: €4,999 ÷ €375/day ≈ 13.3 days (less than one month of use)

Even if the facility conservatively attributes only €850/week of savings to the JB1350 (to allow for maintenance and administration), the return on investment remains very rapid:
€850/week × 4.3 weeks ≈ €3,655/month
Payback period (conservative): €4,999 ÷ €3,655/month ≈ 1.37 months (about six weeks)

Conclusion

By replacing two walk-behind sweepers and manual broom cleaning with a single SMITH JB1350 Ride-on Sweeper, the plant reduced daily sweeping from 16 hours to 4.5 hours and removed most overtime. Dust complaints have fallen dramatically, and outdoor areas now consistently meet customer audit standards.

“Switching to the SMITH JB1350 meant we moved from two and a half people spending 16 hours a day sweeping to one operator covering the same 12,000 m² in about 4.5 hours. We are saving around €375 per day and achieved payback in just over a month.” — Markus Huber, Maintenance Manager, Stahlwerk Graz GmbH/Austria