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Wear Oh Wear — Maximizing Rotary Brush Life Are you satisfied with the useful service life of your segments? Premature brush wear can double the operating expenses of a power broom because of the requirement to replace the segments earlier than should be necessary. In addition, the factors that cause premature brush wear can often cause additional problems with the power unit and the broom drive system. Down time and repairs to these items add up as well, especially because down time on your power unit may also affect phases of your operation other than sweeping. Paying attention to improving brush life can reduce these operating expenses and actually extend the life of the power unit.
Setting Proper Pattern The first cause of premature brush wear is brush contact that is too heavy. All brooms have a means of vertical adjustment. This adjustment determines how much of the brush will be in contact with the surface while sweeping. The amount of brush contact with the surface is determined by making a brush pattern and measuring the width of contact area. Check the pattern of your brush following the guidelines in your instruction manual. Although different makes and models may vary in detail, in general, this is accomplished as follows: 1. Position the broom on a flat, level surface. 2. Start rotating the brush at normal operating speeds. 3. With the power unit stationary, lower the brush into the sweeping position for approximately 30 seconds. 4. Raise the brush from the ground, move the unit back out of the way, and turn off all power. 5. Measure the width of the pattern. Depending on the make and model of your broom, the proper pattern is generally between two and four inches. After making your measurement, refer to your instruction manual or contact M-B Companies for assistance. Too much brush contact will wear out the segments more quickly than necessary. In addition to excessive segment wear, a heavy brush pattern requires additional horsepower to rotate the broom, so fuel consumption goes up. In mechanically driven brooms, the secondary result is excessive wear in drive chains, sprockets, and gear boxes. Heavy patterns in hydraulically driven brooms raise system operating pressures and can cause overheating and shortened life for hydraulic components, or outright failures. On the other hand, too little brush contact and the sweeping operation will not be as effective as it should be. Setting Proper Level The second leading cause of excessive brush wear is improper leveling of the broom with respect to the road surface. This will result in uneven wear from one end of the brush to the other, commonly referred to as coning. This fault will show up in the test described above as a pattern that is wider at one end than it is at the other. In addition, it is a good idea to also check the pattern with the broom swung fully left and fully right. With this information, you can make the necessary adjustments to achieve a consistent pattern in all positions. Simply put, the broom must be held parallel to the pavement surface upon
which the carrier is operating. Your broom includes mechanisms, including
the broom hitch, intended to hold the brush in that parallel, horizontal
position. Angling brooms require further adjustments to the swing arms,
swing plates, or other linkage used to angle the broom. Adjustments for
leveling are provided for all brooms and will be described in your
operator’s manual. Some heavier duty brooms, such as the M-B TK-H, are
designed with an articulation feature to allow the broom to stay horizontal
to the ground throughout the swing path even as the segments wear out and
the diameter of the brush diminishes. |
The two
most common causes of premature brush wear, brush pattern and brush
leveling, have very simple remedies. By understanding these remedies and
through proper instruction to the broom operator, you can maximize
productivity and the return on your equipment investment.