Industrial climbers replace robot

26th of June 2018 Article by Alexandra Lachner
Industrial climbers replace robot

German correspondent Alexandra Lachner on the cleaning of the Glass Hall in Leipzig.

Around 30 metres high, 238 metres long and 80 metres wide, the Glass Hall in Leipzig is the largest all-glass hall in Europe. Who is responsible for cleaning this architectural masterpiece? Felix Eckert, divisional manager Central Germany of contract cleaning company WISAG Gebäudereinigung Mitteldeutschland, explained how industrial climbers can replace a robot.

The vaulted structure of the Glass Hall is a masterpiece from a technical point of view. The 6,546 panes were made from a special type of glass which looks completely transparent despite its 20 mm thickness and doesn’t take on any greenish tinge. With time however, dirt accumulates which has to be cleaned off once a year. Until 2012, the cleaning of the huge glass panels was carried out by a robot which had to be repaired following damage to it – at equally massive cost.

The Leipzig trade fair company therefore looked for an alternative solution and found it in WISAG’s industrial climbers. Eckert describes the demands of the project: “On the one hand, it was important not to use any chemicals since it would have been too expensive to have to install a system for discharging the waste water. So we only use de-mineralised water which is processed in osmosis plants. On the other hand, access is not easy either: for each section a worker has to climb 124 steps up a ladder and over the roof before cleaning downwards.”

Depending on weather conditions it can take four industrial climbers six to eight weeks to clean the glass panels. “We can’t work during a thunderstorm and when the sun is very strong we have to shift working hours to early morning and evening since otherwise it would get too hot to work up there”, explains Eckert.

A 180 metre length of tubing per worker is needed to convey the de-mineralised water from the osmosis plants at ground level up to the roof. The industrial climbers are each carrying around a total of 36 kg of equipment as they begin their round of cleaning from the roof downwards. To minimise weight and promote a more ergonomic way of working, telescopic carbon rods are used.

Natural bristle brushes help to clean the glass more gently and the corners of the brushes are adjustable.   The panes are scrubbed and then rinsed – there is no need to remove excess water since the de-mineralised water dries without leaving any deposits.

“We assign different sections to different workers and cordon off the ground underneath the sections being worked on. All the electronic systems in the Hall must also be deactivated for safety reasons”, said Eckert, explaining the high costs involved. The workers are all trained glass and contract cleaners with additional qualifications as industrial climbers.

Safety audits, risk assessments and the redundant system of working and back-up ropes are axiomatic as far as the glass cleaning experts are concerned. “We have refined our workflow processes over the years, for example, in relation to the supply of water or power. But the basic system has been there from the outset and continues to prove itself year after year.”

The Glass Hall in Leipzig is thus an example of how humans can replace robots – in times of increasing digitalisation, Robotics & Co.

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