The Evolution of Scrubber Dryers

With the ever-changing technological innovations having an impact on almost every aspect of our lives, we can look back and wonder how exactly we managed without the current level of sophistication we enjoy today. This is true for the scrubber dryer market, too, with the latest iterations of scrubber dryers being a far cry from the machines that were used in the past.

The very first scrubber dryer, or at least the first one in a similar vein to the ones we see today was introduced in 1956, created by Clarke Floor Equipment. This machine was powered by gas and propane, which shows just how far innovations have taken us since then. Following the first offering, CFE then introduced the Clarke-A-Matic BP20 in 1958 – the first battery powered floor scrubber. The BP20 was a staggering 50% heavier than current models, so you can imagine how much effort floor cleaning was in those days.

During the early years of scrubber dryers, little to no thought was paid to issues like water waste or re-use, and the lack of advanced materials that we enjoy today meant that using a scrubber dryer took a lot of effort. Technological advancements have seen a steady increase in developments in the scrubber dryer market, from the introduction of grit brushes and cleaning pads in the 1970s, the focus on environmental impact in the 2000s to the location tracking and real-time performance data of today’s scrubber dryers.

In terms of what the future holds for scrubber dryers, there continues to be a focus on improving the environmental impact the machines, with manufacturers developing ways to increase the fuel efficiency and lower costs to customers. The aim is to provide increased performance without having to charge customers more money to fuel the improved scrubber dryers. As well as fuel efficiency, there are developments in the on-board monitoring sector as well; Nilfisk-Advance’s Ecoflex system reduces the water and power levels depending on the strength of clean required. In addition to this, it also provides a strong burst of chemical cleaning fluid on particularly stubborn areas.

It is a commonly held belief that the advancement of the scrubber dryer industry cannot be solely based on improvements to the machines themselves – there will be emphasis on making the customer’s use of the machine easier and more affordable.

Here at Alpha Power Cleaners, we are more than happy to help you with all of your scrubber dryer needs. We stock scrubber dryers from the world’s leading manufacturers, and we offer them to our customers at excellent prices. For more information, please feel free to get in touch with us today.