Cleaning underground ventilation ducts
This keeps your underground ventilation ducts in top condition – without any heavy manual labour.
Clean underfloor air ducts in no time
Periodic cleaning of your underfloor ventilation ducts can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.
In 2011, we developed electric machines that allow this job to be completed quickly and efficiently. These machines operate at high speed, with low noise levels, and feature an extremely compact design.
Using radio remote control, the machines are driven into the channel, where they collect sand and debris in an integrated bucket. The capacity of the machine is substantial, enabling it to handle up to 200 kg of sand and other debris with ease resulting in a high efficiency.
When can our machines be deployed?
For air ducts starting from 1 meter in width and 50 cm in depth, our machines can already be used.
Thanks to the integrated scissor-lift system, the collected sand is discharged directly — manual shoveling is no longer required.
De Boerderij
In 2020, our machines were extensively deployed due to the new Chlorpropham (CIPC) regulations.
Thorough cleaning of underground channels became an essential requirement in order to comply with the new rules.
“De Boerderij” published an article about this. Below is an excerpt:
Harvest 2020 is a test year
Robin Cornelissen of De Lange Heikant BV in Overloon (North Brabant, the Netherlands) is daily engaged in cleaning underground ventilation ducts throughout the Netherlands, and partly in Germany and Belgium.
De Lange Heikant is the inventor of radio-controlled robots capable of scooping, pushing, or even vacuuming beneath ventilation grates.
In 2014, the company received the Rabobank Innovation Award, as the robot solves a practical problem: cleaning hard-to-reach underground ventilation channels as quickly—and therefore as cost-effectively—as possible.
Today, the company operates multiple robots in various sizes, enabling the cleaning of channels of nearly all dimensions. The compact pushing units have been continuously refined to operate reliably and, above all, efficiently.
On average, De Lange Heikant can clean a complete storage facility within a single day.
When Is It Clean Enough?
A profiling roller developed by De Lange Heikant is regularly used to straighten bent above-ground ventilation ducts and, more recently, to remove caked-on soil.
“Due to the Chlorpropham issue, it has been exceptionally busy. Because we have extensive experience and have worked in many different storage facilities, growers also ask us for advice,” Cornelissen explains.
A frequently asked question is: when is it clean enough?
“We cannot provide a definitive answer to that. The same applies to the question of whether cleaning should be done dry or also wet using a high-pressure washer.”
“Working as dry as possible makes sense. After all, the wash water must be collected and disposed of, and many storage buildings contain a significant amount of wood. Consider 2020 as a test year to take a major step forward,” the robotics specialist concludes. “After delivering the 2020 harvest, you will know whether even more intensive cleaning is required.”
Read the full article here:
https://www.boerderij.nl/verplichte-schoonmaak-aardappelbewaarplaats
In 2014, we were honored to receive the Rabobank Innovation Award in recognition of the development of this machine and our commitment to practical innovation.
