The Dutch Ministry of Finance in The Hague is an building with a lot of glass. The 'transparent' building today covers an area of 66,000 square metres. During the last round of renovations between 2007 and 2010, a large indoor garden was covered by a steel structure containing sun-resistant insulating glass. The atrium roof spans an area of 2,500 square metres. Cleaning such an enormous roof was posing a challenge, especially with regard to bird droppings, which contain aggressive acids and can attack the building materials. Eventually, a good solution was found in a cleaning robot that moves across the atrium roof on wheels.
On a similar note:
Can robots fill the skills shortage in the construction industry?
Company RL Glas & Gevelonderhoud from The Hague is responsible for cleaning of the atrium roof. In order to clean the glass roof easily, safely and cost-effectively, the cleaning professionals at RL Glas & Gevelonderhoud have been searching for a semi-autonomous cleaning solution. This was found at company TG hyLIFT GmbH from Gronau, Germany. Now, the atrium roof is cleaned regularly using the hyCLEANER blue GLASS ROOF.
TG hyLIFT
The system allows simple and efficient cleaning and features high speed, good performance, easy handling and an optimum cleaning result. The machine is controlled via a remote control system that allows RL Glas & Gevelonderhoud to operate the machine on the glass roof without any physical effort – and without the need to set foot on it. A video camera records every movement and allows precise control and operation of the hyCLEANER even from a greater distance. The machine is powered by high-performance lithium-ion-batteries. The driving pads are made out of a slip-resistant material and ensure optimal grip on wet surfaces. The hyCLEANER blue GLASS ROOF has very good weight distribution down onto the roof surface, thus always keeping it below the permissible snow and wind loads. Thanks to its modular design, it is possible to transport the machine to where it is being used in individual parts and to assemble it on site without the need for tools.
