Nilfisk Liberty SC50, and the results speak for themselves. | Nilfisk

Nilfisk robotic scrubber is the newest cleaning-staff member at Norway’s TORP Sandefjord Airport

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TORP Sandefjord Airport, located south of Oslo, Norway, is a bustling regional airport that welcomes around 150,000 passengers every month during high-traffic periods. To keep the airport’s 27,000 m2 of floor space in top condition, a 21-member cleaning team works in three overlapping shifts, from 5 a.m. until midnight, every day. 

To increase cleaning efficiency while optimising labour costs, Insider Facility Services, the contract cleaner serving TORP Sandefjord Airport, decided to invest in robotic floor scrubbers at the start of 2019. Initially, they purchased two machines from a Nilfisk competitor, but after experiencing numerous issues and unexpected extra charges, Insider Facility Services switched to a single Nilfisk Liberty SC50, and the results speak for themselves. 

Today, the Liberty SC50 cleans 70-75% of TORP Sandefjord Airport’s public floor space, including the check-in and arrival areas. According to Henrika Puksmiene, the airport’s Operational Contract Manager, the machine saves the cleaning team around 3 hours every day. In Norway, where the net hourly cost of cleaning labour can be as high as €25 per hour, these time savings equate to roughly €27,000 a year

THE CHALLENGE

Sticking to the cleaning schedule without increasing staff

As with any airport, cleaning at TORP Sandefjord Airport is a non-stop activity, with the toilets posing the greatest challenge. According to the terms of the cleaning contract, each of the airport’s seven toilets must be cleaned every 3 hours, or eight times per day. Assuming it takes 15 minutes to clean each toilet, the total time spent on this task adds up to 14 hours per day. 

With such a tight schedule, any disruption can have a snowball effect, resulting in cleaners failing to reach their performance targets – and disruptions happen frequently, as spills and other accidents create ad-hoc cleaning emergencies that take priority over regularly scheduled tasks. 

Failing to meet the terms of the cleaning contract was not an option, but neither was adding staff. To help the cleaning team meet their targets and keep labour costs under control, Insider Facility Services needed to invest in a robotic scrubber dryer.

The solution: The Nilfisk Liberty SC50

Advantages of the Nilfisk Liberty SC50

The adoption of the Nilfisk Liberty SC50 was a success, helping Insider Facility Services achieve both of its goals: higher productivity and lower labour costs.

Currently, the machine cleans 3,000-4,000 m2 every day, and frees up cleaners’ time for tasks requiring a human touch, such as maintaining toilets, cleaning retail areas, and dealing with spills. The operator team includes Puksmiene and 10 other members of the cleaning team. They have not experienced any of the problems exhibited by the previous competitor machines. 

Here’s how Nilfisk assisted Insider Facility Services with improving its cleaning performance and efficiency at TORP Sandefjord Airport through autonomous cleaning.

  1. With the Liberty SC50, new cleaning paths can be programmed easily by operators. Puksmiene notes that this provides much-needed independence and saves them money. “Even though the Nilfisk product was more expensive up front, we don’t have to pay someone else to do the mapping for us afterward.”
  2. The Liberty SC50 saves the cleaning team around 3 hours every day. The original goal of purchasing an autonomous machine was to reduce labour costs. With the Liberty SC50, they have succeeded in achieving that goal. “The machine saves two cleaners about 1.5 hours each every day. That adds up to 3 hours of daily savings.”
  3. The Liberty SC50 works independently and delivers reliable performance. According to Puksmiene, minimal intervention from operators means that, “We can confidently forget about the machine and carry on with other tasks.”
  4. Nilfisk provides world-class service and support. Finally, Nilfisk has lived up to its commitment to supporting the people who keep the world clean and safe. “We’ve loved the service we’ve received from Nilfisk so far.”

As the demand for cleaning grows, and hygienic standards increase, facilities from airports and shopping centres to supermarkets and schools are using robotic floor scrubbers to lower their cleaning costs while improving their cleaning performance. Visit Nilfisk online to learn more about how the Liberty SC50 is ushering in the next era of intelligent cleaning.

experience autonomous cleaning

Book your Liberty SC50 demo today

How does the process work?

Once you request your Liberty SC50 demo, an Intelligent Cleaning expert will get in touch with you to schedule a meeting.

  • STEP 1: Understanding your need. On the call, we will ask questions to help us understand your current cleaning operation, process, and ideal fit for autonomous cleaning.

  • STEP 2: Scheduling the visit. We will pick an on-site location, and reserve a 2-hour time slot that works best for your team.

  • STEP 3: Seeing the Liberty SC50 in action! Our team will bring the Liberty SC50 to your site for a live demonstration.

Learn more about the Nilfisk Liberty SC50

After years of development, testing, refinement, live beta-testing, and more refinement, it’s ready for the biggest, toughest jobs you can throw at it. In airports, schools, sports and entertainment facilities, and beyond, the Liberty SC50 will get the dirtiest floors clean, any time of day, with no one watching over it.

So if you’re ready for autonomous cleaning, the Liberty SC50 is ready for you.