The Different Types of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

The industrial vacuum cleaner is no longer just a heavy, clumsy piece of kit that simply sucks dust. Due to the amount of technological developments that have occurred within the industry over the last few decades, industrial vacuum cleaners have evolved into a sophisticated pieces of cleaning equipment meant for a variety of different applications.


Of course, the main principle of each vacuum cleaner is the same across any range; but each different type is suited to a particular purpose or a range of specific applications dependent on a number of factors; such as access and noise level etc. So we’ve gone through the trouble of detailing each different type of industrial vacuum cleaner and the applications they are suited to.

Upright Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

An upright vacuum cleaner will usually have more container/cleaning bag capacity than a canister model; meaning emptying is less frequent. An upright vacuum also tends to be easier to move around, especially on large carpeted areas, as the machine is not lugging behind you.

Nevertheless, weight can be an issue here as you will have to move the entire device back and forth in operation. This particular shape and size can also cause difficulties when vacuuming stairs or underneath pieces of furniture. The key components of an upright vacuum are as follows:

  • Intake and exhaust ports
  • A motor that drives the fan
  • Vacuum bag or container to collect the dust
  • Series of rotating bristles

The majority of manufacturers provide flexible hoses and attachments that can be used with an upright vacuum too.

Canister Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

Canister vacuum cleaners are best suited to hard floor surfaces as they are usually less effective on carpets. They are also usually quieter than their upright counterparts, with a low profile that makes cleaning stairs and underneath furniture a doddle. Typically, a canister vacuum will feature a long wand that is attached to the device via a flexible hose. The key components of a canister vacuum are as follows:

  • A motor that drives the fan
  • A receptacle to collect the dust and debris
  • A collection of different attachments and nozzles

The canister itself will be mounted on wheels, allowing you to pull and push the device around as you clean. The actual action of vacuuming is a lot easier than an upright vacuum as you only have to manoeuvre the flexible hose. But moving the entire device from place to place can be a struggle when compared to an upright version.

The variety of attachments makes this vacuum extremely versatile and capable of cleaning numerous surfaces; including wood floors, tiles and carpets.

Wet and Dry Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

Industrial vacuum cleaners are not only for dry cleaning tasks, they can also handle a lot of liquid spillages and wet cleaning jobs too. A wet and dry vacuum can be used to collect both types of by product.

You can adapt from one duty to another by changing the filter type and perhaps the collection container in some circumstances. This can keep the different types of debris and residue separate from each other, allowing for easy maintenance and cleaning.

Stick/Broom Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

These extremely thin, light and versatile vacuums do not feature rollers or any beater bars. They are typically cordless and often contain no bags either. This makes this type of vacuum perfect for those small, quick jobs instead of the large scale cleaning tasks.

The design also means you do not have to bend over much, making it a comfortable solution. Nevertheless, this type of vacuum is not the best performer on carpet and they are certainly not as powerful as an upright or canister vacuum. On this particular model, the motor is usually incorporated into the handle or along the wand.

Robotic or Automatic Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

An automatic vacuum cleaner is lightweight in design and requires little to no assistance at all. This type of vacuum will clean an area based on the instructions provided to it by the operator, meaning the operator can leave the machine to do its job. After the cleaning task is complete, the machine will automatically switch off. The electronic sensors ensure that the device will avoid bumping into walls or falling off the edge of stairs etc.

This type of industrial cleaning equipment does not require any cleaning bags and must be charged rather than operating from the mains. It also makes a lot less noise than your traditional types of vacuum cleaner. Although these are extremely quirky, they are not too common in the industrial world as usually something a lot more substantial is required.

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