Jetting methods
There are two main methods for using water jets to remove paint and rubber deposits. Linear systems use one or more fixed cleaning heads, with each head containing a rotating jet bar, and can clean in fixed widths from 750mm to 1800mm. Lateral cleaners use a small single cleaning head that moves across the entire width of the cleaning vehicle.
Lateral
Linear
Centre line cleaning (single narrow pass)
(See below)
Slower, as smaller head needs to traverse across width of cleaning area as vehicle moves forward.
Quicker, as wider cleaning head can cover entire width of cleaning area up to 1800mm.
Touchdown area cleaning (wider area)
(See below)
Quicker, as wider cleaning head means less passes are required.
Slower, as requires more passes and loses time turning vehicle at the end of the pass.
Risk of overlap or missed areas
Low, as slower forward speed makes operator control easier.
High, as faster forward speed makes it more difficult for the operator.
Nozzle impact on surface
Impact spread across the entire jet head assembly, plus fine rotary speed control and fast traversing rate removes any possibility of surface damage.
Uses a larger head diameter, which for efficiency features nozzles at the outside edge of the jet bar, resulting in greater nozzle speed over the surface and hence a lower rubber removal efficiency.
Width adjustment
Quick – directly controlled by operator from cab.
Slow – entire cleaning head assembly needs to be replaced.
Lateral
Linear
Centre line cleaning (single narrow pass)
(See below)
Slower, as smaller head needs to traverse across width of cleaning area as vehicle moves forward.
Quicker, as wider cleaning head can cover entire width of cleaning area up to 1800mm.
Touchdown area cleaning (wider area)
(See below)
Quicker, as wider cleaning head means less passes are required.
Slower, as narrower head means more passes are required.
Risk of overlap or missed areas
Low, as slower forward speed makes operator control easier.
High, as faster forward speed makes it more difficult for the operator.
Cleaning pressure on surface
High, as smaller cleaning head concentrates cleaning power onto smaller area.
Low, as larger cleaning head diffuses pump pressure onto wider surface area.
Width adjustment
Quick – directly controlled by operator from cab.
Slow – entire cleaning head assembly needs to be replaced.
Centre line cleaning
When undertaking a continuous run, such as a runway’s centre line, the greater forward speed of a linear unit will mean the operation is completed in a shorter time than a lateral unit.
Touch down area cleaning
When removing rubber over a wider area the increased operating width of the lateral system means less passes and reduces the number of turns required. This reduces the overall distance travelled and the time required to complete the task. In addition, the slower speed of the lateral unit removes the risk of the operator going over areas already cleaned, and because of the smaller head size, delivers a significantly higher water pressure to the surface than a larger linear unit.
Cleaning rate calculator
Use this calculator to provide an estimate for the distance travelled, time taken and cleaning quality for any unit.
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Multi-Surface Cleaner
Jetting Systems offers the option of a Multi-Surface Cleaning unit. This combines a lateral assembly in front of the cab with a linear unit under the chassis, allowing the operator to switch methods depending on the task.
