| Location | Sydney, Australia |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shared storage and warehousing |
| Facility size | Approximately 35,000 m² |
| Solution | Gausium Beetle autonomous sweeper |
| Cleaning approach | Daytime maintenance sweeping and thorough after-hours cleaning |
The background: cleaning around daily operations
At a busy shared storage facility, keeping floors clean is an ongoing operational task. Customers come and go, goods move through shared aisles, and forklifts operate throughout the working day.
This project involved a facility operated by an Australian storage chain, spanning approximately 35,000 m². With high pedestrian activity and at least three forklifts operating on site simultaneously, the team needed a cleaning approach that could fit around daily operations while reducing reliance on a dedicated sweeper driver.
Gausium Beetle was introduced to take over routine sweeping previously performed using a manually driven sweeper. The facility area describes the overall site; cleaning routes focus on designated accessible floor areas.
The challenge: maintaining cleanliness between cleaning runs
The previous process required an operator to drive the sweeper. Cleaning frequency depended on staff availability and competing operational priorities.
Daily traffic and goods handling continued to bring dust and debris into shared areas. A completed cleaning run could leave floors tidy, but maintaining that standard throughout the day required further attention and additional operator time.
The team needed a more consistent routine that could support both a busy daytime environment and quieter periods after closing.
The solution: daytime maintenance and after-hours cleaning
Beetle supports two complementary operating periods, aligning cleaning with the facility’s daily rhythm.
Maintenance sweeping
Routine sweeping along designated routes helps remove dust and loose debris before they accumulate, making cleaning a recurring part of daily operations.
Thorough planned cleaning
Once the facility closes and forklift activity has finished, the quieter window allows broader coverage of planned areas and additional passes where needed.
Daytime maintenance helps sustain presentation across shared areas. After hours, fewer interruptions give Beetle a better opportunity to prepare the planned cleaning areas for the next working day.
Visibility in an active warehouse environment
With pedestrians and forklifts sharing the facility, making the robot easy to notice is an important part of the deployment.
Beetle’s visible lighting, combined with audible alerts or music, helps draw attention to its presence. The installation photographs show prominent blue lighting, providing a visual cue for nearby staff and forklift operators.
These features support awareness and coordination alongside the facility’s traffic management procedures, designated cleaning routes and operating schedules.
The operational value
By taking over routine sweeping, Beetle reduces the need for staff to spend time driving a cleaning machine. Staff remain involved in essential equipment checks, emptying collected debris and routine maintenance, while gaining flexibility to focus on other site responsibilities.
- More consistent cleanliness: regular daytime sweeping helps limit debris build-up between thorough cleaning runs.
- Reduced manual driving requirements: routine cleaning depends less on a dedicated sweeper operator being available.
- Greater equipment utilisation: Beetle supports daytime maintenance and after-hours cleaning tasks.
The investment case is supported by reduced operator time, increased cleaning frequency and productive use of the after-hours window. A quantified ROI and payback period can be established using actual labour savings, equipment costs, maintenance expenses and operating records.
A repeatable approach for storage facilities
This deployment demonstrates how autonomous sweeping can become part of everyday operations at a large, busy storage facility. Combining daytime maintenance with thorough after-hours cleaning helps maintain cleaner shared spaces while reducing the manual effort required for routine sweeping.
For a storage chain, this approach also provides a practical foundation for wider adoption, with cleaning routes and schedules adapted to each facility’s layout, traffic patterns and opening hours.
Explore autonomous sweeping for your facility
Our Australian team can assess your floor area, shared routes, traffic patterns and cleaning requirements. Explore our warehouse cleaning solutions or arrange an onsite Beetle demonstration.