How To Install Convoluted Wafers

Out of the many different possibilities, wafers are just one of the styles of a broom core. They can be used to make broom cores for sweeper attachments, road construction sweepers, and mechanical sweepers. Wafers are easier to handle than tube brooms and are available in poly, wire, or a poly/wire combo. The shape of a wafer can also be flat or convoluted.

Many broom cores are built with flat wafers which are simple install. A spacer is placed in between each wafer as the broom is built creating an evenly spaced broom core. The spacers are reusable but add an additional step and item to inventory.

Convoluted wafers are different because, as you guessed it in the name, they have a wavy, convoluted design. The inside ring of the wafer gets pressed to make the convoluted shape. There are no spacers needed with a convoluted wafer. There is, however, a specific way they need to be installed. Once you get the placement right, convoluted wafers are much easier to install as there is no need for a spacer.

TWO TYPE OF WAFER RACKS

There are two types of wafer racks: a 3-bar wafer rack and a 4-bar wafer rack. A convoluted wafer has two pins on the inside of the ring. The two pins straddle the bars on the wafer rack and keep the wafer in place. Because the convoluted wafer has high and low points around the center ring, they must be installed on the wafer rack properly to get the desired spacing.

3-BAR WAFER RACK INSTALLATION

The 3-bar wafer rack is designed to build broom cores with smaller ID’s. Typically, you’ll see the 6 3/8” or 8” ID wafers families use the 3-bar wafer rack. • STEP 1 – Place the first wafer section on the rack with the pins on the high convolute over the first bar. The pins will be in the 12:00 position. • STEP 2 – The second wafer section gets flipped upside down, so the pins are on the lower convolute. Rotate the wafer 120 degrees from the first wafer pin to the next bar of the wafer rack. The pins will be in the 4:00 position. • STEP 3 – The third wafer section gets flipped back to where the pins are on the high convolute. Rotate the wafer 120 degrees from the second section to the third bar of the wafer rack. The pins will be in the 8:00 position. • Repeat this process until the core is full of wafers.

4-BAR WAFER CORE INSTALLATION

The 4-bar wafer rack is designed to build broom cores with the larger 10” ID’s. These are you’re your 10” x 27”, 10” x 32”, 10: x 36” wafer families. • STEP 1 - Place the first wafer section on a rack with the pins on the high convolute over the first bar. The pins will be in the 12:00 position. • STEP 2 - The second wafer section gets flipped upside down, so the pins are on the lower convolute. Rotate

the wafer 180 degrees from the first section pin to the opposite bar. The pins will be in the 6:00 position. • STEP 3 – The next wafer section will have the pins on the high convolute and will get rotated 180 degrees and align with the first wafer. The pins will be back in the 12:00 position. • Repeat this process until the core is full of wafers.

SOME TIPS

After replacing your broom core, the brush level should be checked before sweeping again. Checking the brush level will extend the brush life of the unused bristle by 50%. When it comes to down pressure, more is not better. The best sweeping is done with the tips of the bristle. When too much pressure is applied, the bristle bends and you lose the flicking action that occurs when sweeping with the tips of the brush. So, test your down pressure before starting a new job. Speed is another important factor. Make sure to maintain the low ground speed while sweeping at a higher brush speed obtaining a sweeping effect versus a bull-dozing effect, which in turn damages the life of your brush. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact one of our customer service reps at 800.635.5238. Happy sweeping!

Mike Santos, Sales and Marketing Manager at Keystone Plastics, Inc. m.santos@kpbrush.com Product Page - https://www.kpbrush.com/products/allpro-polyand-wire-wafers/

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