Foreign object debris (FOD) is one of the biggest threat to manufacturing and aviation environments. They not only pose a threat for airplanes in the runaway but also pose a risk for causing costly damage to equipment, machinery, and vehicles. However, most of the damages resulting from foreign object debris are preventable with the right equipment for the job. Many airlines use runway sweepers with the specific capabilities to take care of the debris, with the three most used sweepers being tow-behinds, vacuum trucks, and walk-behinds. Each sweeper has its advantages and disadvantages, and proper user guidelines are essential if you’re to get the best out of each. To ensure minimal damage to your aviation environment, it’s imperative that you understand the relative merits of each type of runway sweeper.
Tow –behind FOD sweepers
These types are a favorite of many due to their cost effective nature in maintenance and lower operation costs. Unlike other runway sweeper with mobile capabilities, tow-behind sweepers depend on an external vehicle, therefore making them easy to maintain and effective. The sweepers, being military grade models have faster speeds, sturdier design, and boosted magnetic capacities to allow them to pick metal debris. The main features to look for in a tow-behind sweeper include:
- Large magnets to remove metal debris
- Storage trays for the collection of debris.
- Varied sweeping widths of the brushes.
For people looking for an ideal solution for managing and containing FOD with unmatched agility at a cost effective rate, then tow-behind sweepers are the best.
Vacuum trucks
The trucks contain powerful mounted vacuums that use air to remove FOD even in crevices on the surface. While the vacuum trucks are efficient in removing materials in various sizes, their main primary concern is sweeping large areas and not maneuverability. While they are the best for commercial runway sweeping due to their efficiency and greater surface area as far as collecting FOD is concerned, vacuum trucks are also costly and expensive to maintain. What perhaps makes the vacuum trucks the best for many commercial companies is they are comfortable to operate and provide a fully controlled climate environment for the operator, meaning they can run in any weather.
Walk-behind FOD sweepers
They are the lowest regarding cost and maintenance. They fall into two categories that are powered and non-powered. The sweeper works quietly, require little maintenance, and provide a more effective alternative to manual sweeping. The only problem with the sweepers is they work much more slowly compared to the others and hence cannot produce effective results in a big runaway as expected.
In a nutshell, regardless of what combination of runway sweepers you decide to use, the effectiveness of removal of FODs depend mainly on how carefully you use them. The best approach is to train your personnel on how to use the sweepers thoroughly, conduct regular inspections of equipment, comprehensive maintenance, and ensure coordination among all staff members.
Daryl Green 
Barbara Ratliff