Magnetic Sweepers

Magnetic Sweepers for Workshop and Site Floors

Magnetic sweepers collect ferrous metal debris — swarf, wire offcuts, dropped fasteners, staples, nails, and metal fragments — from floors, driveways, and work areas. Metal floor debris is a significant safety hazard in workshops and on construction and site environments, causing tyre punctures in vehicles and forklifts, foot puncture injuries through footwear, and machine tool damage when metal fragments enter cutting areas. A magnetic sweeper collects this debris quickly and completely without the need to hand-pick or vacuum, saving time and reducing the injury risk from handling loose metal offcuts. AIMS Industrial stocks magnetic sweepers for workshop, warehouse, and site applications.

Push Magnetic Sweepers

Push magnetic sweepers are operated like a wide broom, with the magnetic bar suspended close to the floor surface to collect ferrous debris across the sweep path. The operator pushes the sweeper across the contaminated area and the debris clings to the magnetic bar. When the sweeper is full, collected debris is released by passing the bar over a collection bin — the on-off switching mechanism, present on quality sweepers, allows clean, complete debris release without the debris springing off unpredictably as it is manually pulled from a fixed-field magnet. Push sweepers are practical for workshop bays, aisles, and yard areas where regular cleanup sweeps are performed as part of routine housekeeping.

Tow-Behind Magnetic Sweepers

Tow-behind magnetic sweepers are hitched to a forklift, tractor, or utility vehicle and dragged across large floor areas to collect metal debris efficiently without manual labour. They are used in large workshop floors, warehouse distribution areas, construction sites, and outdoor yards where the floor area to be swept is too large to cover practically with a push sweeper. The sweeper width and magnet strength determine the coverage rate and the weight of debris that can be collected before the magnet requires releasing. For facilities with regular metal debris contamination across large areas — steel fabrication plants, automotive workshops, or construction staging areas — a tow-behind sweeper is a practical investment in both safety and tyre protection.

Magnet Strength and Coverage

Effective debris collection requires sufficient magnetic field strength to lift the debris off the floor surface while the sweeper is moving. Heavier debris — steel rods, bolt offcuts, large swarf — requires stronger fields than fine swarf and wire fragments. Sweeper width determines coverage rate; wider sweepers cover more area per pass but require more force to pull or push. The gap between the magnetic bar and the floor must be maintained correctly for the magnet type — too high and light debris is missed, too low and the magnet drags on uneven surfaces. For sweeper specifications, debris type advice, or to discuss the right sweeper for your facility, contact our team at AIMS Industrial.