Steam Gum Removal Machine Product

Overview

Chewing gum trodden into pavement is one of the most stubborn cleaning problems in public space: it is hydrophobic, sticky, and bonded into the surface texture, so brooms ignore it and even pressure washers need long dwell times that can damage the substrate. A steam gum removal machine attacks it chemically and thermally at once. The operator places a steam-fed Brass Brush Head on the spot, squeezes the trigger, and for a few seconds superheated steam plus a metered dose of gum-digesting detergent soften the wad while brass bristles agitate it. The gum loses cohesion, breaks into residue, and is brushed away — typically in three to ten seconds per spot, with no scraping, no high-pressure jet, and little water on the ground.

The machine itself is a backpack or small cart containing a Steam Boiler, a Water Feed System, a Chemical Dosing System, and the Control Electronics, connected to the hand Applicator Lance through a sheathed Hose Umbilical.

How it works

Steam is raised in the Boiler Pressure Vessel, a small welded stainless pressure vessel heated by a 1.5–3 kW immersion Heating Element. The controller holds working pressure at 6–10 bar — corresponding to saturation temperatures of roughly 160–180 °C — by switching the element on the Pressure Sensor reading. A mechanical Safety Relief Valve provides over-pressure protection independent of the electronics, and a Thermal Fuse backs up the element control.

The key to continuous work is the continuous-fill water system. The Refill Water Tank is unpressurized, so the operator can top it up at any time without waiting for the boiler to cool. A solenoid Boiler Feed Pump injects small shots of water through a Feed Check Valve into the live boiler whenever the Water Level Probe reports low water. This architecture, borrowed from espresso machines and industrial steam cleaners, keeps a small 1–2 L vessel producing steam indefinitely; the probe also inhibits the element if the vessel ever runs dry.

When the operator squeezes the Trigger Valve, the controller opens the Steam Outlet Solenoid and simultaneously runs the Dosing Pump. The pump meters a few millilitres per minute of surfactant/enzyme solution from the Chemical Tank into the Injection Tee, where the steam flow atomizes it. The blend exits the Steam Jet Nozzle at the center of the brush head. Heat melts the gum's polymer base while the chemical breaks its adhesion and emulsifies it; the bristles work the mixture until only a damp smear remains, which dries traceless.

Lance and ergonomics

The Lance Tube is about a metre long so the operator works standing, not kneeling — significant when a contract involves hundreds of spots per hour. The Insulated Grip Shroud insulates the hand from the steam line, and the threaded brass brush is a consumable, replaced after several hours of abrasion against concrete. The Steam Hose is PTFE-lined and rated above 180 °C and 12 bar; it runs inside a woven Umbilical Sheath together with the Chemical Line and trigger wiring, with a Swivel Coupler at each end so the umbilical does not kink as the operator pivots between spots.

Formats and use

Backpack units carry about 10–15 kg dry on a padded Carrying Harness and suit pedestrianized streets and transit platforms; cart versions roll larger tanks on a Wheel Assembly pair for stadium and campus work. Mains-powered machines plug into 230 V; fully cordless variants pair a battery for pumps and controls with an LPG burner for boiler heat. A practiced operator clears 300–900 gum spots per hour depending on density and substrate. Because the process uses only a cupful of water per hour and no high-pressure jet, it is approved for surfaces that pressure washing would scar — tactile paving, polished terrazzo, asphalt in hot weather — and can run during business hours since it is quiet and leaves the pavement walkable immediately.