Help Guide: Exploring the Different Motor Options for Industrial Vacuum Cleaners

The motor is one of the most important components of an industrial vacuum cleaner, determining key factors like suction performance, operating life, maintenance requirements and the type of application the vacuum is best suited to.

This guide explains the different motor options available across the Klipspringer range, helping you to make the right choice for your site.

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Turbine Motor

Turbine Motors (also known as side-channel or regenerative blowers) deliver reliable suction during extended or continuous operation. A rotating impeller sits inside a specially shaped channel, and as it spins, each parcel of air is picked up and re-accelerated by the blades multiple times as it travels around the channel, rather than passing the blades just once, as in a standard motor. This repeated acceleration is what lets a simple, single-moving-part design build strong, steady suction.

Higher-performance vacuum models are fitted with multiple turbines rather than one, to boost vacuum level, depending on what the model is built for.

The turbine configuration is matched to the vacuum at the design stage, so each model is supplied ready-built for its intended application. Some models also pair the turbine with an inverter, giving adjustable motor speed for variable performance.

Benefits

Limitations

Continuous operation: Designed to run reliably during extended or 24/7 use

Fine dust collection: Best suited to general and coarse dust. Centrifugal fan systems are typically preferred for very fine dust applications

Simple design: Mechanically straightforward, with reliable performance

Multi-turbine setup: Achieving higher suction performance involves combining multiple turbines, which adds to overall complexity

Wide applicability: Suitable for a wide range of general food factory applications

Scalable performance: Available in multi-turbine configurations to increase suction

Adjustable speed: Can be combined with inverter control for variable motor speed

Centrifugal Fan

A Centrifugal Fan is designed to move large volumes of air rather than generate maximum pressure. Instead of focusing on lifting heavier materials, it provides the airflow required to capture airborne/suspended dust efficiently.

This is why Centrifugal Fan Systems are used with Dust Extraction Units, suited to applications where maintaining high airflow is more important than producing high vacuum pressure. They are often combined with large filtration systems and automatic filter cleaning to support continuous operation.

Benefits

Limitations

Fine dust extraction: Excellent for extracting fine airborne dust

Vacuum pressure: Generates lower vacuum pressure compared to turbine motors

High airflow: Well suited to large or open working areas

Heavier debris and liquids: Better suited to airborne dust than heavier debris or liquids

High-capacity filtration: Well suited to systems handling large filtration volumes

Larger installations: Continuous, high-volume applications generally call for larger system installations

Automatic filter cleaning: Compatible with automatic filter cleaning systems

Brushless Motor

A Brushless Motor eliminates the carbon brushes found in conventional electric motors, reducing wear while improving reliability and service life. The by-pass cooling design keeps the motor cooling air separate from the suction airflow, helping to protect the motor from dust contamination.

Brushless Motors provide strong suction performance in a compact design and are commonly used in portable industrial vacuum cleaners, including ATEX-certified models where reliability is particularly important.

Benefits

Limitations

Longer service life: Lasts longer than conventional brushed motors

Electronic controls: More complex electronic controls can contribute to a higher purchase cost

Reduced maintenance: Requires less upkeep due to the absence of brush wear

Duty range: Typically used on compact vacuums rather than the largest continuous systems

Strong suction performance: Delivers strong suction in a compact design

Lightweight and portable: Suitable for lightweight and portable industrial vacuum cleaners

Safety-rated applications: Commonly used in ATEX and ACD environments

Brush Motors

Single Brush Motor

A Single Brush Motor is the simplest motor configuration used in industrial vacuum cleaners. It consists of one brush-type electric motor with a cooling system that keeps the motor cooling air separate from the suction airflow.

This design provides a compact and economical solution for lighter-duty cleaning tasks where continuous operation is not required.

Benefits

Limitations

Cost-effective solution: Well suited to general cleaning applications

Airflow and vacuum performance: Lower than other motor options

Compact and lightweight: Offers a compact, lightweight design

Duty cycle: Not intended for heavy-duty or continuous industrial operation

Lower power consumption: Uses less power than larger motor configurations

Material volume: Less suited to applications involving large volumes of material

Intermittent use: Suitable for lighter-duty cleaning and intermittent operation

Dual Brush Motor

A Dual Brush Motor uses two brush-type motors operating together to provide greater airflow and suction performance than a single-motor design. Similar systems are also available with three motors where additional performance is required.

This configuration provides a balance between performance and cost, making it suitable for a wide range of industrial cleaning applications involving dry dust, liquids and slurry.

Benefits

Limitations

Higher suction performance: Delivers greater suction than a Single By-Pass Brush Motor

Duty cycle: Lower continuous-duty capability than Turbine Motors or Centrifugal Fan systems

Cost-performance balance: Offers a good balance between cost and performance

Maintenance requirements: Additional motors increase maintenance requirements compared with a single-motor design

Versatile collection: Suitable for collecting dust, liquids and slurry

Service life: Brush wear results in a shorter service life than Brushless By-Pass Motors

Multi-motor configurations: Available in configurations with additional motors to increase performance

Triple Brush Motor

A Triple Brush Motor combines three brush-type motors to push total airflow and vacuum performance beyond what a dual-motor setup can achieve, while still using single-phase by-pass motors rather than moving to a turbine or centrifugal fan system.

Benefits

Limitations

Highest airflow/suction tier: Leads the by-pass motor configurations for airflow and suction

Component count: More motors mean more components that could wear or need maintenance compared to single or dual configurations

Fine dust collection: Particularly associated with the collection of very fine dust, often paired with HEPA filtration and multi-filter setups

Service life: By-pass brush motors, even in a triple configuration, still generally have a shorter service life than brushless equivalents

Automatic filter compatibility: Compatible with automatic, self-cleaning filter systems for continuous operation without suction interruption or operator intervention

Power draw: Higher power draw than single or dual setups, which may be a consideration for single-phase electrical supply limits

Compact and manoeuvrable: Still benefits from the compactness and manoeuvrability typical of single-phase by-pass machines, despite the added power

Venturi (Compressed Air Powered)

Venturi motorisation eliminates the motor altogether. It doesn’t have an impeller, bearings, or electrics. Instead, compressed air passes through a shaped nozzle inside a venturi tube, accelerating as the nozzle narrows. This high-velocity jet entrains the surrounding air, creating the depression that draws debris into the container.

Because Venturi motorisation doesn’t have any moving or heat-generating parts, the unit can run continuously with no duty cycle limit, typically delivering a service life of around 20,000 hours.

Also, the system doesn’t require an electrical ignition source, so it’s a natural fit for ATEX zoned areas, with certified models available for Zone 21 and Zone 22.

Selecting the most appropriate motor depends on how the vacuum cleaner will be used. Factors such as operating time, the type of material being collected, the required airflow and suction performance, and the level of maintenance should all be considered.

For any questions about the Klipspringer range of Industrial Vacuum Cleaners and Accessory Kits, contact us on 01473 461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch.

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