Cleaning a high-rise building or solar farm has traditionally meant scaffolding, rope access or elevated work platforms, each bringing significant cost, disruption and safety risks. However, drone technology offers an alternative for routine cleaning of difficult-to-reach structures.

Drone Wash SA has become one of the first companies to introduce commercial drone-operated industrial cleaning services to the South African market, using a ground-based pumping system designed and built in partnership with Werner Pumps.

According to Glenn Jones, Director of Drone Wash SA, the technology has applications across a wide range of assets, including commercial buildings, stadiums, churches, warehouses, cranes, signage, wind turbines and solar farms. Instead of sending workers to dangerous heights, the system keeps operators safely on the ground while the drone delivers precisely controlled water and cleaning solutions exactly where they are needed.

For property owners and facility managers, the potential benefits extend beyond improved safety. Drone-operated cleaning can reduce disruption to building occupants and the public below, while significantly reducing the time required to complete many cleaning projects.

“Traditional access methods have served the industry well because there simply wasn’t another option,” says Jones, Director of Drone Wash SA. “Drone technology gives us a safer, faster and less intrusive alternative for many high-access cleaning applications.”

Engineering beyond the drone

Although the aircraft is the most visible part of the operation, Jones explains that it functions primarily as a highly maneuverable delivery platform.

The real work begins on the ground, where water is supplied from a municipal connection to a purpose-built mobile ground service station. Specialised pumping equipment generates the pressure required to transport water vertically through a lightweight hose to the drone. Depending on the application, environmentally friendly detergents and heat can be introduced into the system before the surface is rinsed with high-pressure water.

The system must deliver a remarkably wide operating range. Lower pressures are used to apply detergents gently across delicate surfaces, while substantially higher pressures provide the force needed to remove stubborn contaminants from concrete, steel and other hardier construction materials. Maintaining consistent pressure throughout the cleaning process is essential to ensure predictable spray performance and uniform cleaning results.

According to Jones, this is where Werner Pumps‘ contribution proved critical. “The drone is only one tool in the toolbox,” he explains. “The heart of the entire system is the controlled delivery of water from the ground to the target surface. Without being able to manipulate the pressure and flow characteristics of the water, the system would simply not be effective.”

The Werner Pumps-designed mobile rig incorporates both low-pressure and high-pressure pumping systems, allowing operators to adjust water delivery according to the surface being cleaned. It also includes built-in protection systems that help safeguard the equipment during operation, allowing crews to focus on flying the drone safely while the ground station manages the water supply.

“We love working with our customers to develop jetting and pumping solutions that meet their specific needs,” says Sebastian Werner, MD at Werner Pumps. “Working with Drone Wash SA gave us the opportunity to test our industrial pressure cleaning expertise in a new setting for a different application, which is always exciting.”

Opening new opportunities

While high-rise buildings may be the most obvious application, the technology has the potential to support maintenance across several industries, from cleaning of solar panels and wind turbines to large industrial facilities, warehouses, ports, mines and public infrastructure.

Jones believes drone cleaning should not be viewed as a replacement for conventional high-access contractors, but rather as another tool available to asset owners.

“There will always be work that requires people at height,” he says. “Drones cannot repair buildings or carry out maintenance work. What they can do is provide a safer alternative for many cleaning applications while creating new opportunities for highly skilled drone operators.”

Supporting innovation through local engineering

Werner says this collaboration with Drone Wash SA demonstrates the role local engineering expertise can play in supporting emerging technologies.

“Rather than adapting an off-the-shelf solution, Drone Wash SA approached us to develop a mobile ground station tailored to the demanding performance requirements of aerial pressure washing,” he says. “The result is a locally engineered system that’s able to deliver the pressure, flow control and operational reliability needed to support commercial drone cleaning.”