INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY, BUNDED PIT & FACTORY FLOOR CLEANING

GE Aviation (Aldershot Site) - Aldershot, Hampshire, SO53

Client's Challenge

GE Aviation required specialist industrial cleaning support at their Aldershot facility as part of a machinery upgrade and replacement programme within a live aviation engineering environment.

As retired machinery was removed and new state-of-the-art equipment prepared for installation, the surrounding production areas required deep cleaning to exacting standards. This included industrial machinery degreasing, bunded pit (catchpit) cleaning, and heavy-duty commercial floor cleaning across factory areas.

The programme was highly time-critical, with new machinery scheduled for installation within days. Any delay to the cleaning works would have resulted in operational downtime. Given the aerospace setting, all cleaning methods, chemicals, and processes required careful assessment and approval to meet strict Health & Safety and compliance requirements.

Assessment & Planning  

APT ICC carried out a full site survey and developed detailed proposals focused on:

• Rapid but controlled machinery degreasing without compromising standards
• Removal of heavy oil and grease contamination from factory floors
• Safe and effective bunded pit (catchpit) cleaning where residue build-up posed hygiene and safety risks
• Tight scheduling to eliminate downtime before machinery installation

Due to the regulatory demands of the aviation sector, discussions were held with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), and all relevant MSDS documentation was reviewedand approved prior to use.

    Methodology

    1. Mobilisation and early-hours start
    Specialist industrial cleaning operatives mobilised during early hours to minimise disruption and maximise output.

    2. Industrial machinery cleaning and degreasing
    Old machinery, plant, and equipment were degreased using a controlled spray-and-wipe method to rapidly remove surface oils and grease while maintaining residue control.

    3. Bunded pit (catchpit) cleaning
    • Industrial sump system used to empty pit contents
    • Citrus-based degreaser applied to break down grease and residue
    • Manual agitation using scrubbing brushes
    • Super-heated steam cleaning used to wash down and complete the clean

    4. Commercial floor cleaning and restoration
    Heavy grease contamination was treated using UltraMax 2020, worked in with super-heated steam cleaning, followed by mechanised scrubber-dryer finishing to restore the factory floor.

    Commercial Floor Cleaning at GE Aviation

    Site Access & Logistics

    Commercial Floor Cleaning at GE Aviation

    Equipment
    • Industrial sump system (for pit emptying)
    • Super-heated steam cleaning equipment
    • Heavy-duty floor scrubber dryers
    • Full PPE and specialist industrial cleaning tools

    Chemicals
    • UltraMax 2020 – industrial degreaser used for machinery cleaning and heavy-duty floor
    degreasing
    • UltraClean MB
    • Aximax

    All chemicals supplied via APT Commercial Chemicals.

    The Results
    • Industrial machinery cleaned and degreased to specification
    • Bunded pits cleaned and decontaminated safely
    • Heavy oil and grease removed from factory floors
    • Works completed within strict installation deadlines
    • New machinery installed without operational downtime

    APT ICC delivered the programme safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with aerospace sector requirements, enabling GE Aviation to proceed with planned equipment upgrades without disruption.