RCM story | R500, the sweeper that did not exist

1971 – Born R500. The engine sweeper that did not exist

It seemed impossible to find a solution in which the Americans and the Germans had not already thought, but, thanks to the teaching of our father Romeo, who had never limited himself to “following the flow”, we found a solution: to completely reverse the charging system.
The container, in front of the collection brush, passed BEHIND with two big advantages: to load more material (the brush throws from above the heavy dirt) and to drop directly the dust of the filters eliminating the second container.
The “back-loading” system has since been adopted throughout RCM production.
The cleaning width was raised to 50 cm, becoming since then a standard measure in world production in this market segment.

La larghezza di pulizia veniva portata a 50 cm., da allora divenuta una misura standard nella produzione mondiale in questo segmento di mercato.

The new RCM R500 motor sweeper is:

– More manageable to reach the narrowest corners where previously only the broom was reached.

– Less expensive than ever, but above all it became convenient because it solved the problem of cleaning the floor.

R500 was made early and for many years, the reference motor sweeper for all world production.

It was one of the pillars of RCM’s success (since 1973, S.P.A.) because its employment was extended to thousands of industrial, craft, commercial and civil activities.

In the following decades RCM developed with continuity the technical and stylistic evolution of R500 to reach, with R581, BRAVA and Alfa, today.

1981 – First evolution. R581 is born.

After a decade of production of the R 500 model, RCM feels the need for a renovation.

With the introduction of the innovative panel filter, the mechanization of the controls and the inclined floor (wedge line) to increase the capacity of the container, R581 of another return to the conception of the machine with ground operator revolutionizing again a market segment now pushed to the terminal phase by a wild competition and without technical content.

1991 – Second evolution. Brava is born..

The number of machines produced is such that it imposes new construction systems and new materials.

Brava is born, with the idea of applying to the motor sweeper some elementary concepts of industrial production in the optics of limiting costs coupled with the maintenance of a high qualitative standard. The structure “shell” where a single component of ABS that is at the same time garbage container and closure of the filter chamber, the realization for the molding of the plate-bearing housing, the constructive simplification do once again, de Brava, the new international standard of reference.

2004 – Second model. Brava 800 is born

The cleaning width is increased and an aesthetic change of the engine hood is made.

2005 – Third evolution. Alpha is born..

“If you thought there was nothing more to discover in a small sweeper of men, you’ll have to think again”.

Thirty-five years after the R500 parent, RCM questions and presents a new and innovative interpretation on the topic “Small Man Sweeper on Land”.

It has the bearing housing entirely in rotoformat polyethylene and “Smart Traction”, a charging system with two counter-rotating brushes that load dirt and, at the same time, advance the machine (RCM patent).

Alpha’s success continues to maintain RCM at the top of the segment of small hand-guided sweepers.