CHICAGO — Efficient and effective. Those are key goals for every industrial and institutional laundry.
Operators continually seek the best, most efficient methods to process goods in their facilities. That includes the transportation of linens on-site.
Laundry carts, rails and conveyors are crucial to efficiently and effectively moving goods. While it may seem like these technologies are set and limited when it comes to advances, that isn’t the case.
Through communications with operators and investigating how new technologies can be used, on-site laundry transport tech providers are making upgrades and advances.
RAIL, CONVEYOR TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES
Laundry carts are often used in smaller operations or to fill gaps, but larger facilities use more automated methods to move linens, such as rails and conveyors. And, like cart technology, the equipment continues to advance and improve.
“Operators are asking for more automated ways to move finished goods from the clean side, especially off ironer lines and folders, into pack out,” shares Casey Lott, marketing director for Kannegiesser North America in Minneapolis. “The focus is on reducing manual touchpoints and keeping production moving without slowdowns.”
He says the equipment manufacturer addresses this with its Vectura pack-out solutions. Folded stacks move automatically from equipment to pack out, keeping product flow consistent. Each stack, whether towels, sheets or pillowcases, is handled with hygienic, consistent folds and clear identification, with data following it from start to finish for faster throughput.
“The primary goal (of in-plant transport improvements) is to reduce operator fatigue and optimize productivity,” says Jim Shaw, vice president and national accounts sales manager for LAVATEC. “Simply put, they want to have the textiles delivered to the operators for processing rather than taking the operator away from their station to retrieve the textiles.
“Material handling has developed over the years in many forms. The most utilized include soil rail systems, automated wash aisles, clean rail systems, automated sorting in the finishing areas, and conveyor systems. Each method contributes to the overall pounds per operator hour (PPOH).”
Manufacturers and laundry operators maintain open communication lines to keep rails and conveyors running, improving equipment and developing advancements.
“We stay close to our customers and pay attention to how their plants actually run day to day through conversations, site visits, and working alongside operators,” Lott shares. “That gives us a clear view of where things slow down or require extra handling and helps shape better transport solutions.”
Shaw says, “You simply ask them (what they need). If they are not sure, I recommend walking the floor with the managers, observe the operation, and ask questions.”
Recent upgrades that Lott sees are centered on smarter, more connected automation.
“(Our) eVue Pro gives operators real-time visibility and control, especially across the logistic rail system,” he shares. “With Autopilot, plants shift from reactive, push-based decisions to a pull-based approach, automatically routing linens to the right equipment with over 90% automation. The result is a smoother flow with less manual handling and more consistency from start to finish.”
Lott says that these upgrades improve speed and efficiency by keeping goods moving from soil sort to pack out without delays or extra handling.
“With Vectura, carts are eliminated,” he points out. “Overhead rail systems and conveyors move product between every stage, so staff aren’t pushing loads across the floor. That creates a more open workspace and reduces strain, while keeping flow consistent and production on track.”
When it comes to on-site linen movement, Shaw says that many changes have taken place in the last five years.
“Automated soil-sorting appears to be the latest development among the laundry operators we work with,” he shares.
Lott says that recent technological upgrades focus on connecting machines, data and transport into one system.
“With SmartConnect built into finishing equipment, item data is read and used to automatically set and manage processes,” he says. “From there, systems like rail transport and Vectura keep goods and data moving together, while eVue Pro provides real-time visibility across the plant.
“The result is automatic routing, built-in counting and identification, and a more consistent, efficient operation with fewer manual decisions.”
Shaw points out that upgrades are inevitable, whether they are mechanical or control-related.
“They are developed to return processes to their original production designs, improve the process itself or make them more reliable,” he says. “Most of the operators LAVATEC works with are very satisfied with this process.
“As I mentioned earlier, automated sorting and scanning can reduce the number of operators. Some operators may no longer need to handle soiled textiles for health and speed reasons. The vulnerability is to make sure the system is flexible enough to continue the sorting process if a technical issue pops up, and to find qualified labor that the system replaced.”
How do Lott and Shaw see laundry transport advancing over the next decade?
“In the next 10 years, in-plant transport will continue to simplify and become more connected,” says Lott. “At its core, SmartLaundry is process control, keeping goods and data moving together in a steady, organized flow. The result is a more predictable operation with fewer manual steps and less effort needed to manage it.”
Shaw points out, “With the speed of how things change today at a much more rapid pace due to technological advances, it’s more likely to see changes within the next two to three years than 10.
“There is probably an opportunity with new technology to make plants safer, more efficient and more energy-conservative. Greater automation tools will likely be a factor.
“The ‘Achilles heel’ of over-automation is having the ability to continue to process when there is a service issue and not allowing one automated-production cell to impair the processes of any subsequent processes.”
Lott concludes, “Upgrades in in-plant laundry transport are really about connecting the flow of goods with the flow of data. SmartLaundry brings machines, transport and people together into one system.
“As that connection improves, plants move from reacting to problems to running a more predictable, efficient, and data-driven operation with less manual effort.”
Click HERE to read part 1 about cart advancements.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
