Equipment Manufacturing: Kelly Outram, Kannegiesser USA, Grand Prairie, Texas
Many laundry owner/operators today are familiar with, and operate, tunnel washer systems. I imagine this is in a big part due to their operational efficiencies, ergonomics and labor savings provided by the available automation of loading, unloading, and linen and data transfer throughout their integrated washing and drying process.
The technology also exists today that provides a similar material and data flow between drying systems and flatwork and full-dry finishing machines for both loading and unloading goods on this equipment.
To incorporate a system of this type not only helps to ensure a continuous supply of work to each finishing workstation, but also the data flow that is transferred along with each batch throughout the finishing floor. This optimized data flow is most important to help ensure operator and machine performance can be maximized on a consistent basis throughout the workday.
The automation for logistics of goods throughout the finishing department can be accomplished in many ways, depending on available space and working conditions of a facility, via smart conveyor combinations, overhead rail or even vacuum transport systems. In each case, the data and identifying information of each batch can be tracked and passed to the finishing equipment it is being directed to.
Along with this data transfer, the pre-set operating parameters of the automated batch separation equipment and finishing equipment can be automatically adjusted to the linen type and customer specification of that specific batch. These technological advancements provide for improved machine operator efficiencies by allowing them to focus more on their primary task at hand of feeding goods into the machine.
The many systems that are available today can vary greatly in sophistication to meet specific needs of a customer’s project. For example, limited available spacing in front of an existing ironer with a new feeder and folder may limit a design solution to still pulling goods from carts at the feeding stations, but having a bar-code scanner for reading printed tickets from a washing system’s dryers that identify data from that batch’s information and transfers it to the finishing line.
The systems can go all the way to a complete new installation with fully automated batch and informational data transfer from a linen transport system, or to an ergonomic automated batch separation machine, linen delivery conveyors to each feeding station for a continuous flow of textiles to feeding station operators, and a high-production feeding machine, complete with a new, higher-capacity ironer can be included to fully optimize the feeding of finishing lines.
Similar technology also exists to automate the unloading of finishing equipment as well, eliminating manual functions behind the machinery completely. The aforementioned automatic “batch” data transfer now becomes “stack” data that is passed from a flatwork or full-dry folder to a central takeaway smart conveyor that receives goods automatically via a stack transfer device. This technology establishes trackable positioning of stacks down the conveyor of all goods to a central collection point.
This automation can also be tailored to meet different needs of a customer’s specific requirement, from a simple smart conveyor for goods that provides traffic control of stacks from multiple machines from the transfer device to transferring finished stacks from each folder only when an available slot is available on the conveyor to avoid collisions. Or the added automation of then tracking and sorting the individual stacks by customer and/or linen type onto separate roll-off conveyors at the central collection area for pack-out.
As the operational demands and competitive landscape for laundries seem to be ever increasing, the new technologies becoming available to our industry today are providing systems that streamline both production and data flows throughout the entire soil and clean production floor.
Production efficiencies and quality improvements can be realized by reducing manual transport of linen and automating these loading and unloading functions—one more way of assisting the industry in meeting if not overcoming these current and future market demands.
Textiles: Cecil B. Lee, Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio
Loading and unloading machinery in a laundry has been a conversation focal point surrounding logjams for years. Whether because of equipment, methodology or people, loading and unloading is a process that must be managed.
My most vivid memories involve loading a 600-pound side loader. Side loaders are machines that force the basket of the washer through the water. This was a very tough and fine piece of equipment, which can also be labor-intensive. The basic wash/extract formula was for 60 minutes. The operator was allowed a total of 20 minutes to unload (10 minutes) and load (10 minutes) the washer. While this was reasonable, the time would generally expand as the day went on. The expectation was to produce six loads for each eight-hour shift.
This would produce 3,600 pounds over eight hours and 30 minutes. That equates to 360 minutes of washing and 120 minutes of loading and unloading, with thirty minutes to spare (510 total minutes available).
The successful story here is that there were expectations for the number of loads and for the time lost between loads. Without such expectations, fewer loads would be processed, which would mean fewer pounds were processed and delivered.
Summertime had its special problems of hand cramping from the heat of the season, while every other season deemed the expectations reasonable.
Additionally, the pockets required the same or like items to assist in balancing the machine. It was “artwork” to load, putting the blankets in “just so” such that the entire load could be installed. It is also important to get the pounds out of the machine that it is capable of producing, whether traditional cotton or blended fabric. Underloading produces less product, increases the costs of utilities and chemicals, and lengthens the production day.
In a tunnel washer, maximizing loads is about the loading systems working properly. Whether loading by conveyor or soil bags, it is important that the system flows. There must be enough water utilized for wetting of the product in the first pocket to ensure proper transfer and continuity.
Conventional, semi-automatic, open-pocket washers are generally easier to load. It is important not to overload. Overloading increases rewash and can produce twisted/tangled linen, which ends up inhibiting production on the clean side.
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