Big future for bigger laundries

urgeoning opportunities in healthcare and hospitality markets, along with changes in other industries, are allowing commercial laundries throughout North America and in other parts of the world to attract new customers, grow their production volume, and expand their companies.

Examining basic market data tells the tale, according to Rick Kelly, vice president of marketing and sales administration at Pellerin Milnor Corporation. He points out that:

• Textile rental service in the healthcare market has grown at a steady annual rate for more than a decade. Decreasing inpatient revenues and increasing mergers within the marketplace are forcing healthcare administrators to review laundry alternatives.

• The hotel and hospitality industry is moving towards heavily-branded corporate images. High-quality sheets and towels are encouraging some hotel executives to work with commercial laundries to provide products and services that weren’t required in the past.

• Today’s polyester napery represents a premium offering to a wide range of clients. The effective and efficient processing of these goods will give any commercial laundry a critical advantage.

• Continuous population growth ensures constant growth.

“Commercial laundry operators typically increase production volume either because they are planning to add new customers, or their current workload is straining the laundry’s systems and personnel to the limit,” says Kelly.

“Handling larger work volumes efficiently takes a great deal of planning and needs reputable partners to bring in equipment and expertise. With favourable trends toward long-term growth in the commercial laundry industry, some laundries are growing their operations with an eye on new energy-efficient equipment, enhanced automation systems and stronger data management resources,” he adds.

Strategies for growth

Strategies for plant growth can be as diverse as the people who develop them. Some laundries choose washer-extractors as their best option, while some look toward tunnel washers for production solutions. Still others use a combination of washer-extractors and tunnels.

After decades of use in laundries throughout the world, tunnel washers have become commonly accepted laundering systems. Their inherent automation can save washroom labour and they offer significant savings in fuel and water. They represent an undisputed method for taking on larger volumes of goods via automated handling and tight control of resources.

Tunnel washers are capable of throughputs of several thousand kilograms per hour, yet they feature smaller batch sizes when compared to comparable washer-extractor systems. For instance, these washers process discrete loads of 35kg to 115kg whereas a large-capacity washer-extractor may handle batches of 200kg and higher. These differing batch sizes between washer-extractors and tunnels – and amongst tunnels themselves – can represent radical changes in washroom operations. With tunnels, for instance, labour can be switched from the soil side to the clean side of the plant as goods are coming through in smaller, evenly paced batches.

Goods in a tunnel washer travel through multiple modules (chambers) as they pass through the machine. The fresh, clean water enters at the end of the machine where the clean linen comes out. By flowing water in the opposite direction to that in which the goods are going (“counter-flow”), tunnels are able to reuse the water over and over many times. The water picks up all the dirt and residual chemicals on the way and goes to drain at the dirty end of the washer.

When evaluating tunnel washers, it’s also important to pay close attention to water flow, as this can have dramatic effects on the amount of equipment needed and time needed to process the goods.

Tunnels can save 60-70% of the water used by conventional washers that dump-and-fill during the wash process. With less water to heat up to wash temperatures, they can save a considerable amount of heat as well. The machine is typically loaded by placing the soiled linen into a materials handling system (pocketed belt conveyor or bottom-opening slings), which loads the washer in ordered batches.

Downstream machines such as extractors and dryers can be loaded automatically, reducing labour costs. There is none of the backbreaking work that is required for conventional washers, nor do people have to push heavy carts around on a wet floor.

Larger systems require more advanced ways to monitor their operations. Computer-based controls are indispensable tools for directing and reporting on a washroom’s efficiency.

Microprocessor equipment controls offer ways to quickly accept formula changes and can also offer on-screen “help” messages for quick assistance. They can also make some operations automatic and can provide programming shortcuts. Some controls can also provide on-line viewing of maintenance manuals, parts lists and schematics.

Computer management systems can monitor and report on an entire washroom, from a centralised or a remote location. Programming operations allow users to change formulae with no interruption.

Is bigger really better?

Industry trends indicate that production volumes for commercial laundries will continue to increase. Larger volume operations will become a certainty in the future. However, each laundry has its own set of operating concerns to keep in mind as they consider expansion.

There is a variety of equipment on the market with a full range of batch sizes.

Operators must consider the specific washing characteristics and total costs of ownership (TCO) for each piece of equipment.

For instance, will larger batch sizes be more difficult to accumulate? Are utilities or labour costs a dominant factor in equipment selection?

The goods mix also dictates equipment selection decisions. Larger systems handling larger volumes of similar goods are candidates for a wide range of washing solutions. Maintenance and service plans for large laundries should be finely tuned, as high production volumes mean downtimes are more costly.

Growing a business doesn’t just mean adding new equipment, says Kelly. There are other strategies to increase revenue.

• Don’t shrink. A laundry should retain the customers it has already, because each one lost means having to gain one just to stay even.

• Consider your work schedule. Labour is the number one cost of any laundry and this valuable resource should be strategically used through multiple shifts or overtime, when needed.

• Linen replacement costs can be a big part of a laundry’s operations. Work closely with customers to control those costs.

• Consider related markets. Perhaps offer new products to existing customers.

The future looks big

“Our industry has benefited from mergers, consolidations and strong branding efforts that have swept across the healthcare and hospitality markets,” says Kelly.

“The ripple effects of these actions are also changing commercial laundries. Many operators will have to consider increased production volumes sooner or later.

“Taking the above points into consideration, commercial laundries must consider incremental, long-term growth in their operations to remain successful. That’s because the alternative to growth is not an option,” says Kelly.