Greater than the sum of its parts up

As we start 2020, LCNi catches up on what’s what in the world of integrated laundries ahead of the big show, Texcare International 2020, in Frankfurt, Germany, in June.

Integrated can mean many things to different operators and manufacturers but basically it is linking machines via a laundry management system and utilising heightened machine technologies to provide the greatest efficiencies in automation for enhanced production time, utilities/chemicals use and, of course, quality. It also enables the capture of data– monitoring work patterns, tracking items through the whole process from collection through soil sorting, process, wash/dry,finish, dispatch and return.

Integration also takes in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) although, especially just now at the beginning of the journey in that direction, AI is still very much at the experimental stage, but inevitably in time these advances will be very much part of the picture. Expect to see developments at Texcare.

The message from Texcare 2020 organiser Messe Frankfurt, as it drafts publicity to entice visitors to the show, is this: “The driving force in textile care is the development of digital solutions into smart ones. This provides the umbrella for all four major themes at Texcare International: ‘Smart Factory’, ‘New Business Models’, ‘Sustainability’ and ‘New Work – New Learning’.”

According to Messe Frankfurt, the ‘Smart Factory’ theme covers the intelligent interlinking of production and data flows, so as to enable a high degree of automation in modern textile care. Modern 3D camera technologies, RFID chips, the deployment of robots and artificial intelligence all help to implement the vision of the fully automated laundry facility.

Digitalisation opens up new ways for textile cleaning services to get in touch with their customers. ‘New Business Models’ are now emerging that make it possible for consumers to make contact via online shops or Apps, offering innovative collect and delivery services in collaboration with logistics companies.

For Jensen, looking at large commercial laundries, and as a champion of the total laundry solution, it is all down to mastering the flow, using a combination of advanced technologies in the materials handling line-up, teamed with sophisticated management software. “In order to exploit the full potential of laundry equipment, the flow of materials throughout the entire laundry facility must be analysed. Material handling refers to the short-distance movement of items (sheets, garments, mats, and so on) within a laundry facility. It ensures that there is a constant flow of goods to be processed and is thus essential to productivity. Essentially, it is about making sure that the linen is always at the right place at the right time to continuously feed high-capacity machines – be it a tunnel washer, a flatwork finishing line, or a tunnel finisher.”

In 2016, just in time for the last Texcare International show in 2016, ABS Laundry Business Solutions and the Jensen-Group joined forces by forming a new company Gotli Labs AG with the aim of consolidating the data management in heavy-duty laundries. Globe – Gotli Labs’ Operational Business Expert – offers data recording, production visualisation as well as time recording and planning. Jensen also recently partnered with Inwatec and introduced advanced robotics teamed with a digital camera paired artificial intelligence to atomate the sorting area.

With an eye to June Jensen’s Gerda Jank adds: “For Texcare we will continue to create the future in laundry automation, with a lot of focus on Big Data and how tom use these data on new solutions within robotics and automation. Visitors will be excited to see what we have in store for the Frankfurt show.”

Kannegiesser, too, in its developments to date, has focused on the ‘Smart Laundry’ via automation and advanced software putting a strong focus on automated intelligent integrated laundry systems and a totally automated system for feeding and folding different sized towels through to dispatch with no human intervention that impressed visitors to the Kannegeisser ETECH stand at last year’s Clean Show in New Orleans. The RFT robotic towel feeding system has been developed to sync with Kannegeisser’s XFM Speedline towel folder. Also on show was the company’s fully operational monorail linen distribution system controlled by the company’s eVue Control software.

The ETECH eRail Monorail and conveyor solutions as well as eVue software combining to offer integrated solutions for a more organised packing area. This includes a buffer feeding system designed for processing hotel sheets. The ergonomic feed system or ‘Synchro Remote’ has the ability to achieve the same productivity with one fewer operator.

Lavatec last year launched the latest updated software package for its osLaundry control system that can be built into all Lavatec equipment and helps make plant management more efficient. Keith Ware, vice president of sales for Lavatec, told LCNi at the time that the new update makes it better than ever for plant management to monitor and control their operation. “When I worked in plant management, I would have liked the opportunity to have this program available for my operation,” he says. “It produces data and information in real time, so you know what is happening at any given moment. If there is a problem somewhere along the line, you’ll know it sooner rather than later so you can react faster and make more informed decisions. Overall, osLaundry is proving to save operators time and money. That’s an important consideration to be able to leverage in today’s world.”

Milnor’s latest innovation to make it a one-stopshop innovater is the MilRail system which, says Milnor International managing director Thierry Lambermont, is the mechanical MilRail from some years ago resurrected, updated, enhanced with state-of-the- art technology and speeded-up after Milnor bought the software and technology to reinvent it for the digital age. The result is a single loop, complete loading and storage system that can be supplied to any customer globally.

As laundry equipment and software manufacturers – or total solutions providers – partner with one another and with laundries, just like a jigsaw, we can see the individual pieces unite to make the bigger picture.