Getting on a roll

According to Domus, a manufacturer with a large presence in the sector, both in hospitality and healthcare, the term OPL (on-premise laundry) refers to those businesses that opt to set up their own laundry space instead of outsourcing the service by subcontracting a professional laundry, which involves having to send all their washing to external facilities.

“It is increasingly common to find this type of facility in hotels and restaurants that have to process large amounts of flat linen on a daily basis, such as table linens, uniforms and service clothing or household linen from the rooms,” says the company, adding that Domus wall-mounted flatwork ironers are designed to” offer the best performance and productivity with remarkable energy efficiency options and outstanding time savings”.

Domus offers the Efficient Iron system with humidity control for increased energy efficiency, the new TOUCH II controls (in Ø 500/650 mm models), as well as many advanced features such as radiant gas burner, rear exhaust, longitudinal folding, connectivity, versatility, and do on. All features vary depending on the chosen model and the available budget. Four main lines are available – Ø 200 / 325 / 500 mm, as well as the new Ø 650 mm models.

Compact flatwork ironers for small, high-volume laundry services are capable of feeding, drying, ironing, folding, and stacking flatwork linen in a single operation. They need no more than 27 m2 to operate and offer superior productivity — they can process 290 kg/h — always in line with the energy efficiency that characterises all Domus machinery, says the company, as well as the best quality in the final result.

Additional options include an automatic gripper feeder for one-man operation. When finished, the folded linen is collected in the built-in side stacker. For small items, these machines are equipped to hold napkin folding machines at the back to streamline operation and boost productivity.

Domus wall ironers all come with speed and humidity control and connectivity offering total control of the process. 1 or 2 roll chest flatwork ironers are also available along with folders for towels, napkins, pillowcases and small garments.

GMP offers a range of product for all purposes and is aware that one of the critical points of an industrial product is the interaction between the operator and the equipment, says GMP sales director Vera Simon.

The innovative SHARP control designed for E2 facilitates such interaction, taking the user experience to next level. In fact, SHARP is not just an intuitive control, but provides all the information needed by operators to work at ease, independently from their prior experience level.

SHARP control:

• Trains the operator, suggesting best process practices and clarifying operational doubts.
• Communicates with the user in 13 languages with simple and clear messages.
• Manages small operational errors, limiting the power when necessary (GEMINI twin control).
• Contributes to saving waste energy thanks to sleep mode whi h automatically switches to rest mode when no activity is detected.

Additionally, the MYPROGRAMS section allows the creation and storage of up to 50 customised ironing programs, a perfect solution for commercial laundries.

Last year the company showcased the brand’s latest ironer evolutions: E2 and G2 at ExpoDetergo in Milan – respectively chest ironers and drying ironers. The SHARP control platform has been extremely successful thanks to its innovative approach to the commercial equipment use and it will be extended to the new G2 line soon, says Simon. Watch this space.

“Contrary to washers and dryers, an ironer is an open system, where the individual experience in operating makes a big difference in whether you obtain great results or great issues” said Rudi Giaon CEO of GMP, speaking at ExpoDetergo last year. “If you add difficulties in finding experienced labour, or frequent turnover very typical of seasonal hospitality activities, you can obtain a problematic mix. In designing E2 and SHARP control, GMP’s challenge has been to offer an effective solution to a deeply felt necessity and I believe we have fully reached our goal.”

Founded in 1987, GMP has been leading flatwork ironer innovation in Europe for the past 15 years, providing the widest range of ironing solutions to a global distributor network with well- established market positions in the commercial and industrial segments and has recently been taken into the Schulthess fold. According Schulthess, speaking at the time of the acquisition, with GMP flatwork ironers, Schulthess is further expanding its finishing range. It said that GMP products ideally complement the Schulthess professional range: trade and industry thus benefit from a fully comprehensive offering – at a fair price and all from a single source.

Girbau ironing and folding systems offer a variety of automation capabilities for feeding, ironing and folding flatwork bed and table linens, as well as for folding towels and blankets. The Girbau 5-in-One Compact Plus, for example is a compact machine that automatically feeds, dries, irons, folds and stacks. All Girbau ironers quickly iron items straight from the washer without dryer preconditioning.

Girbau comments that the Compact PRO is proof that a high-quality and highly productive ironing system can also have a small footprint. In just 20m2 (215sq.ft), a single machine integrates five functions: Feeding, drying, ironing, folding, stacking and collecting. In addition, the Compact PRO can be easily installed in spaces with difficult accessibility. Its modular structure allows quick and easy assembly.

Meanwhile, LACO, a name associated with big industrial machinery, wants to assure OPL operators that, alongside the current LACO range, the SECOMachinery range targets a broader market and is aimed at the commercial and professional market rather than super heavyweight industrial applications.

The SECO Machinery (SEmi-industrial, C for chest and O for roll and M for machinery) range will appeal to all projects ranging from 30 to 80-100kg/ hour not only in price, but also in quality, reliability, low maintenance and of course extremely low energy consumption, says the company. This range will still produce an amazing 0,38kW/kg linen at 40-50% RM just like the existing LACO range. To compare average cylinder ironers are in the area of 0,90 to 1,10 depending on make and age. The critical parts such as chest and roll are always made with LACO technology.

Lapauw, meanwhile, says it offers the widest ironer range on the market, from small 500 mm roll diameter, up to the 3-roll, diam. 1600 ironer. With its flexible chest technology, the Lapauw ironer is widely renowned for the high quality finish it provides. A feature that is not only highly appreciated but also provides a high level of flexibility, as a single ironer can handle both bedding and table linen.

With roll diameters from 500 up to 1600 mm and with also 2-roll and 3-roll configurations, Lapauw offers the largest range in the industry, providing OPL laundries from small city hotels to large resorts a high quality solution for their flatwork. An expanded range of feeding and folding equipment completes the solution for the large capacities.

Probably a lesser known and perhaps unexpected solution for OPL laundries is the HotSTREAM tunnel finisher, says Lapauw spokesman Wim Demeyer. “While tunnel finishers are associated with industrial use and large production capacities over quality finish, the HotSTREAM with its narrow drying passage produces a quality finish that far exceeds that of standard tunnel finishers. This allows the laundry to automize the finishing of items that normally require manual finishing because of quality requirements such as staff shirts and uniforms or some personal garments from the guests, resulting in a significant reduction in manhours and thus costs to process these garments.

The Lapauw HotSTREAM is available from a production capacity of 75 items/ hour to 150 items/hour.

STAND ALONE

Miele’s Professional PIB 100 steam ironing system has been designed with ease and convenience at its core. The PIB 100 is the ideal ironing solution for time-poor businesses that require a quality laundry finish and a fast turnaround, without taking up too much time or resource, says the company.

Comprising the compact combination of iron, steam generator, and ironing table, the PIB 100 has been designed to master the challenges of commercial use. With a capacity of 4.5 litres, it provides at least three hours of uninterrupted ironing before refill.

It features precise and efficient steam technology, producing a thin film of steam unique to Miele, to glide effortlessly over laundry. Its four-bar steam pressure and 100g per minute delivery leaves a creasefree finish on even the thickest of materials.

Simon Venni, head of sales GB & Ireland at Miele Professional, comments: “The PIB 100 is the perfect ironing solution for businesses that need to provide laundry care and ironing on a daily basis, secondary to their key business function.

“Using Miele innovation, we’ve been able to bring together the practicality of a compact domestic appliance with all the benefits of a powerful, fully featured commercial ironer. Its innovative steam technology and ease of use makes putting a quality finish to laundry quick and easy, enabling busy staff to spend more time focusing on their key tasks.”

OBITUARY: ROMAIN LAPAUW

Earlier this year the ‘king of the ironing roll’ Romain Lapauw died at the age of 85. Romain Lapauw was the second generation at the Lapauw and was also co-founder of Lapauw International, Lapauw Electronics, Lapauw France and LACO Machinery. He earned his nickname as king of the ironing roll because “he was an engineer who always tried to improve and design the best ironers,” according to an announcement by LACO.