Pressing for perfection

The quest for the perfect finish, the most economical and efficient equipment combined with ease of use are at the forefront for potential purchasers of OPL ironers today. If it can cut out or reduce the costly tumble drying stage, all the better. There is plenty out there to choose from, but what is the perfect match for your business? Lapauw’s IronPro brings industrial quality and technology to the OPL and comes in roll diameters of 500, 600 and 800 mm and working widths range from 2200 up to 3300 mm. Also, all IronPro models are available in gas and electric versions.

HJ Weir offers the full Laco range from roll diameters of 370mm right up to 1,200mm. The larger diameters are offered as 1, 2 or even 3 roll systems. The smaller range of ironers starts with the return feed M370-M500 range but these ironer sizes are also available in pass through with the D370-D500 available in gas, steam, or electrically heated options. The return feed systems can be supplied with feeding and folding options built in, with up to three primary and three cross folds if desired.

The 500mm-1200mm diameter gas and electric options are offered with the company’s ‘Air-Stream’ high capacity ventilated chest. This increases capacity by up to 25%, allowing the ironer clothing to lose its moisture faster. The multi-roll gas ironers have one gas burner per roll allowing for fine tuning of temperature control, says HJ Weir, which adds that it regards the King 800 with the Air-Stream chest as the “most efficient single roll ironer on the market” and is ideal for the smaller commercial laundry giving them real “industrial” ironing power without any quality sacrifice or high capital outlay.

Domus, part of the Onnera Group, offers what communication manager Gemma Coloma describes as “the perfect, innovative solution for drying, ironing and folding flatwork” in the form of the company’s latest flatwork ironers. Colomer explains: “The new models we are launching right now are 500mm and 650mm wall flatwork ironers with the option of an inbuilt lengthwise folder. The main features are efficiency, and energy saving and the products are ideal for hotels and care homes.

“The number one feature we should mention is the new TOUCH II microprocessor designed to launch our flatwork ironers into the future when it comes to efficiency, connectivity and versatility. The 7-inch touch screen display features promotional videos, tutorials and can also be configured in 38 different languages. It also has 10 pre-set program,es and a USB port for programming traceability, data analysis. This is an industrial laundry flatwork ironer designed to achieve the best possible results.”

The ironers offer:

• automatic ironing speed control depending on residual moisture, which is a real energy saver.
• automatic ironing speed control – reduced for laundry feeding and increased for higher outputs, up to 15 m/ min.
• Good thermal conductivity due to the roller material and thickness which is evidenced in more control over energy release.
• Self-stop at 80C effectively prolonging the life of the ironing belts
• The gas circuit is in the base, thereby reducing energy consumption.
• Microprocessor technology facilitates accurate temperature control, again resulting in low energy consumption.
• Radiant gas burner models allow for up to 25% increased production resulting in time and energy saved.

Meanwhile,brand spanking new, barely out of its box, from GMP is its latest ironer, the G32.35. specifically developed for hotels, guest houses and care homes – and other leisure and retail businesses – looking for a balance between productivity and budget. Prime benefits according to GMP are a 3.2 m wide ironing surface which allows processing of large bed sheets without folding, reduced ironing times, high productivity, lower labour costs and affordable investment.

For hotel guests, a comfortable king-size bed is not an option: on the contrary, it is becoming the new standard, says Vera Sion of GMP: “Changes in bedsheets dimensions naturally reflect on equipment needed as the hospitality industry starts re-opening. First impressions are crucial and well ironed bedsheets immediately impress. However, ironing a king-size bedsheet without folding has until now just been a wish for some businesses as the investment for the equipment and the electrical/thermal power required for a 3.2 m ironer x 500 mm roll diameter would put the acquisition out of reach.”

The compact 325 mm roll diameter allows working with reduced energy requirements compared with the 500 mm roll model. The new model is recommended for hotels with up to 70 rooms, restaurants, catering activities, sport clubs, communities, nursing and care homes, shipboard laundries, small industrial laundries and drycleaning shops. The new model is available now.

MAG’s range of flatwork drying ironers will happily dry and iron linen from 1.4 to 3.3 metres in a single operation directly from a high spin washing machine. Smaller businesses may prefer MAG’s range of roller ironers, high quality finishing equipment and ironing stations. MAG Laundry Equipment offer excellent prices with a wide range of finance packages so hotels can compare options to decide whether they would prefer to purchase, lease or rent.

Miele Professional PM 12 Flatwork Ironer Thoroughly cleaned and pressed table and bed linen is key to a quality experience in hotels and restaurants and a credit to any nursing home. The Miele PM 12 Flatwork Ironer uses fully adjustable heat and rotation settings to meet even the most challenging demands of a high functioning OPL, with ease and efficiency.

According to research conducted by Miele, 90% of hotels say that turnaround speeds are a vital factor to their choice of laundry provision. Having the right equipment in an OPL can help ensure that those turnaround times are routinely met. Miele’s technology and design allows the pressed laundry to be returned to the front of the machine, meaning it can be installed against a wall and operated by just one person.

With working widths of 100, 140 and 166cm, this ironer is designed to meet the most exacting OPL requirements. It features a large touch display for an extremely simple programme selection and good overview of all functionalities, as well as a versatile footswitch for fast and convenient ironer operation. The PM 12 Flatwork Ironer is built to last from recyclable materials and offers excellent user convenience, with enhanced ergonomics to deliver perfect results.

Key features, says Miele, include:

• Capacity 60 kg/h1, roller width 250 mm, roller diameter 1,660 mm
• Easily adjustable - flexible return feed
• Height-adjustable and optional plinth
• State-of-the-art controls – Touch Display
• Perfect rotary ironing performance - flexibly positioned heater plate.

BRIDGING THE GAP WITH ILE’S HYBRID IRONER

Industrial Laundry Equipment has a unique solution when it comes to OPL ironers. While specialising in the industrial market, ILE realised that smaller laundries and OPL laundries could often benefit from increased capacity, efficiency and flexibility. With this in mind it has released a hybrid ironer which helps bridge the gap in the market.

Available in 800mm and 1000mm diameters and with widths of 2m, 2.5m, 3m, 3.3m and 3.5m, the laundry has a wide range of choice. The large diameter rollers mean you get more drying capacity compared to traditional OPL ironers which can often see staff standing around waiting for the sheets and duvets to be processed.

To give increased efficiency the ILE ironers have an outer skin to their roller which has an amount of thermal oil pumped around it (used in calendar ironers). This oil is heated by a Riello gas burner that is approximately 1/3 of the size of their nearest compact rivals. This efficiency can only be achieved due to the oil re-circulation design as opposed to the full length direct burners often used traditionally. The thermal oil retains heat and circulates back through the burner in a similar way to your radiators at home, meaning you are not constantly heating the drum.

“These machines will dry and iron 120- 180 sheets per hour straight from the washer, which is at least double that of most return feed machines.

“A further unique design feature is that the machine can be modified in the future to become a pass through ironer, with extra rolls, full size feeders, folders and stackers added.

“This means your investment is one for the future, too.,” says Richard Brown, ILE’s managing director.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR IRONER

In a recent guest post on the Hydrofinity website, LTC Worldwide’s Steve Anderton recommends launderers who are looking at ways to economise on running costs should download the Carbon Trust’s Booklet CTV040 “Energy Saving Opportunities in Laundries – How to Reduce the Energy Bill and Carbon Footprint in your Laundry”.(Go to www.carbontrust.co.uk and put ‘Energy saving in Laundries’ into the search engine to download your copy.)

Although the guide was published in 2009, Anderton says the advice remains relevant today and should enable the groundwork for a serious cost reduction programme. He reckons it is now possible to improve on these 2009 targets (typically by at least 20%) and that the ironer section is one area where significant savings can be made.

“There are a lot of key differences between OPL ironers and industrial units. OPl ironers are usually gas heated with a direct flame heating the cylinder so they can be turned on and off to save cost with relatively short heating time,” says Anderton.

He explains that ironing represents a major opportunity for energy economy. After lowtemperature washing, the secret is to dry the sheets/pillowcases via the low energy route, which also happens to give a better quality than is often achieved. Extract as much moisture as possible in the hydro-extraction as described earlier. Then take the textiles straight to the ironer, without any conditioning in the tumble dryer. The ironer has a thermal efficiency approaching 95%, which is always going to beat the 50–55% of even the very latest dryers. If the ironer cannot cope with the load, then tune it properly.”

Anderton advises paying attention to ironer bed coverage. “Aim for edge to edge feeding of sheets and all lanes in use when ironing pillowcases. Then you can run the ironer slightly slower to cater for the lack of conditioning in the tumbler, while still clearing the workload in the time available. Using the correct temperature for the fabric type, good maintenance and well-trained staff are also extremely important.