Clean ’17 – More Innovation Highlights!

Posted June 16, 2017 at 12:37 pm

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Inwatec ApS, a Danish machinery company, shared booth space at Clean with its U.S. distributor, J.P. Equipment Inc. (JPE Inc.), Indianapolis. (l/r) Kate Bowers, JPE Inc.; Mads Andresen and Claes Stanley, Inwatec; Patrick Bowers, Lee Harris, Christina Heath, and Dave Collentro of JPE Inc.   

Among the nearly 500 exhibitors at the sold-out June 5-8 Clean Show, Textile Services Weekly correspondents got a first-hand look at several innovations that could have a direct impact on your bottom line. Below is our second roundup highlighting innovations that caught our eye as we visited booths across the show floor that extended over 227,000 square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The show also drew a near-record turnout of 12,563 attendees. Read on and you’ll see why this event drew so much interest from linen, uniform and facility services professionals worldwide.

Brim:Introduced its newly redesigned 450 lb. washer/extractor with a base that’s 13 inches narrower than before. This adjustment will enable operators to fit more machines into a tight space. “You can fit five of them into the same area where you could fit four,” said Thomas Harrison of Brim. Go to www.brimldry.com for details.

Consolidated Laundry Machinery (CLM): Displayed its new Model MTR-1 and MTR-2 mat rolling equipment. This fully automated system rolls 48-60-inch mats once they are placed onto the feed-board. It then drops them onto a tray below or a waiting cart. With numerous safety stop buttons and a seamless feed belt, there’s virtually no risk of an operator’s hands or clothing getting caught in the machine. And with automatic movement, there’s less risk of ergonomic injury. “There’s not a lot of moving parts,” said CLM’s Director of Operations Trinidad Macias. “Nothing goes wrong with it as long as you keep it greased.” Go to www.unxinc.com for details.

Gurtler: Promoted its new Synergy Technology, which features a synergistic activator chemical that energizes a laundry’s oxygen bleach, thus enhancing performance to nearly double the expected levels. Benefits include whiter whites, better stain removal and improved linen longevity. “It maximizes bleach performance,” said Eli Cryderman, director of technical services, of the Synergy Technology. He added that the program enables launderers to use less water and energy. “You get good quality at lower temperatures,” he said, noting that loads that normally would wash at 165º-170º, can do just well at 140º-145º using Synergy. Go towww.gurtler.com/synergy-technology/ for details.

Inwatec:This Danish manufacturer showcased its garment scanner that can help laundries root out foreign objects such as silverware, healthcare sharps, pens and other discarded items left in soiled linen or garments. These items can damage equipment. More importantly, they pose safety risks to employees. The scanner can be fed by a robot arm that picks up textile items (up to 1,800 pieces per hour), scans them and sets aside any goods that have scalpels, pens or other foreign objects in pockets other areas of the textiles. “The good stuff goes through; the bad stuff drops out,” said CEO Mads Andresen. The low-dose X-ray is in an enclosed cabinet and poses no health risk to operators, he says. Go to www.inwatec.dk for details.

Lapauw:Introduced its IRONMAX three-roll thermal-oil ironer with a newly redesigned chest and bridges that gives it the largest ironer surface area in the industry, according to the company. Lapauw’s trademarked spring system also facilitates maximum suction for the removal of moisture from textiles during ironing. Individual suction pumps are located on each roll. In addition, the IRONMAX thermal oil circuit is a true parallel flow circuit that creates a transversal oil flow over the chest and bridges. This ensures a constant, uniform ironing temperature over the complete ironing surface. The flexible chest and the hydraulic chest lifting system ensures a uniform ironing pressure over the total surface of the textile to be ironed. Go to www.lapauwusa.com for details. 

Lavatec: Announced its new Ride-on Shuttle, a system designed with multiple safety features to protect employees working in the wash aisle. Developed in response to a request from an industrial laundry customer, the enclosed system allows the operator to move around in a wash aisle with full protection while in the enclosed shuttle. Should the operator leave the shuttle, as one may do to pick up a textile that’s fallen on the floor or for minor adjustments to equipment, the system has auto-stop systems to keep employees safe. “There are so many safeties on here, if he gets up from his seat and gets out, it shuts off,” said Keith Ware, vice president of sales. “If there’s scanners in front, if you get within 10 feet, it slows down. If you get within three feet it stops. If you step on a pressure pad when it’s going up or down, it stops. Go to www.lavatec-laundry.com for details.

Sigmatex:Promoted its new “mattress hugger” 100% polyester, one-size fits-all contour sheets for the healthcare market.  The design of the sheet allows it to wrap around the mattress to secure far more coverage than a traditional contour sheet.  “It won’t come off,” said Farley Salmon, Sigmatex sales manager. “It ensures that it fits the bed tight. It’s not going to pop off when the bed is raised or lowered.” Broadly speaking, Salmon said that his company and others are boosting the amount of polyester used in sheeting. It helps ensure longer linen life, less pilling, faster drying time and end users find the fabric is just as comfortable as blends that use more cotton. “This product is a game changer.  It seems everyone is moving to poly hugger fitted sheets now,” said Salmon.  Due to the unique design and construction, operators can afford to pay a higher initial acquisition cost for a product that delivers a solid ROI, he said. Go to www.sigmatexlanier.com for details.

Spindle: Introduced its new Internet of Things (IoT) Kit. Designed for on-premise laundries or standalone laundries that want to start on a small scale by connecting just one or several machines, the system allows operators to place sensors in equipment that will record data in real time through a cloud-based computer system. The system makes the information immediately available to operators and management for tracking productivity in the plant. “We’re tracking the same amount of things that we would be, but it’s a lot more cost-effective,” said Kristina Gingery, corporate account manager for Spindle. Operators can obtain the kit for a set price and a monthly licensing fee that’s lower than comparable data-tracking systems. Go to www.spindlelive.com for details.

U.N.X. Inc.: Formally introduced its new MAXX series of laundry chemicals, which it describes as the most technologically advanced products on the market. Developed specifically for the large laundry market, the MAXX series includes multifaceted detergents, specialty products, superior service from industry experts, and unmatched dispensing equipment, according to the company. With MAXX, U.N.X. promises superior wash results on all types of soils. Go to www.unxinc.com for details.

White Conveyors: Presented the CUS Order Assembly System, the latest addition to its patented Comp-U-Sort® line. The CUS Order Assembly System automatically sorts and assembles customer orders. Integrated with any POS (point of sale) system, orders are assembled and ready for bagging. The standard CUS-OAS system is configured with a single load station and four drop stations. It can be modified to accommodate additional drop and load stations. Information is imported automatically from the POS system and utilized by the CUS Order Assembly System computer interface.  Go to www.whiteconveyors.com for details. 

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