Plant automation was a hot topic at the recent Tech/Plant Summit. Some might think that this trend emerged with the high-tech boom of the 1990s. Those who believe that underestimate the way technology in the laundry industry has evolved over time.
 
For example, the photo above shows an automated laundry conveyor system that came on line in the late 1920s. It used mechanical power, rollers and gravity to move textiles around the plant without physical labor. The goal—then as now—was to eliminate drudgery, while improving efficiency and throughput.
 
The photo of this roller-coaster-like machine ...