Clean ’17 – Innovation Highlights
(l/r) Ellis President Bob Fesmire Jr. and Mike Sargent, sales director for the company's wastewater division, stand next to Ellis' new water-recycling system.
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 are highlights a few – by no means all – of the innovations that caught our attention 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 near-record turnout of 12,563 attendees. Read the highlights below and you’ll see why this show was such as tremendous draw for linen, uniform and facility services company professionals worldwide.
ABS Laundry Business Solutions: Managing DirectorGerard Van De Donk described a number of new software products, including a Wearer Self-Services App that brings garments to uniform wearers; a Packing Assistant App for paperless packing, a Linen Inventory Assistant App and more. Go to www.abslbs.com for details.
Chicago Dryer:Introduced the ATM2 Automatic Towel Machine, the world's first fully automatic washcloth separator/stacker. Developed after years of research, the system eliminates the need for a dedicated operator to hand fold shop towels or washcloths, thus saving significantly on labor costs. It picks up tumble-dried washcloths from an internal hopper and through a series of compressed air pulses, folds, straightens, orients and stacks them to a predetermined height. Go to www.chidry.com for details.
Ecolab Inc:Emphasized its enVision™ production data-tracking program, a process intelligence system designed specifically for commercial laundry operations to provide managers with the real time visibility and actionable insights aimed at delivering consistent quality, improve efficiency and lower costs. Go to www.ecolab.com for details.
Ellis Corp.: Unveiled its Nautilus Rotational Turbidity Membrane, a water-recycling system with a proprietary membrane cartridge in heavy-duty equipment that can recover 60% of wash water, according to President Bob Fesmire. The system recently was tested and proven effective in a large industrial plant that processes heavy soil, including shop towels, Fesmire said. Go to www.EllisWastewater.com for details.
G.A. Braun Inc.:Displayed its Braun Advantage 900 lb. Side Loader with advanced safety features developed in part based on input from laundry operators. The washer/extractor features Braun’s patented cylinder door locking system, crush-hazard protection, an automated step and an ergonomic design. Performance features include an all-new direct-drive system that comes standard with high-extract speed functionality. Go to www.gabraun.com for details.
JENSEN:Emphasized the latest improvements to its Evolution Cube and Jenfold Tematic Pro automated terry towel picker-spreader-feeder-folder-stacker-conveyor. The system is capable of processing towel sizes at a rate of 575 pieces per hour, said Simon Nield, president of JENSEN USA, who walked the booth with this correspondent. He also noted a recently introduced mat roller that processes 300-400 piece per hour, and new range of pony washers and dryers at 45, 90, 130 and 250 lbs. capacity. Go to www.Jensen-Group.com for details.
OMNI Solutions:Displayed its Sulaos (smart ultraviolet light advanced oxidation system). Designed for use with tunnels. Paul Jewison, CEO of Textile Care Services, Rochester, MN, described how the system uses UV lights and small quantities of hydroxyls to “charge’ water in order to oxidize microorganisms and improve safety. The system was field tested in three tunnels in Jewison’s plant with outstanding results, he says. "In addition to the unprecedented germicidal impact, we've achieved significant reductions in fresh water consumption (while controlling TDS) and natural gas usage, which was independently verified by our local utility." Go to www.omnisaves.com for details.
Pellerin Milnor Corp.: “Let’s talk about water,” was the catchphrase often heard in the Minor booth that referred to the Water Recovery System’s new PurePulse™ water recycling system manufactured by Milnor. This system employs a “new generation,” exclusive hollow-fiber ceramic membrane capable of recovering up to 60%-80% of water with up to 50% energy savings. Go to www.purepulsesystems.com for details.
Tingue:Introduced show attendees to the company’s new “Linen Locker.” National Sales Manager Dan Rodriguez described the new product from MODRoto, Madison, IN, as a product that’s designed to secure soiled laundry in a durable, lockable, weatherproof plastic bin that secures the textiles inside from theft, while providing ergonomically sound access for removal. This rugged one-piece enclosure stands 80 inches tall with a side entry door for easy removal of textiles. Go to www.MODRoto.com for details.
WSI:Vice President Ben Fisher emphasized recent innovations to the company’s Wash-Eye® productivity-tracking platform, which provides real time comprehensive information to laundry operators. “We’ve expanded the scope of Wash-Eye to have at-a-glance insights in the cloud and a new App, Wash-Eye Mobile for smart phones,” Fisher said, adding that operators can monitor production data at their plant, in the cloud and on their devices.” Go to www.washingsystems.com for details.
Watch for follow-up articles in Textile Services Weekly on innovations rolled out at the Clean Show!