Friday 24th September 2010 - Published by Kelly Jackson - Communications Executive
Telford Laundry In A Spin Over Whopping Washer
A laundry in Shropshire is getting itself in a bit of a spin - with the largest washing machine in the county.
Telford Laundry Ltd have installed the giant machine as a result of a Carbon Trust Loan to help them reduce their carbon footprint and water consumption.
Water usage has almost halved, from roughly 11 litres per kilo of work to under six. Gas consumption is reduced because of consistent temperatures in each wash compartment and all chemistry is autodosed by computer controlled pumps whereby effluent quality is optimised.
The whopping washer will process laundry from 300 hospitality venues in Birmingham, Black Country, Mid Wales, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
37,700 kg of washing per week will pass through the machine - that's equivalent to ten female African Elephants!
Once sorted, laundry is automatically conveyor belt-fed to the mouth of the washing machine, whereupon it drops into the wash liquour. It then goes through seven washes/rinses before being ejected at the other end. Then it gets squeezed under hydraulic pressure to form a linen "cake" which is conveyor lifted to an aerial tumbler. The tumbler is fed automatically and breaks the cake into individual items and discharges the washed linen onto a conveyor from which the linen goes to two ironing lines that feed, iron and autofold.
Bringing the mammoth machine to the site was no small feat either, as Paul Woodhead from Telford Laundry Ltd explains: " It was removed from situ in Paris by our engineers, loaded onto two articulated lorries and reassembled upon receipt. It has transformed our business and allowed us to optimise our water availability. Equally, its capability allows us to serve a larger client base".
In addition to being the proud owners of "Shropshire's largest washing machine", Telford has also maintained a traditional washer extractor facility which it uses for top end table linen and non white linens.
Paul Woodhead said "Maintaining our position in the market as a quality linen hire provider is critical to us. Yet, at the same time, environmental considerations are impacting upon all utilty consumptions. This machine, does the trick and moves us nearer to our next goal of "Green Achiever, Silver Status".
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