Cleaners' foundation stone

"The drycleaning machine is the foundation stone of any high street business," says Jason Alexander managing director of Renzacci UK. "It really is essential to make the right choice in this piece of equipment take your time, consider all the different options, and talk to suppliers and to other users before you make your final choice. You need to take into account the kind of clothes you are handling and your expected production requirements not just now, but in the future."

This view is echoed by Paul and Sheila Higgs of Dane Realstar, a family-run company that has been successfully trading in the drycleaning industry for 22 years. The company has built up an excellent reputation for supplying quality drycleaning equipment, with first class technical knowledge, together with an excellent spare parts and service back up.

They advise that the prospective buyer must consider many points. What features will enhance the working life of employees who will be using the machine? What is the supplier's creditability, and commitment within the industry? And, of course, what is the quality of the machine?

The aftersales support that the drycleaner will want to receive for years to come should be considered. Will the supplier still be trading next year? Last of all is the price. To get all of the above services, the best machine to buy may not be the cheapest on offer, but to choose solely on price could prove a very false economy.

Buyers' criteria

So what should the prospective buyer be looking for? According to Ian Parris, technical director of Parrisianne, the prime factor a buyer should be looking for is: "Is the proposed drycleaning machine actually capable of performing the complete drycleaning process that all other chemical and cleaning aids suppliers, together with the industry research institutes, would want me to perform in order to achieve best automated results in cleaning fabrics?" Recommendations from other users of similar machines is the best advice offered.

Ian says this is an important point since he sees so many machines that just don't meet the requirement. Many cosmetic bell and whistles are added to machines that merely add to looks or to operators' ignorance by taking away daily simple tasks or obligations. The most important features like what is the comparable filter area?; dip levels in terms of weight/volume ratio; the pump flow; the distillation volume; tolerance to good detergent systems seem to have taken a secondary position.

He warns that buyers can assume nothing in this competitive climate. If cutbacks are required to produce a lower cost machine, it will be in these hidden functions rather than the cosmetic looks.

Quality of build is the next criteria. This will reflect the reliability of the machine and the difference between getting a fast response to breakdown to none at all. Just because a company boasts 10s of engineers available does not reflect a quality of service and certainly not quality of build.

Perc or an alternative?

Perchloroethylene is a highly effective drycleaning solvent, and most drycleaning machines in use today use it. Modern totally enclosed refrigerated machines have the featured ability to perform the perfect drycleaning process, using very advanced chemicals and cleaning aids. They out perform legislation requirements by several points. However, we cannot dismiss the fact that perchloroethylene is a hazardous VOC product, and more alternative solvents are now available, even if the automated drycleaning performance is compromised.

There are now a number of alternative cleaning substances on the market which are less hazardous to health such as liquid silicone-based GreenEarth, hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, Rynex (still little known outside of the US) and wetcleaning. They offer different risks and problems. None are suitable to directly replace the perchloroethylene in a perchloroethylene machine.

Liquid silicone and hydrocarbon, for example, both require vacuum distilling class III machines that are constructed especially for that purpose. Perc machines can be adapted using filtration absorption technology in place of distillation but this conversion is quite expensive and is only worth considering as a short-term answer to achieve the original perceived life span of the machine.

According to Jason Alexander of Renzacci: "The overwhelming majority of the machines we sell are perc ones. This is reflective of the current UK market where over 90% of all machines sold are run on perc.

"When it comes to cleaning capabilities there is simply no comparison at present perc is by far the best all-round performer out of all the available cleaning solvents. If someone asked me which machine should they go for, I would have no hesitation in recommending one of our perc machines as the basis of a drycleaning unit.

Welcoming legislation

"Renzacci has always positioned itself on quality rather than price and so has nothing to fear from and actively welcomes - environmental legislation. But in fact, in the market as a whole, the perc machines being built today are in a completely different class from those being manufactured even as little as 10 years, making the best use of today's advances in technology."

The Planet series is Renzacci UK's most popular range of machines with two (Planet Club range) or three solvent storage tanks (Planet range). The series starts at 10kg and includes 12kg, 14kg, 17kg, 20kg, 23kg, 27kg, 40kg, 45kg and 80kg models as well as twin and modular versions.

All Planet machines are said to be constructed from the highest quality components, and are offered in either a wide front or a space saving slim line format (up to 23kg). The standard specification includes: an inverter controller for the drum which allows a range of processing procedures to be carried out and also increases bearing and belt life; refrigerated solvent cooling, which is automatically adjusted by a Digiplus computer; automatic air filter cleaning; and back plate washing.

Where quick turnaround is essential, the Renzacci Speed Master is a 14kg machine which has a complete cycle time of just 30min.

The Realstar M and T series from Dane Realstar is another popular variety of perc machines. This modern drycleaning machine offers many innovative features, including refrigerated solvent chilling, auto still waste removal, fast drying system and exclusively to Realstar an advanced filtration system. This gives the benefit of a clean filter at all times, thereby reducing maintenance and the fear of colour in the filtered solvent flow.

"Where a business has a requirement for two drycleaning machines we often advise that the second machine be a hydrocarbon unit," says Mr Alexander of Renzacci. "While hydrocarbon is less effective on heavy soiling, it is ideal for more delicate fabrics and produces a beautifully soft feel to garments."

First with hydrocarbon

Renzacci says it was the first to develop the modern hydrocarbon drycleaning machine, and has plenty of experience in utilising this solvent. It currently offers the KWL range which comes in 15kg, 18kg, 20kg and 40kg capacities as well as twin versions.

Vortex drying chambers are the latest development now fitted as standard on all Firbimatic machines both perc and hydrocarbon from the smallest 10kg models up to the 60kg industrial units, states Andy Lambert of Firbimatic UK.

This design of drying chamber was originally developed for the Ecogreen hydrocarbon/GreenEarth ranges of machines to enable greater air flow during dry and thus reduce cycle times. Now that this recovery head is fitted to the company's perc machines, an industry standard two-bath cycle in approximately 35min is easily achieved.

Standard features on all Firbimatic machines include electronic dry control, still drying eco system, back plate flushing, twin lint screens and decolorant filter to name but a few, while its Ecogreen range also benefits from the standard fitting of refrigerated solvent cooling and self-cleaning lint screens.

For anyone looking for two machines in one, Mr Lambert says the three tank, two nylon filter option is a must. This configuration gives a dedicated lights tank, a filter and darks tank, and a filter with pure solvent stored in tank three.

To allow the owner/operator the comfort of not having to open the still door and manually rake out, Mr Lambert always strongly recommends the fitting of emission-free still residue removal pumps. This system also greatly improves solvent mileage by reducing the solvent in the residue to an absolute minimum prior to pump out.

Moving away from the use of perc, Firbimatic's Ecogreen range of multi solvent machines are Class III compliant and designed primarily to operate using hydrocarbon, GreenEarth and Rynex. Firbimatic UK has a wealth of knowledge with the use of these. The EcoGreen range is also available in high-spin, soft-mount configuration to allow greater extraction of solvent and further reduce cycle times.

Widest selection

Last but not least, Banbury-based Böwe offers one of the widest selection of drycleaning equipment available today in the UK. Catering across the entire spectrum of machines, from premium grade Böwe to competitively priced SailStar, and with a selection of solvents from perc through hydrocarbon to the new generation multi-solvents, Böwe claims to have an appropriately-sized, specified and priced machine for every application.

Its newest range, launched in June, is the sixth Generation series of perc models and a multi-solvent series for hydrocarbon and all other chlorine-free alternative solvents. The complete range offers load capacities from 12kg to 30kg. All models can be equipped with three tanks (standard from 21kg upwards) and feature the latest version of CS3000 computer control, variable speed drive and an electronic balancing system (EBS). They are available with a wide selection of options including second filters, the special Eco package and the new empty soap drum alert.

Böwe sixth generation multi-solvent machines are particularly versatile. These machines are suitable for all class A III chlorine-free solvents with a flash point greater than 55°C and that are lighter than water (such as hydrocarbon or cyclo-siloxanes like GreenEarth). By simply changing software settings, all functions and processes are adjusted to the solvent chosen.

Energy and water consumption on the sixth generation machines have been noticeably reduced (up to 25% with selected perc models). The further optimised Böwe Power Drying System, with its ultra-smooth airflows, high extraction speed and dynamic cage perforations, makes cycle times very short. Cost can also be saved in distillation with a newly developed load level sensor, which ensures that only so much solvent is pumped into the cage as is needed for the current load.

New generation

The sixth generation machines make routine care simple, ensuring that the operatives' hands remain clean, with automatic filter maintenance, self-cleaning water separators, and the optional emission-free rake out and newly developed Interactive Maintenance System (IMS) bundles maintenance steps intelligently and has them run simultaneously.

At the other end of the scale for the drycleaner on a budget, Böwe is now offering the latest range of Sailstar drycleaning machines in the UK.

With a selection of capacities ranging from 10kg upwards, these perc machines a range of hydrocarbon machines will follow shortly are well specified and engineered. The past years have seen a massive investment by Sailstar in all aspects of design, specification, materials, manufacture, quality, distribution and back-up service, to arrive at the point today where the brand is a true world-class competitor. Details such as quality solid brass bodied valves with stainless steel seats, top-class welding and a superior finish set the brand apart.

Anticipated to be the best sellers in the range are the competitively priced and specified two tank slimline SailstarSP models in 10kg and 14kg capacities. Available in steam or electrically heated versions, the SP325 and 330 feature a user-friendly, fully programmable computer control with self-diagnostics. There's a wealth of stainless steel components loading door, recovery section, basket, still housing, still condenser, water separator, filter housing, and, unusually at this price level, stainless steel solvent piping. Emission-free solvent filling and a double water separator are standard fitments, as are electronic still overfill preventer and a dosing unit.

The 14kg machine is also available as the SP430, which, for a nominal price difference, brings into the specification additional features such as emission-free rakeout, a second (all-carbon) filter and a carbon recovery unit. The larger P430, 440 and 460 models further extend the Sailstar range, with similarly competitive specifications and prices.

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