The OPL market is growing as an increasing number of establishments in both commercial and institutional sectors take laundry in house to gain direct control of costs and standards.
“Reliability is what really matters” say Tom Lowes, director of Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems, which supplies a wide range of dryers into the OPL market, including the US-built Huebsch and Speed Queen models – the world’s best selling commercial dryers which range from 8kg (200 litre) to 77kg (1400 litre) capacities. The vended versions of these dryers were recently described by Tony Duckworth, President of NALI, who manages 11 launderettes, as “definitely the best dryers on the market”. Tom Lowes, director of Armstrong, said, “While there are lots of factors to take into account when buying dryers for an OPL we find customers rate simplicity, reliability and longevity as the key points. The Huebsch and Speed Queen models are simple to operate, give excellent results and are renowned the world over for reliability. And if anything does go wrong, our customers know it will be dealt with quickly.”
At the beautiful Gliffaes Country House Hotel in the Brecon Beacons, the motor on their 16kg Huebsch dryer, the larger of two dryers in their laundry, which had been giving continuous service for 15 years, needed replacing. Armstrong responded quickly to the service request, the motor was replaced and the machine is now back in full time use.
Peter Marsh, managing director of Girbau UK says that while healthcare remains a large and important market for OPL laundries including dryers, Girbau UK is seeing stronger growth from the hospitality sector, particular hotels.
This includes larger groups like Hilton Worldwide and the growing boutique and independent hotel sector, where installing one of Girbau’s on-premise towel laundries typically delivers a return on investment within 12-18 months.
Marsh expects the hospitality sector to continue to offer growth post-Brexit, as a weaker pound increases the UK staycation market and attracts more tourists from abroad.
“Customers are also looking beyond the initial outlay of purchasing new dryers and considering the total cost of ownership,” says Marsh. “Reliability remains important, but energy efficiency is key to keeping operational costs to a minimum.”
Girbau UK also expects growth to come from increased sales to the wetcleaning sector, where the sophisticated controls of the latest ED series of Girbau dryers ensure that delicate items are dried safely, efficiently and cost-effectively.
The highly reliable and accurate built-in humidity control system automatically senses when clothes are dry and activates the cool down process.
The ED Series EcoDryers feature Girbau Transflow technology. This is a combination of both radial and axial airflow for maximum efficiency and drying throughout the drum, reduced cycle times and lower energy consumption. Cabinet insulation and a double-glazed door further optimise energy efficiency and prevent heat escaping to the laundry.
Girbau ED Series EcoDryers feature intuitive and easy to use controls. There are 10 preset programs catering for most commonly laundered fabrics. Three short-cut functions, Eco, Soft and Half-Load are ideal for day-to-day adjustment and can be used in combination. Girbau’s exclusive G-drive system manages the operation of the inverter and motor controlling drum speed so that programs precisely match the drying needs of each different type of fabric.
The large drum is manufactured from top quality stainless steel plate and seated on a shaft with bearing rather than support wheels. This ensures quiet operation and trouble-free long life. The drum’s Care Touch design and lack of sharp edges also prolongs linen life. In addition, the dryer’s flat-blade high-speed fan with no inner joints ensures high performance stability and low machine maintenance.
While borrowing costs are historically low, many businesses are still finding it difficult to get access to funds. Girbau UK offers several finance options including rental and lease purchase that maximise the saving that can be achieved over the life of the product. They can also be used to minimise the need for up-front payment. Finally, Girbau’s Complete Laundry Care plans are proving increasingly popular because they include rapid response service and maintenance included in a single fixed monthly payment.
Hilton London Kensington is the latest Hilton Hotel in the UK to have an on-premise laundry installed by Girbau. Previously its laundry processed bathrobes, face cloths, blankets and general housekeeping items, while bed linen and towels were processed off-site. A key objective of the new laundry was to enable the hotel to add the processing of a daily average of 1,200kg of towels.
Following a comprehensive study of the existing laundry, Girbau’s laundry consultant was able to recommend the mix of machines required to maximise operational efficiency and flexibility. In addition to a range of Girbau washers, the laundry has two Girbau UK Pro Series II GU170, 77kg capacity dryers, one ED460 23kg capacity EcoDryer and one ED340 17kg capacity EcoDryer, all gas-fired. With a mix of smaller and larger machines, the hotel can process a wide range of items in varying quantities as well as the ability to launder guests’ items, as required.
The rise in the number of businesses investing in OPLs in recent years has certainly redefined the shape of the commercial laundry market, says Mick Christian, regional training and demonstration manager for laundry, at Electrolux Professional. “New technologies which economise on space without compromising on quality have given end-users the ability to take control of their laundry practice, with a view to gaining tighter control on quality and costs,” he says.
“For the vast majority of OPLs, the biggest consumer of energy is the tumble dryer, so the latest innovations must be able to deliver enhanced performance to ensure the theoretical benefits of bringing laundry in house are actually met. However, given that overall productivity will always come first as far as the laundry’s objectives are concerned, as long as a dryer can cope with linen demand, it is not often replaced before it starts to fail.
“While customers are generally interested in the energy-saving credentials of drying equipment, this would very rarely persuade someone to replace a functional device. However, with new technology being developed and brought to market all the time, it may be that over the years to come, we see energy efficiency levels become so favourable that a more proactive look at the replacement of equipment becomes more common.
Electrolux Professional recently launched the T5190 Low Energy (LE) Dryer. Also known as the Heat Pump Dryer, it conserves heat rather than releasing it into the surrounding environment, so decreasing energy consumption by more than a half compared to conventional dryers with a class A energy label. While this equates to a drying cycle of up to two hours for other heat pump dryers, Electrolux’s T5190LE model only takes 51 minutes to complete the full load cycle. The Plug-and-Play design makes for a stress-free, flexible installation; and with no exhaust or ventilation needed, the T5190LE it has one of the smallest footprints on the market, as well as reduced noise levels.
“One the biggest trends we’ve witnessed is smaller businesses that traditionally would’ve either outsourced their laundry, or relied on domestic machines with varying results, investing in OPL solutions,” says Christian. “This has largely been possible due to the emergence of equipment which has a similar footprint to domestic machines, but the power and robustness of a professional laundry solution. Electrolux Professional’s myPRO dryer is a great example of this.”
Suitable for many businesses such as guest houses, salons, gyms and small care homes, the myPRO range offers the longevity of a professional machine but in a much more compact unit. It can be stacked on top of a washer to further reduce footprint. The Automatic Moisture Control Technology prevents linen from over-drying, and the cycle can be instantly stopped at any time once the desired moisture level has been achieved. This shortens cycle times and ultimately gives the OPL a much greater level of accuracy and control compared to domestic machines.
Electrolux has developed three, five or seven-year leasing options that work on a monthly rental cost basis, to make our leasing options as simple as possible for customers. Through the company’s Excellence Agreement, customers enter into a simple monthly payment plan that also provides peace of mind if something was to go wrong. The Excellence Agreement includes equipment, delivery, installation, servicing and removal of existing equipment. This structure minimises downtime with regular health checks and protects a business, should something go wrong.
Increasing energy costs has created a demand for improved levels of energy efficiency in the laundry process, according to Miele Professional. “Bringing laundries in-house can make a huge difference to energy bills as well as giving businesses greater control over the process and the quality of results.
Miele Professional allows operators to use alternative energy sources to power their dryers. For example, the Miele H2O dryer can be used wherever hot water is available. This could come directly from a combined heat and power unit, produced using local heat networks or alternative energies. Similarly, where hot water is produced as a by-product in other systems, this dryer can be used to cut the cost of drying. Hotel Höltje in Germany installed a Miele Professional H2O dryer at the end of June 2015.
The machine is extremely cost-effective as the process air in the tumble dryer is heated using 80C hot water from the storage tanks connected to a co-generation plant. The tanks store heated cooling water and this heat is available to the hotel owner to run the Miele Professional dryer at no extra charge. The machine runs roughly ten times a day and dries at least 200kg of laundry each day.
In addition to having low energy costs, the H2O dryer uses Miele’s patented honeycomb drum, which ensures gentle fabric care and less creasing; and the PerfectDry system, which constantly monitors the residual moisture content of the textiles to end the drying when the required stage has been reached.
Another innovation from Miele is the slimline heat-pump dryer, which now includes an 8-10kg model (PT8203) and also uses the honeycomb drum design. At 711mm wide, they are among the slimmest commercial machines available. They can easily be installed in areas where space is restricted providing more businesses with the option to have an on-premise laundry.
Hot, moisture-laden air from the dryer is passed through a heat pump, where it is cooled and dehumidified. The air then proceeds through a second heat exchanger, where it is re-heated before it is passed through the drum. The closed air circuit removes the need for vent ducting, which can reduce the expense of installation and makes it easy to install where no external walls are available.
The fully encapsulated heat-pump module is fitted underneath the drum. This ensures optimum heat insulation and excellent sound insulation, whilst a self-governed cooling system protects the machine from overheating in ambient room temperatures of up to 43C. This further increases the energy efficiency and reliability of the machines.
