Designed for flexibility

17 November 2021



Ironers come in all shapes and sizes. We review just a handful that have arrived over the past 18 months


Ironers that can cut down on costly tumble drying time are attracting attention according to Mercé Bover of Girbau who told LCNi a year ago that “Heavy duty chest type ironers are machines ready to process linen coming out straight from the batch washers or big washer extractors with no need for pre-drying.” If anything, that has become an even greater selling point as the world struggles with rising gas prices.

Space saving models have alsoo come into their own lately. The new Compact PRO flatwork ironer from Girbau is a latest generation device that allows five functions to be performed in one, in the minimum space. This machine makes it possible to feed, dry, iron, fold and stack in a single unit, as synchronisation and ease of use are in the DNA of the Compact sPRO ironing system. The heating power of the Compact PRO allows linen to be ironed directly with no need to go through the dryer first, saving time and energy and at the same time guaranteeing an outstanding quality finish thanks to surface finishing by the roller and the alternating straps. This new system also has what is knows as adaptable folding, allowing it to make up to two primary folds, up to three cross folds on one lane or the option of making two cross folds on two lanes. Finally, compact PRO is equipped with guards and security features for the user's peace of mind and is available in the CompactPro600 model, allowing throughputs of up to 175 kg/h of linen; or the CompactPro800 model, allowing throughputs of up to 220 kg/h of linen, with the possibility of increasing this thanks to the high-speed option (25 rain) for working with pre-dried linen or with a high polyester content.

From GMP, the new £2 does not just iron - it trains the operator, suggesting best process practices and clearing operational doubts; communicates with the user with simple and clear messages; amd offers dedicated SHARP software platform to manage the small operational mistakes limiting the power when necessary (GEMINI twin control).

The MYPROGRAMS section allows operators to create and save up to 50 customised ironing programs, which are the perfect solution for commercial laundries. E2 saves energy waste thanks to Sleep Mode which automatically switches to a rest mode when unuse is detected. And, it keeps records of the last 50 events connected to errors and registers the maximum daily temperatures as well as including a test program section for a quick troubleshooting

"At GMP, we are particularly proud of £2: this second generation of E line is definitely making a break-through in the market and our Partner Distributors are already enthusiastic about the opportunities it is opening up," says Rudi Giaon.

Jensen’s Kalor ironer combines the durability and rigidity of a fixed chest ironer with the capacity of a flexible chest ironer. The higher evaporation capacity of the semi-flexible chest offers two key benefits: Firstly, the extra evaporation capacity enables a higher output. Secondly, ironing temperature can be reduced, which extends the life of the linen without compromising capacity.

Where conventional flexible chest ironers contain chests with a thickness of 4 mm, the Kalor ironers impress with a thick carbon steel plate of 8 mm. The thicker chest made of carbon steel and its polished surface ensures perfect contact to the roll and therefore fabulous finishing results. With this sustainable approach, laundries can extend the lifetime of the chest as deep scratches can easily be repaired. In effect, more material guarantees higher quality and longevity.

The outer plate of the chest is 2mm thick with a unique welding pattern that provides more volume inside the flaw channels. The oil volume inside the chest is increased by 25%, increasing evaporation capacity and reaching record speeds. The parallel flow guarantees a higher and more stable heat distribution and surpasses chests with serial flow.

Jensen has always used carbon steel material for its ironers as it outperforms stainless steel when finishing: the low friction of the wet linen reduces the risk of pleated linen, and at the same time, increases the lifetime of both linen and padding.

It also requires less energy to drive the rolls and multiplies the heat conduction by a factor of four. The new flexible chest combines the advantages of a fixed chest and a flexible chest, incorporating bigger flow channels and thicker material.

A conventional fixed chest ironer cannot achieve the same evaporation capacity, which is further reduced as the padding wears over time, and as such, there is less contact to the roll.

In any heavy-duty ironer, the more the better: a thicker chest, a higher evaporation, a better finishing quality, and a much better performance for more linen to be processed. These eight millimeters will make a big difference in any laundry's finishing section.

  • Please turn to International Showcase for more ironer innovations and suppliers

CUNNING COMBINATIONS: the Girbau Compact PRO flatwork ironer that allows five functions to be performed in one
CUNNING COMBINATIONS: Combining the best of both worlds, the Kalor ironer from Jensen combines the rigidity of a fixed chest ironer with the capacity of a flexible chest ironer


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