Guide to OPL dryers

Efficient drying delivers reduced energy costs

1 February 2012



Tony Vince examines how the latest dryer innovations can help OPL operators further reduce their energy bills


The ever-rising cost of resources means that energy efficiency is becoming a high priority for all laundry operators, whether OPL or rental. Drying remains one of the most energy-consuming processes in the laundry and machine manufacturers are responding with dryer innovations that can significantly affect the overall cost of running an OPL laundry.

Electrolux Laundry Systems (ELS) has developed its latest T5000 series of tumble dryers in response to the growing demand for machines that provide shorter cleaning and drying cycles without compromising on quality.

Drying times have been cut to an average of 10minutes compared with similar models from previous generations, reducing energy consumption by up to 20%. The high-speed T5000 dryers have an average life span of 30,000 cycles.

ELS has designed the machines with large doors and magnetic door catches, repositioned lint filter systems and displays for pre-programmed drying. Because the dryers take up less wall space, a laundry’s production area is increased by up to 20%.

Electrolux has also added its Compass Pro program interface to the T5000 series. Operators can match the drying program to their requirements by choosing the Eco Button, which saves 10% more energy than a regular cycle or the Care Button, which gives a better finish to the linen or the Speed Button, which gives the shortest possible cycle.

Making maintenance easier

ELS has made several improvements to make regular maintenance much easier and so prolong the life of the dryers. Support rollers are positioned at the front, eliminating alignment problems and extending the life of the main bearing. Two motors, fan and drum, are included as standard, timer access is improved and dryers can be fitted with an optional exhaust on top for servicing. An optional single phase reversing drum is also available.

The T5000 series is available in three models with the following drum capacities – the T5290 up to 16kg, the T5550 to 30kg and the T5675 to 37kg.

A luxury hotel in Essex now operates its laundry service as a business in its own right after recently installing ELS laundry equipment. The Milsom Group, owners of the Maison Talbooth hotel near Colchester, upgraded the laundry to make it a profit centre for the hotel. Since the update, the hotel laundry service has taken on the laundry requirements of all four hotels in the Milsom Group, as well as those of the catering division, which provides outdoor catering services around the area.

The laundry installed four ELS dryers and two ironers. Sheets can be taken directly out of the dryers and placed in the ironers for an optimum finish. Four ELS washers were also installed, each with a specific cleaning function.

Daniel Courtney, hotel manager says: “The laundry is working to full capacity. We have four laundry operators working from Monday to Friday and during our busiest periods, we can do the laundry not only for the hotels but also for a number of outside catering events a week.”

Research and development

Peter Marsh, managing director of Girbau UK says professional launderers know that drying is by far the most expensive part of their process.

“With energy costs high and expected to rise further, Girbau’s research and development teams have invested heavily to bring to market the most energy efficient conventional dryers available today,” he adds.

Customers that want to reduce energy bills immediately can do so by upgrading to Girbau UK’s latest ED Series EcoDryers and taking advantage of the company’s Complete Laundry Care package. There is no upfront capital cost as equipment rental, service and maintenance are all included in an affordable fixed monthly payment.

The company claims that the latest ED Series EcoDryers are amongst the most energy efficient conventional tumble dryers available on the market. The range covers capacities of 13, 17, 23 and 33kg.

Designed as the next generation in tumble drying technology and said to be more energy efficient than other conventional dryers, Girbau’s ED Series EcoDryers feature Transflow technology that combines both radial and axial airflows for maximum efficiency and drying throughout the drum, reduced cycle times and lower energy costs.

The series is available in gas-heated and electric versions. Girbau uses cabinet insulation and a double-glazed door to optimise energy efficiency and prevent heat escaping from the ED Series dryers to the laundry.

Large opening doors make loading and unloading simpler and the large capacity lint filter can be accessed easily for cleaning. The highly accurate built-in humidity control system automatically senses when clothes are dry and activates the cooldown process, so maximising energy efficiency and assuring textile care.

Girbau ED Series EcoDryers feature 10 preset programs for most commonly laundered fabrics and further program options can be added easily, where required.

Short-cut options

These include three short-cut options. Eco automatically reduces energy consumption for the greatest energy efficiency. Soft adjusts drum movement and temperature for delicate items and there is also a half-load option. All three options can be used in combination as required.

Girbau’s G-drive system manages the operation of the inverter and motor controlling drum speed so programs precisely match the drying needs of each different type of fabric, whilst also ensuring that the dryer delivers optimal efficiency, longer life and the lowest possible total cost of ownership. The large drum is manufactured from top quality stainless steel plate and seated on a shaft with bearing rather than support wheels. This ensures very quiet operation and trouble-free long life.

The drum’s Care Touch design avoids sharp edges and also prolongs linen life. The dryer’s flat-blade, high-speed fan does not have inner joints, ensuring high performance stability and low machine maintenance.

Guiding principle

Simplicity is the guiding principle behind Miele Professional’s development of its heat-pump technology which the company says can deliver energy savings of up to 60%.

Hot, moisture-laden air from the dryer is passed through the heat-pump where is it cooled and dehumidified through condensation in a heat-exchanger. The air then proceeds through a second heat-exchanger, where it is re-heated before it is passed through the drum. Because the system uses a closed air circuit, there is no need for vent ducting, so reducing installation costs.

According to Miele, the system has major advantages over vented and traditional condenser dryers. The cooling and dehumidifying air releases energy that is captured and used to pre-heat cold, dry air.

This approach retains the latent heat within the process and thorough dehumidification means that the temperature of the process air can be kept at very low levels.

Miele Professional says electricity consumption is reduced as heat-pump dryers do not require electrical heating elements.

Because most of the moisture is removed by the evaporator, air can be recirculated back into the drum, so allowing for a vent-free design.

The intensive dehumidification achieved by the heat-pump system gives similar results to a conventional dryer at lower process air temperatures.

The dryers provide extremely gentle laundry care, giving a perfect finish even on delicate items, says Miele Professional.

The dryers feature the company’s patented honeycomb drum. The sculptured hexagonal pattern on the drum and the SoftLift ribs lift the laundry high and then cushion garments gently on pockets of air as they fall.

The ribs form part of Miele’s PerfectDry electronic moisture sensing system that monitors drying progress and ensures spot-on drying results.

Airflows

Axial airflow in the drum prolongs the contact time with laundry to provide intensive and uniform drying.

Three different heat-pump dryer models are currently available. The PT 8257 has a drum volume of 250litres with a load capacity of between 10 – 13kg of laundry.

The PT 8337 WP with a drum volume of 325litres has a load capacity of 13 – 16kg.

Both models have short cycle times and the company says that 10kg of laundry can be completely dried in 44minutes (with a reduction in residual moisture level from 50% to 0%).

In addition, Miele has expanded its Little Giant range by introducing the PT 5137 WP heat-pump dryer. With a load capacity of 6.5kg, the PT 5137 WP is said to achieve savings in electricity consumption of up to 50% compared with a conventional condenser dryer.

A care home situated in the German town of Burgdof in Lower Saxony reports significantly lower electricity costs after installing two Miele heat pump dryers.

The dryers do not require venting and the care home says this is highly important, as the building is close to other houses and so the home avoids complaints about exhaust air, associated odour and lint.

Previously the home’s old laundry had been prohibited from operating on Sundays to comply with town regulations. Now, with the duct-free Miele machines in place, the laundry is fully compliant and can provide its residents with freshly laundered items at the weekends.

Laundry operating costs

Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems says energy costs form a large proportion of laundry operating costs – and there is little likelihood of these costs reducing in the near future.

The company, which supplies and supports the Alliance Laundry System range in the UK, says the issue of over-drying has significant cost implications for laundry operators.

Alliance’s Huebsch dryers feature Overdrying Prevention Technology (OPT). This is said to cut energy costs, prolong the life of linens and, perhaps just as importantly, reduce labour costs.

Armstrong says that the full range of OPT dryers (excluding coin-op and small cabinet models) is now coming on stream following the launch this technology on selected models at the end of 2011.

The Alliance Huebsch dryer range has fifteen different models from 25 – 170lb and including 30lb and 45lb Twinstar stacking models.

The final moisture content for each cycle is fixed by the operator and the OPT system delivers it with the optimum balance of heat input and cycle time. Sensors deliver a constant stream of dryness data to the control system.

Progressive heat reduction

The dryer uses high temperature heat at the beginning of the drying cycle because wet work can handle more heat than dry fabrics. As the load dries, the heat input is progressively reduced.

Armstrong says that the time reduction is an important factor. Reducing energy consumption but increasing drying times, as some systems do, results in lower productivity and higher labour costs which are a significant part of overall operating costs.

In addition, the prevention of over-drying reduces stress on the fabrics. Fibre loss is reduced by as much as 30%, so extending the life of the fabrics.

As well as its popular leasing arrangements, Armstrong offers a highly competitive fixed price rental scheme.

This is attractive to many OPL operators who value the benefit of the more accurate planning that the scheme allows. For professional launderers, extended payment terms may be negotiated.

Maytag Commercial Laundry provides commercial washers and dryers to the coin-op, multiple housing and on-premises markets. It offers OPL operators several sizes and models of both washer and dryer.

The Energy Advantage dryers range from 30 – 75lb and the company also has a traditional lineup of dryers from 30 – 170lb.

Maytag’s latest 75lb Energy Advantage dryer features moisture-sensing technology, improved airflow for faster dry times, and a reverse-tumble feature.

The tempered glass door and solid dryer drum help keep warm air in the drum, which forces more heated air through the load to reduce energy use.

The dryer features Maytag’s residual moisture control (RMC) sensing system to measure the presence of moisture in the load. It senses when the load is dry, shutting the unit down to prevent over-drying, which saves time, utility costs and increases the life of the laundry.




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