Configuring a Dry Cleaning Plant

A customer of ours recently experienced a fire in their central plant, so Tri-State was asked to help relocate and install equipment in a temporary facility more than half the size of the original plant.  It’s interesting -- I’ve been in a lot of dry cleaning production facilities and have seen what I thought to be smart and efficient layouts as well as poorly designed layouts.  Plus, I’ve been in this industry for over 33 years and always felt I had a good grasp on how to properly layout commercial dry cleaning and laundry equipment for maximum productivity, that is until we underwent this exercise.  If I am being completely honest, we all, including me, learned a lot about how much production space is really required to achieve maximum productivity.  Here are three things I learned and would like to share with you thanks to my recent experience:

1. Have a plan with a final goal in mind.  In our case, the customer had a catastrophe and had to set up a new facility, but many times the need for reconfiguring or moving is to accommodate an increase in volume.  Making these sorts of changes can be really expensive and may not all fit into the budget at one time.  Don’t cut corners; instead consider implementing a plan in phases until you reach your ultimate goal.
2. Just because you are great at operating a dry cleaning plant doesn’t mean you will also be great at designing one.  If you’ve been in the business as long as I have, then you’ve experienced a reduction in piece count over the years.  Because volumes aren’t what they used to be, it can pay to take a closer look at each station to see if there is an opportunity to reduce steps or to see if one person can handle multiple pieces of equipment.  If you are concerned about productivity and layout, consider hiring a professional dry cleaning designer.
3. Bigger isn’t always better.  It’s so tempting, since you’re already in the middle of the project, to get the biggest, best, fastest, coolest, most state-of-the-art piece of dry cleaning or laundry equipment out there, but do this with every single piece and suddenly you’ve gone way over your budget.  Be realistic with your choices. 

If you find yourself needing to reconfigure or move your business, don’t hesitate to give Tri-State a call at 1.866.885.5218.  We’ll be glad to help you figure out what you need so that you can maximize both your productivity and resources.

Heated Hydrocarbon Cleaning

Not only was the new Unipress Hurricane Double Buck Shirt Unit a hot topic at the 2015 Clean Show, heated hydrocarbon dry cleaning machines also generated a lot of buzz.  That’s because for years now, dry cleaners have been trying to find a more eco-friendly cleaning product that produces the same results as perc.  Unfortunately, few have performed at an adequate level, leaving many dry cleaners both holding off on upgrading equipment and wondering if there will ever be a magic bullet solution to the problem.

An organization in Texas conducted some testing using a hydrocarbon based cleaning solution, somewhere around 1970-1980.  Unfortunately, the testing didn’t progress too far.  We’re not sure why, but perhaps it had something to do with the machinery’s technology.  Fast forward to 2010, a long-time dry cleaning guru, recognizing that there needed to be an alternative to perc, analyzed the data from the previously mentioned testing and believed he’d found that magic bullet solution.  He also found data related to heat successfully cleaning industrial work gloves loaded with grease.  He believed that heat in conjunction with a high class petroleum based solvent was the ticket.

After hooking up with a dry cleaning friend that had a Georgia-based cleaner and specially ordering a machine, they started testing the theory.  Somewhere along the way, in addition to the heat, he determined that the proper detergent played an important role, and Wes Brunson with Fabritec International supplied that missing piece.  The results were simply amazing.  Pre-spotting, with the exception of things like ink, blood, and paint, all but disappeared.  Grease stains were removed easily.  Food spots were coming out 99% of the time without pre-spotting.  Dark loads were getting a 98% pass rate.  Many beaded and embellished garments could be cleaned with this method.  Whites were coming out brighter than if they’d been wet cleaned.  The fibers relaxed resulting in a nicer feel to the hand and fewer wrinkles on the garments, which translated into reduced finishing times.  And as an added bonus, there was no odor.  There is one catch -- these results came as long as everything is done properly -- the right programming in the right machine with the right detergent, but “the magic is in the heat”.

“The dry cleaning industry has long been looking for a viable alternative to perc,” said Kevin Lawson, Vice President of Tri-State.  “With its success in stain removal and reduction in waste, I see heated hydrocarbon as the future of the industry, possibly replacing perc permanently.”  If you are one of those operators that’s been holding off dry cleaning equipment upgrades or purchases for the arrival of the magic bullet solution, now could very well be that day.  Need help getting started?  Simply call us at 866-885-5218; we are here to help.

An Alternative to Perc

According to Wikipedia, the Kauri-butanol value ("Kb value") is an international, standardized measure of solvent power for a hydrocarbon solvent, and is governed by an ASTM standardized test, ASTM D1133.  And why is this number important?  Because solvents are typically used to dissolve materials, and the higher the Kb value, the better the solution dissolves and ultimately cleans.  Unfortunately if the number is too high, the solvent can pull color from and possibly damage garments.

According to a Dow MSDS sheet, the Kb value of perchloroethylene (typically called perc) is 90.  In the past, the benefit of using perc as your solvent was that it was a better cleaner.  Perc easily dissolves most oils, greases, and fats in the cleaning process.  But over the years the use of perc has declined as more environmentally friendly options have been developed.

At Tri-State, we are all for being more environmentally friendly whether it is ensuring best practices are followed or if a client wants to seek an alternative cleaning method besides perc.  Over the years, dry cleaners have been trying more eco-friendly cleaning products, but few have performed at an adequate level.  Customers ultimately were disappointed with the results.

Recently a long-time customer of ours, Bowen Cleaners in Greenville, North Carolina, switched from a couple of perc machines to a Realstar 80lb Dry Cleaning machine using DF2000, a synthetic hydrocarbon fluid which has a Kb value of 27.  We were happy to be a part of that process and consider Rich Volk, the owner, an extremely knowledgeable resource as to the changeover of performance and results.  So far, Rich has been pleased with the results.  “I grew up using perc, and it is still the best cleaner by far,” said Rich.  “But using the hydrocarbon solvent and upgrading to the optional Realstar solvent heater, I’m getting better results on water-soluble stains and my spotting has gone down 50-60%.”  I learned a number of things during my conversation with Rich, and here is my takeaway:

• Perc is still the best cleaner, especially at getting out oil-based stains.
• Hydrocarbon, even with the lower Kb value -- as long as you are using the right soap, is a great alternative, and it is great at getting out water-soluble stains.
• Hydrocarbon produces significantly less waste than perc.  Rich was disposing 4-6 drums every 5 weeks and is now disposing 1 drum roughly every 10 weeks.
• On a down side, his cycle times have increased significantly but he has combated that by using a machine with a larger capacity.
• He is getting better mileage out of hydrocarbon solvent, so he is recognizing a cost saving there as well.
• Hydrocarbon isn’t limited to just Realstar machines; he is also using the same process in a Union machine.
• There isn’t as much federal or state red tape involved with using DF2000.

If you are in the market for a new dry cleaning machine and are debating on which solvent to go with, weigh the pros and cons of all the options out there.  As you weigh your options, be sure to speak with a machine manufacturer, such as Realstar USA, who can suggest an experienced distributor to help bring the project to fruition.  You may just decide that hydrocarbon could prove to be a great choice for your business just as it has been for Bowen Cleaners.  

Is Something Slowing You Down?

I’m sure you pay close attention to your production equipment – washing and dry cleaning machines, pressing equipment, etc.  But do you go as far as to check the fill times on those machines?  Why is fill time important?  Well it can hold up your production process and in turn cost you money.

Washing Machines – Fill times will vary based on incoming water pipe size and the size of the machine itself.  But if your machine seems to be filling slowly check for clogged hose screens and drain valves that aren’t properly sealed.  Both are simple to do but instructions do vary a bit depending on the brand of machine you have.  Be sure to consult the owner’s manual and follow all the safety procedures before starting.

Dry Cleaning Machines – Cycle times can vary depending on these simple factors.  First, make sure all pump strainers are clean.  Second, ensure that the level float switches are working properly to ensure proper fill levels.  Finally, make sure that the filter and spin disk is clean to allow solvent to flow freely without added back pressure from solid build up.

Refrigeration and Steam Coils – Cleaning these should be part of your annual maintenance plan.  If they are not cleaned, air flow will be restricted, dry time will increase, and the wheel will hold a solvent odor.  Coils are actually easily cleaned by simply removing quick fittings and then wiping down with coil cleaner from a refrigeration supply business.  Make sure before you remove these coils that you have new gaskets and proper waste containers to dispose of the lint, acid, and rinse water.

So bottom line – watch the time it takes for you to process a load.  It may tell you if something in your plant is slowing you down. 

Keep The Air Flowing

Lots of people say I keep the hot air flowing but enough about me.....

Air flow during the dry cleaning dry cycle and cool down is incredibly important. Why? There are two reasons. First, when the air flow is restricted by clogged filters and coils it extends the dry cycle. Second, you can get incomplete drying resulting in poor solvent mileage. How does it get restricted? Lint just builds up over time.

In a perfect setup here’s how it should work: The air during the dry cycle flows freely from the blower through the steam coil into the wheel then through the condenser housing (refrigeration coil) and button trap. The cycle repeats until the sensor moves to the next step.

Within this cycle are several filters. What I find when I visit plants is filters that are in poor condition and badly clogged from inadequate cleaning. All the filters should be vacuumed thoroughly and kept clean without embedded lint for proper air flow. Filters should also be replaced if they aren’t in good condition. If your filters have holes, all those little lint bunnies will pass through the holes to land in your condenser coil. This also slows air flow, reduces heat transfer, and prolongs the dry cycle.

The solution is simple. Clean all filters after each load. Keep an eye on the condition of your filters and replace those that are worn out. Once a year pull out your condenser coil and spray with coil cleaner then rinse.

The bottom line is this. If you keep your coil and filters clean, you’ll enjoy faster more complete drying times; produce more loads per hour; and save in labor, utility, and solvent costs.