17.144 operators, 40% of them foreigners, coming from 106 countries. These were the visitors of the four-days trade fair. This is our business card. These are the official numbers of EXPOdetergo International 2022. Because EXPOdetergo International is a certified trade fair, and for this reason, a reliable exhibition for all the players from the textile care market.
There are no doubts that the International Trade Fair that has just closed its gates, was the one of the restart after two long years of health crisis and the last year characterised by the speculative energy crisis, which concerned (and still continues to worry) a lot the textile care sector. An event characterised by an unanimous atmosphere of great enthusiasm and satisfaction.
An image that remained well imprinted into my mind is that of the morning of 21 October, with crowded people, waiting at the trade fair’s entrance gates. It was the feeling of leaving behind two critical, difficult, and cumbersome years. But let’s continue with sharing the numbers, 250 exhibitors, 33% of them foreign from 22 countries.
“We met operators from all over the world, and this confirms and reinforces the international role of the event, but above all, the exhibiting companies were able to experience the quality of an evolved and demanding professional visitor, who appreciated the research and development work behind the machines and products in offer at the show”, observes Marco Sancassani, President of EXPOdetergo International.
“These were days of business and great substance, in which several companies signed contracts. The change and innovation that the companies have presented can now find its way into laundries, laying the foundations for the future of this market, with a focus on sustainability, digitalisation and ergonomics, characteristics that are shared by all the present offerings”, added Paolo Pizzocaro, Fiera Milano, director of the exhibition.
The watchword of the event was doing more with less. A necessity linked to the choice of greater sustainability, but made even more urgent by the high energy bills, which is a pressing matter for a sector that has high energy consumption: it is estimated, in fact, that for industrial laundries, gas consumption being equal, the increase in energy costs has reached 600%. Technological progress, research and development are the answers behind the solutions presented at the event.
Products and services for the industrial laundry and small laundries for all tastes and needs. A very wide offer available on the market today worldwide was presented at the exhibition: super-spin and energy-saving washing machines, ergonomic and low-consumption ironing systems, fully digitalised machines that manage the washing/ironing chain even remotely, highly effective and eco-friendly professional detergents, and up to textile proposals (bedding and table linen), with fine fabrics and linen for rental.
EXPOdetergo International 2022 highlighted the evolution of the sector. On the machinery side, manufacturers are turning into real consultants for energy saving plans. The industrial laundry becomes 4.0 and finds room for savings and optimisation through automated line management. This reduces time and, with it, costs. The machines are interconnected and talk to each other, they simulate the flow in a virtual way to search for the most efficient one and enable realtime monitoring of workstations, performance verification and remote control of the whole chain. A latest generation line was hes, irons and folds 1 kg of laundry with about 0.8 kWh, whereas older machines require 2.5 kwh. A saving that makes a big difference.
On the ironing front, cold technology allows, thanks to worktops coated with a special anti-condensation treatment, to reduce energy costs and work in a healthier environment. But detergents also make an essential contribution. Ozone technology used in combination with innovative chemicals improves washing efficiency: time is reduced, working at low temperatures (washing at 15 degrees is sufficient) and electricity consumption is reduced, with savings of up to 80%. As always, the trade fair was the perfect place of confrontation and comparison for the laundry machines, products and services that correspond to different philosophies and orientations of the manufacturers.
This is the beautiness of the free market… •
Detergo Magazine November 2022
edited by
Marzio Nava
