Do you have problems with machines or products that you use at your laundry? Would you like to make things clearer on future possible technological development in dry-cleaningand manufacturing sector? Do you need to check issues such as laws, regulations and procedures? Knowing how many questions you deal with while at work, Detergo dedicates this new and useful tool, “The Technician Answers” column to its readers. In every issue Gualtiero Beretta, one of the most wanted repairing technicians and consultants in the world of dry-cleaning for years will cope with every question thanks to his skills, analytical competences and reliability. You can consult him by sending your e-mails to tecnico@berettagualtiero.it
Is it worth installing a detergent dosing pump in a small industrial wet-cleaning washing machine? What characteristics must a good pump system have? If one has many washing machines, what is the best way to proceed…is it necessary to install a pump in each one?
Luisella Calvi
C.B. Laundry – Gaggiano
Dear Luisella,
the answer is: certainly yes. An automatic dosing system can bring important advantages:
- Saving the operator’s time. They will only need to start the washing cycle.
- Making the execution of washing cycles much more practical and quicker by avoiding the operator’s intervention during which they might get their hands dirty and wash them in order to proceed with other works.
- Saving the detergent as the dosage will always be repeated correctly.
- Obtaining constant and repetitive results having first set the system correctly.
- Significant risk reduction connected to products manipulation such as alkaline detergents, peracetic acid, bleaching products.
- Keeping the costs under control assuming that setting the dosing system includes drawing up a table with washing costs that allows the operator to know the cost of each washing cycle before starting it.
All these advantages bring fast amortization of costs related to the dosing system itself. There are even more advantages if an operator works with wet-cleaning washing systems where the number of products and programs is higher and it becomes a bit more difficult to manage various washing “recipes” manually.
Once the advantages have been listed, I would always suggest buying the dosing system rather than renting it on the basis of a free loan with products supply as renting costs more in the long term and it also implies a binding agreement with the supplier.
An automatic dosing system can be optimal depending however, on the technician who sets it up. The combination of products dosage (dosing system programming), washing programs (washing machine programming) and work system (operator’s “programming”) is fundamental indeed; the lack of one of these three elements can be a real disadvantage for the final result. Therefore, the choice of a dosing system implies the evaluation of the installer’s and the washing technician’s competences, among other things. Technically, the pumps need to have correct dimensions depending on the capacity of the washing machine as a small pump would take too much time to dose for a big washing machine while a big pump would not be precise while dosing for a small washing machine. The system needs to offer the possibility of setting an adequate number of dosing programs (there could even be 50 of them, depending on the system type and the capacity of the washing machine) and it also needs to have a sufficient number of peristaltic pumps in order to manage all the product types such as detergents/finishing products/bleaching products commonly used. So, in my opinion, there should be at least 8 of them considering that there are an alkaline detergent, a neutral one, an acid one, a peracetic bleaching product, a degreasing product, two finishing softeners and an additional product such as an enzyme in a given washing system.
Nowadays, there are some new dosing systems on the market able to connect all the pumps through a joint that can sort and handle the pumping system in a number of washing machines (up to 10); systems of this kind allow great saving rate as their price can be distributed over the pumps in use in all the washing machines. The drawback of a multi-washing machine system derives from the fact that, in case of simultaneous dosing, the time needed for the detergent to get in contact with the washing is delayed. If two or more washing machines request the dosing of a product simultaneously, the first washing machine will be served immediately by the system while the second and the third will be served one after another in line, after serving the previous one. This way, the detergent’s action is reduced in time as it gets into the washing later. The only possible exception to this problem, if possible in the washing machine, such dosing systems can actually activate a pause mode while the washing machine is waiting for it to be supplied with the product. Such a solution solves the problem completely, under the condition, as mentioned before, that this function can be activated in the control system of a washing machine.
As an alternative solution to these brand new systems, one can install single dosing groups that are completely independent for each washing machine, where their only common point could be the dip tubes in the detergent barrels in order to reduce their storage.
Looking forward to providing any further information
Best Regards
Gualtiero Beretta started to work as a maintenance technician in the sector of laundry machines in 1989 at DONINI International SpA official customer care office and gained his experience while working for the main Italian machine manufacturers. Specialized in preventive maintenance, in mechanical maintenance of bearings and rolling elements, qualified, and in the possession of the certificate for refrigerating system maintenance, Beretta has acquired great working experience together with broad technical scientific knowledge through hard work and his passion for it. He publishes important information relative to the operators of the sector on his updated website www.berettagualtiero.it.
DETERGO MAGAZINE
MAY 2016
