4 LCT July-August 2010

Kannegiesser Exhibition

KANNEGIESSER‘PRIVATE

EXHIBITION’ -AN

IMPRESSIVESTATEMENT OF

SUPREMECOMMITMENT

TOEXCELLENCE

Irving Scott reports

Every three or fouryears the Kannegiessercompany opens itsdoors to the world

laundry business by holding an‘invitation only’ presentation ofits products, systems and ideasto what must be described as the‘best’ representatives of thatindustry. Prior to the 2010event, which closed after 10days of continuous action on14th June, the presentation ofthe equipment was centred onthe main factory in Vlotho someten or twelve miles from thenew large venue in BadSalzuflen, at that town’sexhibition centre.Here we found, arrayed in a

beautifully staged layout in a6,000 sq. metre hall, the fullpanoply of the Kannegiesserproduct range including morethan 60 laundry machinesolutions to the industry’sprocessing requirements. Theover-riding impression, as onepassed through the receptionarea into the hall itself, wasquite literally breathtaking.Every example of the laundryengineer ’s art laid outsequentially starting from bagtransport of goods inwards, viatunnel washing, drying, feeding,folding, and ironing, to finalsorting and storage prior todespatch. Most pieces ofequipment were beingdemonstrated ‘live’ to thefascinated crowds of eageronlookers and many of the‘work stations’ were efficientlyassisted by excellent multi-lingual guides giving broadcastexplanations of the machine’soperation.Throughout the 64,500 sq. ft

hall, upwards of 300Kannegiesser staff were onhand to, assist, and guide theinvited guests through theintricacies of the technologiesbeing demonstrated and overthe 10 days of the presentationsmore than 4,400 visitorsattended from all over theworld. More than 80 delegatescame from UK and Ireland, andthere were nearly 80 from theUnited States. Not to beoutdone there were 162 visitorsfrom France on one day, and theScandinavians were also presentin some numbers. This was atruly international event and theenormous technical abilities ofKannegiesser technology andthe machinery which deliversexemplary performance wasdemonstrated clearly to allvisitors.The linking themes binding

all the exhibits into a coherentstory were the determined andeffective focus on energyefficiency and the datarecording and reporting fromthe operation of the equipment.

In an automated, computer-controlled age, Kannegiessersystems management software,ensures that all events arerecorded and continuouslymonitored, while exceptional‘happenings’ are flagged andimmediately reported to plantmanagement.The effect of software power

and linked design developmentis best illustrated by the newKannegiesser ‘16K’ sortationand tracking system for garmenthandling. Prior to this latesttechnical development, garmentsortation was limited to moving8,000 pieces per hour, which is,in itself, a creditable number.However, by clever redesign ofthe hanger, upgrade of the speedof take off at each destinationand the developing accuracyand sophistication of the RFIDtransponders and chips, the 16Ksystem can now transport up to16,000 garments per hour. Theprincipal visible effect is thatthe hangers can now travel onthe rails spaced at half theprevious distance.“Energy and its use, cost,

recovery and potential forsavings in the laundry is at thevery heart of Kannegiesserdesign policy,” JoachimRauschmaier, area salesdirector for USA and Canada,UK and France told us duringan enlightening discussionabout the ‘KannegiesserCulture’.“We believe that all systems

and machines used in thelaundry should be designed notto use energy. Waste energycapturing is all very well, butwhy not try to ensure that themachines and the plant layoutare designed so that they do notwaste any of the energyproduced in the first place?“This is especially true in

the drying part of the laundryprocess where, it is good toremember that it takes – andcosts – 1.4 kW of energy toevaporate one litre of water.When you take an averageacross all laundries this equatesto 80 per cent of all energybought being spent directly ondrying. We must try to reduceenergy requirements moreefficiently at source andcontinue the heat recoverydevelopments which we havenow developed for postprocessing savings.“The Kannegiesser Energy

Management System, EMS, hasconsiderable cost efficienciesand it is the central part of a far-reaching logistics infrastructurewhich should also be ‘designedin’ at the planning stage of anew laundry. There is aconsiderable infrastructureoverhead cost – in pipe andduct-work as well as the

location of machines on theplant floor when the full EMSsystem is being considered, somaximum energy savings areachieved at the design stage.”Further significant savings inenergy, water and time areexemplified in the design andfeatures of the PowerTrans Jet,introduced to the market at the2008 Texcare show inFrankfurt, the Jet family hasachieved the remarkable feat ofbeing installed in more than 50laundries world wide. At theexhibition in Bad Salzuflen twoPowerTrans Jet versions wereon show including thePowerTrans Jet Press as well asthe PowerTrans Jet Centrifugeand drew very large crowds.The ‘word on the street’ -always a very effective salesassistant - has obviously spreadfar and wide and with theoptions of additional capacityextraction in the new offeringsat Bad Salzuflen installations atcustomer sites, can only rapidlyincrease.The Jet principle utilises

rinsing in the extraction unit asopposed to within the standardPowerTrans. In other words thePowerTrans is made smaller byremoving the rinse zone which

is carried out in either the pressor centrifuge-extractor. In bothcases the water consumption issignificantly reduced; forexample, workwear can beprocessed in the Jet Centrifugeat below five litres per kg ofwork processed.The rinse process in both the

Jet Centrifuge and Jet Press hasbeen independently tested bythe Hohenstein Institute wherereports on the performance ofthe system have indicated thatthe rinse quality is as good aswithin the PowerTrans.Kannegiesser has a world widepatent for the Jet principle. Thesame Jet rinsing has now beenextended to the new range ofFavorit+ washer-extractorswhich now claim a waterconsumption of eight-nine litresper kg of laundry processed.Also shown for the first time

was the Kannegiesser PP13wide format press which has alarger diameter than theconventional PowerPress. Thismachine has been designed forthe 75kg and 100kg batchtunnel range and it is claimedthat the 75kg batch size in thenew wider press has moistureretention similar to the standard50kg batch press.

The Revolution Team (L-R) - Alan Westworth, electricalcontrol technician, Angus Knox, product manager, GillianRoberts, sales liaison & planning

Supertrack ROBOLIFT, single column-mounted, verticalconveyor. Space saving flexibility, with high speedtransfers between storage lines

Bi-lingual commentator (far right) explaining the virtues offour lane feeding of small items

Larry Roach, Celtic Linen, Wexford, with Kannegiessercolleagues Selwyn Burchhardt and Dr Mathias Woehler,process technology engineer

Intense interest around the machines – every machine, allday

Shailesh Morjaria, Cottage Linen Hire Ltd, seen in front of aPowerTrans Jet

July-August 2010 LCT 5

Kannegiesser Exhibition

Energy-efficient washingand drying lead naturally tofeeding, folding and ironingsystems; where Kannegiesserhas an established reputation forflexibility, speed andsophistication across its vastarray of options in this sectionof laundry work. To focus onjust one of the new systems onshow: the ClipMaster,cornerless feeding system,EMX. This is a one-lanefeeding machine, for twofeeding stations, giving apotential throughput of up to1200 pieces per hour.This innovative design

means many fewer actions forthe operators, because there isno need with the EMX for theoperator to search for thecorners, as only one edge isreceived by the feeding clipleaving the operator free toattach the next sheet. The non-moving feeding clip receivesthe linen and is immediatelyready for the next piece. Thisallows the operator to feed atvery high rates with the processbeing protected from overflowby an integrated buffer systemwhich evens out the supply oflinen to the ironer givingincreased overall throughputrate.The ClipMaster, EMX when

linked, in-line, with a batch,pre-separation, CSP, separator,when followed by high speedironers and folders, creates ahighly productive machinesystem development which willgive higher productivity toexisting ironer lines providing amore relaxed workingenvironment for the operators.For those laundries with a

large workload requirement forprocessing fully dried workincluding bath towels, extralarge towels, bath robes as wellas bath mats and in healthcarelaundries, fitted sheets, andother care-specific items; thenew AFM-SB will providelength-folding, cross-folding,stacking and sorting efficienciesas well as integration with aprocessed-piece transport andstacking system. The AFM-BRversion is fed from both ends –one end for bath robes and theother end for the mixed towelsand caters for volume bath robefolding.This is a very flexible

system and can be programmedto produce any one of up toeleven folding stylesincorporating both length-folding and cross-folding ofarticles up to 1200mm wide andon the AFM-SB 24 model up to2400mm length.We discussed at length the

assembled machine display withMatthias Schaefer, aKannegiesser product manager,

who, like all his colleagues, isfull of enthusiasm for thecompany and for theKannegiesser brand.He commented: “At this

show you see the closing ofnearly all the gaps between thedifferent parts in our processingsystems. As a result, we are nowgenuinely able to deliver ‘OneComplete System’. This resultsfrom our focus on energy,dryers, PowerTrans Jet washingand 16K sortation, plus all theother incremental or radicalimprovements in feeding andfolding and the result is that anylaundry manager can haveconfidence that we have aworking, integrated system ofmachines which he can installin his laundry now. Not onlythat, but any Kannegiessersystems previously installed canbe extended, as the businessdevelops, without anyperformance reduction.”Two developments of

systems from Kannegiesser UKwere subjects of great interest atBad Salzuflen. One was thelatest version of the Revolution,CRT washing, drying and re-rolling machine – in effect acomplete roller towel laundrywith capability of processing upto 80/90 towels in an hourwithin a footprint of less than120 square feet. Now installedin quantity at leading towelprocessors in the UK, Europeand Australia, this machine is aKannegiesser UK design whichfills a particular market need,with enhanced performance andhigh productivity.The second Kannegiesser

UK development released atBad Salzuflen is the SupertrackRobolift, single-column,vertical conveyor, whichenables both empty and fulllaundry bags to be transferredvertically to other sections ofthe Supertrack system withmuch reduced spacerequirement.The Robolift gives the

opportunity to create multipleentry points to the storage linesat any adjacent level and its360º rotation ability –clockwise, or anti-clockwisefrom the single column mast,means that there are fewerdesign limitations imposedbecause of the Robolift’sinherent flexibility. There is alsoincreased safety within thesystem as there are fewer jointsand this combined with highspeed acceleration and de-celeration at docking points,provide radically enhancedflexibility, design simplicity andfaster cycle times for bags inand out of the storage lines.There were several other

significant technical advanceson display and it seemed to us

as observers of the scene fromour vantage point in the 320seat cafeteria set in the middleof the exhibits, that everyonewe observed was almostdumbfounded by theextraordinary impact that thisKannegiesser extravaganzadisplayed. Absolutely no onewe spoke with or anyone fromwhom we heard, had anythingbut total amazement at the scaleof the exhibition, or of itsabsolutely stark statement of theoverwhelming Kannegiesserprofessional competence insuch a powerful demonstrationof technical design andsophistication.When we spoke with joint

MD, Dirk Littmann andenquired if all the machines and

systems were fully assembledworking models; the reply wassuccinct and brief: ‘They areready to work, 90 per cent aresold and will be delivered afterthe end of the show’.Joachim Rauschmaier also

added some highly relevant andtelling remarks on the reasonswhy he thought Kannegiesserhad continuously developed andimproved its products andservices as seen in the quality ofthe show: “Kannegiesser is afamily company and it hasalways been led by the family.Their ethos and ambition fromthe earliest days, was to lead thefield in design, functionalefficiency and very high quality.You can see here the expressionof that dedicated effort. This is avery strong statement and in theactual history you can nowknow, that in the middle of theworst economic situationEurope and Germany have beenin for many years, we, at theKannegiesser company, actuallyemployed more people in ourproduction areas in the past 18months, while almost all of ourcompetitors and mostbusinesses were laying peopleoff.”This commitment by

Kannegiesser is vividlydemonstrated by the staff

attitude – everyone from shuttletaxi drivers through receptionstaff, sales force and engineers,to senior managers and directorswas smiling, courteous andabove all positive in theirattitude. The shuttle taxi driverswere a case in point – thesewere all members of theKannegiesser apprenticetraining department at variousstages of their individualprogrammes and were keen totell us how happy they werewith the opportunity to qualifyin a variety of technicaldisciplines with such a greatcompany.When we talked with Martin

Kannegiesser he was happy toconfirm that the businessbearing his father’s name was ingood shape and looking forwardwith optimism to the comingyear: “We are coming out ofthe recession in Germany andback to growth in GDP, but it isgrowth from a lower base thanthat which we enjoyed beforethe downturn. There were fewerjob losses in Germany than weat first feared and this is goodfor all of us.“I am very pleased with the

exhibition here as you see it.The strong efforts from all ourstaff have been rewarded andeveryone seems to like what wehave achieved. I think that inindividual machines we canstand comparison with any ofthe others in the market but wehave to remember thatKannegiesser products andservice will always be measuredagainst our abilities andstrengths as a complete laundrysystems supplier. We alwaysapply strong tests against ourown achievements and we willalways keep that determinationto achieve excellence in ourproducts.”For our part, as reporters and

close observers of the UK andinternational laundry machineryindustry, would like to add ourown comments to those givenby Martin Kannegiesser andthree of his most seniormanagers. In our experiencethis was, without doubt, themost comprehensive display oflaundry machinery and itsattendant technology everstaged in Europe - or in anyother part of the world. In shortthis was a staggeringly effectivedemonstration of one family’sdetermination over 62 years tobe recognised as being equal tothe best that has ever existedand as a result HerbertKannegiesser GmbH has set thebar for standards at a heightwhich will require supremeefforts from all theircompetitors in attempting tomatch this amazing tour deforce.

“”

Kannegiesseris a familycompany andit has alwaysbeen led bythe family ...

Revolution revealed. Translucent glass side screens revealall about CRT laundering in a small space

Absorbing discussions between experts. Kannegiesser EMSEnergy Management System subjected to close scrutiny byIvan and Matthew Kerry while Stefan Rauer, Kannegiesserenergy processing engineer, makes his point

And now for a detailed discussion and a relaxing cup ofcoffee!

The Kannegiesser floor mounted version of the EnergyManagement System taken in a live installation. The EMSsystem was described at the exhibition as, 'The machine thatcan make profit and economy out of excess energy'

Happy with their time spent at Bad Salzuflen: (l-r) BrynBourge, John Kitchener – PHS, with Henrik Gram

High speed feeder with pre-spreading. How fast can youfeed? 1600 or 2300 pieces per hour?