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Case Studies

View Case Study: Sevier County's New Laundry Ups Production; Cuts Inventory Expense in Half – Inside Spin Vol. 3, No. 2
View Case Study: Multitasking Machines Make Laundry Easier for Correctional Facility – Inside Spin Vol. 6, No. 3

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Correctional Facility Case Study

Multitasking Machines make Laundry Easier for Correctional Facility

November 2006 | Download case study as a PDF

municpal correctional facility The Municipal Correctional Institution in Kansas City, Mo. houses 200 inmates and generates a lot of laundry; so much that a team dedicates six days a week to the task. Buried in soiled personals and linens, the facility recently replaced its failing equipment with high-performance Continental washer-extractors and a drying tumbler. Now, laundry is completed in half the time using less labor, thanks to automatic chemical injection, programmability and high-speed extract.

The Advantages of a Soft-mount Washer

Lack of equipment reliability was a problem the facility frequently faced. “At least once a month I spent days waiting for someone to come out and repair the machines.” says Greta Thomas, correctional officer and laundry supervisor. “In the meantime, laundry would just pile up and we would be behind for days.” The facility's hard-mount 125-pound capacity washers vibrated so violently that the bolts that mounted them to the floor continuously loosened. The result? A service call and a three-day halt on laundry.

municpal correctional facility laundry room To correct this nagging problem and increase productivity, All Pro Laundry Equipment Company, a Continental laundry equipment distributor in Lee's Summit, Mo., recommended the Municipal Correctional Institution install two Continental Pro-Series softmount washer-extractors—55- and 130-pound capacity machines. “The soft mounts remove more water than a normal washer due to extract speeds of up to 387 G-force compared to the 85 to 150 G's of a hard mount,” says Bruce Kusgen, president at All Pro Laundry Equipment. “This decreases dry time and allows for greater productivity.”

The hard-mount washers' continual vibration loosens bolts and bends frames—forcing routine maintenance. However, Continental's softmount suspension absorbs up to 95 percent of the vibration during extract, meaning less stress is placed on the machine, which contributes to a greater life expectancy, according to Kusgen. The machines slide into place with no bolts or fasteners and don't require a thick, reinforced concrete foundation.

municpal correctional facility laundry room With laundry piling up, installation time quickly became a factor when deciding on replacement machines. Typically, a soft-mount washer requires one day to install, whereas, the average hard-mount machine requires up to 28 days due to the concrete curing process. The correctional facility couldn't wait a month. They needed laundry equipment to up production fast so the soft-mount machines were the perfect solution.

“Definitely, the biggest benefit of the new equipment is the speed and efficiency it brings to my department,” says Thomas. The new washer-extractors cut wash time in half. It used to take 90 minutes to wash one load, plus additional dry time, according to Thomas. The new Continental equipment completes a load in 45 minutes and features a high-performance spin cycle that removes more water from fabrics. Now, according to Thomas, a load dries in just five to seven minutes. The new Continental washers handle in one load what use to take their old machines two-three separate loads, according to Thomas.

Programmability

The Continental washers have highly programmable controls—creating a more streamlined laundry process with less human error. “In the morning, I set the programs and store them for the rest of the day. I program detergent chemical injections, varying dry times or dying of certain garments,” says Thomas. Once the desired programs are set, the inmate on duty selects a program number and the machine automatically provides an optimum blend of water temperature, water levels, chemicals, extract speed and cycle time, to achieve quality laundry results in the most efficient means possible.

municpal correctional facility laundry room “Chemical injection has made the laundry process run much smoother by decreasing user error,” says Thomas. Inmates who run the laundry used to manually put soaps and bleaches into the washer. Now, they simply select a program and press start, according to Thomas. “The new detergent is better and removes a lot of the spots in the aprons from the kitchen,” she adds. Automatic injection simplifies the process of dying inmates' undergarments orange, as well. This is easily done through a setting on washer that injects dye, allows items to soak, and then rinses the items. Now, the dying process takes a matter of minutes and is completed using just one machine.

The new Continental 155-pound capacity drying tumbler is similarly programmed for different cycle options. Using their old dryers, inmates had to prompt the cooling cycles themselves. Frequently they timed it incorrectly and items, especially blankets, were ruined because of heat, according to Thomas. The new dryers have automatic cooling options with different settings for bedding, jumpsuits and coats. These settings reduce the amount of ruined clothing and linens—cutting down on inventory replacement costs. At the Municipal Correction Institution, dirty laundry isn't a problem anymore. Thanks to new Continental equipment, the facility processes more laundry in less time—saving labor, utilities and inventory.