Out with the old - in with the new...
- Gavin Smith
- Jul 28, 2019
- 1 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2019
Reducing water consumption is one of Alsco's four big bold long term goals.
We can make a big difference.
Continuous Batch Washers (CBWs) are the most efficient laundry machinery but demand large volumes of similar work to fully realise the benefits and synergies. They are expensive to install but are significantly more water and energy efficient than more conventional washer extractor plants, which typically use more than double the volume of water to process each kg of laundry. CBWs have inherent water recycling attributes built into the machine when compared to conventional washer/extractor plants which fill, dump and refill water at each stage of the wash and rinse cycles.
Dunedin is the latest Alsco branch to install a CBW and we have noticed a significant reduction in operational costs. Facts...
$2.2 millon investment
Water consumption down 30%
Steam consumption down 25%
Significant productivity improvement, improved work flow and reduced manual handling for staff
Plant capacity enhanced from 700 kgs per hour to 1200 kgs per hour
Overtime significantly reduced
Reliability greatly improved which has impacted positively on customer service and staff well-being.
Not an easy task getting this CBW in into Dunedin.
Completed and operational in 10 days with no Customer disruption
Before & After
This reminds me of my own first experience working with a buyer’s agent. It felt structured and clear, almost like finding balance in 99 Nights in the Forest where guidance makes every step easier.
Continuous batch washers, also known as CBWs, are the most effective piece of washing equipment; nevertheless, in order to fully schoolboy runaway realize the benefits and synergies, high volumes of work of a similar nature are required.