News for JeNseN Customers - Jensen Group

time for decisions
News for JeNseN Customers
Jesper munch Jensen
CeO JeNseN-GrOUp
The word "crisis" is frequently used today,
and for most people it is synonymous
with loss and collapse. History has shown
that, on many occasions, a crisis does not
mean the end for everyone, but rather that
it represents a turning point for clear
and unmistakable change. In times of
crisis, everything is placed into sharper
focus, and it is time to act. This means
that companies need to make decisions
and be clear about the different options.
Buying cheap items in large quantities
has simply become too expensive.
What is needed is a product based on
a decision of true longevity and sustainability.
A number of businesses are thrown
into crisis by these decisions; yet manufacturers
offering quality and distinctiveness
should see this in a positive light.
The current economic crisis has shown
that the need for a stable partner is
becoming ever more important; that is to
say, businesses with financial problems
are unlikely to survive 2009/2010. We
publish our figures every six months so
that our customers can be kept aware of
our financial situation. In these times,
only companies with a strong balance
sheet will ride out the storm.
Jesper munch Jensen
the key to complete automation
INNOVAtIONs the new evolution Cube
It has travelled half way around the globe
and has been admired by many exhibition
visitors in Europe and America. The time has
finally come to unveil its true potential – the
Evolution Cube: the first machine to automatically
grasp completely dry towels, insert
them, and in combination with the Tematic
Pro folding machine, to fold, sort and stack
them without operator intervention.
Mode of operation
After washing and full drying, the towels are
transported to the Evolution Cube either in
laundry trolleys, on conveyor belts or via a bag
conveyer system. The towels are unloaded
N O. 9
JeNseN-GrOUp, buchmattstrasse 8, CH-3400 burgdorf, marketing@jensen-group.com
onto the feeding belt, which forwards the
towels to the separating hopper. A grasping
arm picks out every towel individually at
high speed, and as it hangs, the towel is then
repeatedly grasped and suitably manoeuvred
to be able to find the first corner. All of these
processes are mechanically separated from
one another to create the optimal balance in
the grasping cycles.
As soon as the first corner of the towel has been
detected, the Evolution Cube also finds the long
edge of the towel and as a result reaches the
opposite corner. Using these two corners of
the long edge, the towel is fastened, spread,
centrally aligned and positioned on a conveyer
belt. While the towel is being forwarded to the
folding machine, the Evolution Cube checks the
shape of the towel as a form of quality control.
The towel is then automatically fed into the
Butterfly Tematic Pro, where it is folded,
sorted and stacked.
Contents
INNOVAtIONs 1, 2
refereNCes 3
eXHIbItION preVIeW 4
meetING pOINt 4
september 2009
1

2
Design
There are currently two versions of the
Evolution Cube available:
1. Batch processing with a towel size that
corresponds to predefined measurements
2. Mixed processing with a maximum of two
different towel sizes that correspond to
predefined measurements
To be able to run the system as flexibly as possible,
a fold-away transfer table can also be supplied,
which enables manual feeding into the
Tematic Pro towel folding machine. The foldaway
transfer table with feeding belt ensures
operating safety and allows for interim feeding
and folding of special laundry items that cannot
be processed using the Evolution Cube.
If the Evolution Cube cannot recognize or grasp
the towel corner for some reason, the dropped
laundry item is automatically sent back to the
start of the process via an integrated return
belt, i.e. into the separating hopper. This itemreturn
system means that it is not necessary
to remove towels from the machine by hand.
In effect, the Evolution Cube resolves
its detection or grasping errors itself.
Quality control
One could of course assume that quality control
by means of human inspection during manual
feeding of towels would also be eliminated due
to the rationalization of operating personnel.
In this regard, JENSEN is working on automatic
quality control using a camera system that
identifies damaged or soiled towels and
initiates sorting of these items.
Output
Depending on the towel size and the textile
quality and thickness, the Evolution Cube can
process between 400 and 600 towels per hour
as a daily average. The towels should conform
to the following dimensions:
Minimum size: 900 x 500 mm (35.4 ” x 19.7 ”)
Maximum size: 1200 x 600 mm (47.2 ” x 23.6 ”)
Application
Due to its lack of dependence on operating
personnel, the Evolution Cube is particularly
suited to multi-shift operation. It is naturally
advisable to have a single person monitoring
the overall process when operating multiple
Evolution Cubes. The Evolution Cube is primarily
used in central laundries for hospitals and textile
rental companies that process standardized
hotel linen. Currently, the Evolution Cube can
process standardized dry laundry corresponding
to the aforementioned dimensions on a
viable, productive basis. After the next devel-
opmental stage, the Evolution Cube should
meet the requirements of hotel laundries that
process textiles of a different quality and, more
importantly, a wide range of different textiles.
Combination
Laundry items not conforming to the indicated
dimensions, as well as thicker items such as
shower mats, are folded manually using the
Tematic Pro. Hand towels and bath towels
are processed using the Evolution Cube. Pre-
sorting of towels before the finishing process
can also increase the dryer output. Basically
all dry laundry items should be automatically
fed to the folding stations via a bag conveyor
system, and removed in a precisely stacked
manner by means of a Jenway conveyer belt
system in order to obtain an ideal process
flow. When processing 50% standardized and
50% other types of dry laundry, two Evolution
Cubes, each with one integrated and two freestanding
Tematic Pro folding machines could
1200 mm (47")
be installed. It is not absolutely necessary to
purchase an Evolution Cube together with a
new Tematic Pro if the latter item is already
available in the laundry. The Evolution Cube
can be connected to an existing, recently
produced Tematic Pro; however, in this case
the software must be updated. To achieve
maximum capability, an overhaul of the
existing Tematic Pro is recommended. This
can be performed by JENSEN service technicians
during commissioning.
1. After grasping the first corner … 2. ... the second corner is fastened over the longitudinal edge.
3. the towel is aligned at the longitudinal edge … 4. ...grasped at the short edge and fed into the tematic pro.
1755 mm 69")
620 mm (24")
440 mm (17")
Height adjustable
conveyor belt
Return system for
lost items
Centering and aligning
4465 mm (176")
Evolution Cube Tematic Pro
Loading point /
Separating shaft
3425 mm (135") 3720 mm (146")
Fold-away transfer table for
manual feeding of Tematic Pro
Folding and stacking
840 mm (33")
475 mm (19")
1325 mm (52")
Height of Evolution Cube: 2350 mm
Height of Tematic Pro: 1410 mm

N O. 9
september 2009
efficient and precise laundry management for satisfied customers
refereNCes A&M Blanchisserie Basse Meuse S.A., Liège, Belgium
Joseph broers and his son marc broers, General manager of A&m blanchisserie basse meuse . Absolute control with the futurail counting and sorting system for restaurant linen.
The Broers family business was started as
early as the 50s and was known at the time
as La Meuse laundry. In the 60s, Joseph
Broers took over the company from his
father and concentrated on dry cleaning.
Today, the company Ardennes & Meuse
(under the management of Marc Broers,
the 3rd generation) specializes purely in
textile rental services for the hotel and
restaurant business. The Broers family has
operated one of the most modern industrial
laundries in Europe since February
2009 in an entirely new building 4200 m2 (45,200 sq. ft.) in size in the industrial area
of Vottem near Liège.
The new laundry has been designed to handle
a capacity of 125 tons (275,600 lbs) of hotel
and restaurant linen, and 4 months after commissioning
processes up to 20 tons (44,100 lbs)
per 8-hour working day. Linen transportation
between the processing stations on the soiled
and clean sides is handled by the Futurail bag
storage and conveyer system, which provides
all stations with linen on a consistent basis and
according to centrally controlled requirements,
so that employees can remain at their working
stations. Communication between the laundry
expedition and production areas is carried out
by means of PCs. Automation of the operating
process and central production monitoring and
control has enabled employee and machine
productivity to be increased considerably.
A&M supplies 400 different customers in an
area of up to 120 km with 80% of their
personalized and 20% of their standardized
hotel rental textiles (hotels in all categories)
and restaurant linen, of which 90% are
standardized items. Before washing, the
soiled hotel laundry is sorted into 50 kg
(110 lbs) lots according to customer and
category using the Futurail Tri-Sort system
and forwarded in bags to the storage system.
The 50 different articles of table linen are
classified using a special Futurail sorting and
counting system, then stored in bags and
forwarded. This unique sorting system for table
linen is able to determine the exact number
of soiled items delivered, such as napkins
and tablecloths. The count of soiled items is
automatically captured and is compared with
the delivery contracts for end customers. The
laundry operating system communicates the
delivery priority to the central JENSEN production
monitoring system, which steers the
selection of lots that must be washed first.
The production monitoring system already
knows the type and number of laundry items
that must be delivered on the same day, even
before washing. In this manner it is possible
to punctually deliver clean napkins in the
afternoon to customer "y" that come from a
load of soiled napkins sent by customer "x"
the same morning, without having to hold
large stock levels. The central JENSEN production
monitoring system supplies the
local laundry operating system with exact
data for creating delivery notes and invoices
for end customers. Marc Broers is proud of
this unique counting and sorting system for
table linen: "This system makes our job considerably
easier and helps us to react quickly
to customer requirements."
To be able to continue using the existing steam
heated Senking Universal P50-14 continuous
batch washers and their washer extractors, the
Broers family decided on the construction of
an energy-efficient laundry that is equipped
with no more than an extremely small steam
boiler. The two new Senking Universal P50-
13 batch washers and the ten Senking DT 60
dryers, together with six new ironers, are gas
heated. The bed linen and towels are washed
using the low-temperature process from
Christeyns at 60°C (140 °F) in the gas-heated
continuous batch washers, and table linen at
higher temperatures in a steam-heated washing
tunnel. Gas usage for the entire laundry
was reduced to 0.085 m3 /kg (1.4 cu.ft./lbs)
of dry linen, which corresponds to an energy
usage of 0.9 kWh/kg (1400 BTU/lbs). The
internal water recycling system in the
Senking batch washers and the Christeyns
microfiltration system reduce the overall water
consumption in the laundry to 3.5 litres per kg
(0.42 gal per lbs) of dry linen.
The Futurail bag conveyer system
supplies clean laundry to the finishing area
as required. Six Tematic Pro folding machines
handle the towel items. The Maximat 900
folds and stacks thick bathrobes. Two ironer
lines, each equipped with a Quickfeeder
and an Extreme with two stations, are used
purely for processing sheets, which are fed
without handling the corners. The duvet
covers are processed via one or two lanes
in the Logic Plus, while large items of table
linen are fed via one or two lanes in the
Variant 2000. Two ironer lines handle the
smaller items.
Marc Broers attributes the success of his business
to the harmonious working environment
and reliable personal contacts in the laundry
industry: "Our success is based on three strong
pillars: customers, business partners and our
staff. Many years of personal and expert advice
from our business partners, particularly JENSEN,
have enabled our company to develop from
a laundry to one of the most modern textile
rental operations in Europe. I see automation
not only as a way of increasing productivity and
logistically optimizing work processes, but also
as a means of significantly improving working
conditions for our staff."
A&M Blanchisserie Basse Meuse S.A.
officially invites all companies in the
laundry sector to an open day to present
their new operation. All Jenfo readers are
also cordially invited! See MEETING POINT
on page 4 for more details.
Cornerless feeding with the Quickfeeder.
3

4
JeNseN-GrOUp
marketing
buchmattstrasse 8
CH-3400 burgdorf
switzerland
www.jensen-group.com
the family-run textile service has proved itself through the years
eXHIbItION preVIeW textielverzorging G. van der Kleij & Zn. bv, Netherlands
previously unimaginable but possible today: the 3 senking tunnels wash a total of 5.4 tonsof laundry per hour.
Since 1859, the family-run business
G. van der Kleij & zn. bv has provided private
individuals, hotels, restaurants and party
services with fresh laundry. In the early
days, laundry was still washed in the canal in
Utrecht and then bleached under the sun in
the green fields; today, the operation in
De Meern is almost entirely automated.
In 1990, 40 tons (88,200 lbs) per week of
laundry was processed at the old location in
Vleuten, and in 2000 the new operation, currently
located in De Meern, was completely
rebuilt to allow a capacity of 180 tons (400,000
lbs) per week. Managing Director and Laundry
Manager G. van der Kleij ensured that machine
planning for optimal operation was used as
the basis for design and construction of the
building. The newly constructed laundry meant
that the company could specialize in the overall
concept of textile rental service for the horeca
industry. The company has since become the
largest operation of its kind in the Netherlands.
Today, 270 tons (600,000 lbs) of hotel and
restaurant linen are handled every week
in a cycle time of 100 seconds, using three
Senking Universal P50 continuous batch
washers, each with 17 compartments. The
soiled laundry is efficiently sorted before
washing and washed in one of the three batch
washers according to a classification of bed
linen, towels or table linen. All flatwork items
are finished using eight ironer lines. Sheets
and duvet covers are fed over decentralized
JENSEN feeding systems and small items are
manually fed into the ironer lines. Towels are
fully dried in Senking gas dyers, which are
located in a separate room, and transported
via the Futurail bag conveyor system to the
Tematic Pro towel folding machines.
G. van der Kleij proudly adds: "We received
an award as the best company for corporate
and social responsibility in terms of working
cost-effectively according to the principle of
Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Ondernemen.
Decentralized feeding of duvet covers with the Jenrail system into the Logic plus Automatic.
We know that our organization remains
innovative, as we critically evaluate all
processes according to the three Ps – People,
Planet and Profit – and improve these processes
regularly." G. van der Kleij sees himself as
the father figure of a company that is characterized
by environmentally-friendly processes,
exemplary personnel management and
excellent working conditions.
exhibition plan meetING pOINt
5 september 2009
Open day:
2 pm to 4.30 pm
150 Years of textielverzorging
G. van der Kleij & Zn. bv
Damzigt 21
3454 ps De meern
Netherlands
2 October 2009
Open day:
8 am to 4 pm
A&m Location de Linge
blanchisserie basse meuse s.A.
parc Industriel des Hauts-sarts,
Zone 3
rue fond des fourches, 15
4041 Vottem (Herstal)
belgium
You are cordially invited to visit the
largest and most productive textile rental
business for HORECA in the Netherlands,
and above all to experience it in action.
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary
of the company, G. van der Kleij will
open the doors to his company on
Saturday, 5 September 2009, from
2 pm to 4.30 pm.
28 – 30 October 2009
texcare Asia
China International
exhibition Centre
beijing, China