From "Hilde" to "Windel-Willi": How Stiftung Liebenau ensures hygienically clean laundry and upgraded its facilities with green technology

The company’s customer base includes a number of renowned organizations, such as the Ravensburger Spieleland family leisure park. As an industrial laundry, it deploys high-quality, gentle washing processes and specially designed laundry logistics to offer its customers a service they can rely on. Prompt deliveries and the use of eco-friendly detergents go without saying. An Inwatec system was installed not long ago as part of upgrades to the soiled side. This efficient, automated technology has boosted the company’s productivity and improved the working conditions, easing the physical strain on the employees.

"In our middle – the individual"

Stiftung Liebenau (www.stiftung-liebenau.de) has facilities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia and empowers and supports people with different needs. It operates in fields including healthcare, education and learning, and rehabilitation, with its industrial laundry providing a range of jobs for people who need specific support. The company uses state-of-the-art technology and has invested in automated solutions, which has made the work more appealing, upgraded the working environment, and expanded the range of potential jobs for the staff there. 

Around nine tons of laundry and approx. 14,000 personal items of clothing are sorted, washed, and processed every day over two shifts. The recently installed Inwatec system is equipped with an Odin X-ray scanner to detect hazardous and potentially infectious foreign objects, and then the system sorts the laundry into a total of nine categories. The employees digitally log the items of clothing at the beginning, which enables up to 360 items to be sorted every hour at each of the six workstations. “Right from the outset, we were won over by how easy the Inwatec system is to use and we quickly became confident that the pioneering technology would also work well at our company,” comments Markus Lerner, member of the management team at Liebenau Service.

The Inwatec system has given the company a great deal of flexibility as different types of laundry from various industries can be automatically sorted without the need for an RFID chip. Despite some initial reservations about the changes associated with the system, the staff are delighted with their new technical helper and it has undoubtedly made the company a more attractive place to work.

Efficient use of space around "Hilde"

Space is a scarce commodity in any laundry. The Inwatec system incorporates an ingenious design that ensures the Futurail bag system is filled automatically. Following a brief manual intervention by the staff, the bags containing the dirty items of clothing are carried up to the ceiling and called off by the Universal P50 tunnel washer, which has a total of 14 compartments. It is a clever and sophisticated solution developed by Rudolf Hofer, Regional Sales Manager, together with the Liebenau Service team.

“It was crucial for us to fulfill the company’s request for greater capacity. There was actually only enough space for a 12-compartment machine, but thanks to this clever loading solution we were ultimately able to fit in 14 compartments,” he explains. The process of replacing the washing installation on the weekend also posed a particular challenge, with many media pipes and even part of the outer wall needing to be dismantled.

The tunnel washer was given the name “Hilde” following a visit by the Liebenau Service team to JENSEN's plant in Hildesheim a few years ago. Hilde is equipped with a UVClean system which automatically prevents bacterial growth in double drum sections without the need for additional chemicals. This method remains the most natural, most environmentally friendly, and most efficient way to remove germs and bacteria.

The Z 1200 Plus centrifuge then distributes the clean laundry into one of eight DT 60 Plus dryers. Thanks to a masterstroke of logistics planning, the space in the dryer area has also been optimally utilized. The DT Plus dryers set themselves apart with their higher performance and lower energy consumption. They are also quieter, improving safety at work for the staff there who pick up the laundry on the clean side.

Stuffed animals also need a wash from time to time, and there is no better place than an industrial laundry to give them their bath. The JENSEN barrier washer JBW 45/100 ensures the highest hygiene standards, and the staff at Stiftung Liebenau make sure the animal safely finds its way back to its human companion after its bath. Further highlights include the finishing line and the four Butterfly towel folders at the end of the process. Benjamin Riester, Head of Textile Service, was won over by JENSEN’s service: “We are delighted with JENSEN’s service as someone at the company is always available straight away if we have any technical queries.”

Sustainability across the board

For Stiftung Liebenau, sustainability is a core value that underpins everything it does. From eco-friendly detergents to the efficient use of resources, the organization emphasizes its commitment to sustainable business practices and its desire to achieve positive social, economic, and environmental impacts. These principles are anchored in the environmental guidelines and a mobility management strategy for the foundation as a whole.

The organization fulfills its social responsibility by establishing permanent mechanisms to support individuals, with a particular focus on education and learning and the challenges associated with an aging population. From a financial perspective, the foundation works economically to ensure it can provide its services for many years to come. And it fulfills its environmental responsibility by planning and carrying out its work so as to consume natural resources efficiently and use energy-efficient designs and renewable energy.

Windel-Willi, Hilde’s best friend

The story of “Windel-Willi”, a unique type of diaper incinerator, is also sure to pique your interest. The system processes up to 4,000 tons of incontinence-related waste every year, including diapers, sanitary pads, disposable gloves, cellulose cloths, and dressing material, which has enabled Stiftung Liebenau to significantly reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. “Windel-Willi” has been running since December 2006 alongside two wood chip boilers. 75 per cent of the total heat generated is produced in a carbon-neutral way.

Looking ahead to the future

Stiftung Liebenau uses state-of-the-art automated technology such as the Inwatec system to reduce the physical strain on its employees, and has successfully integrated eco-friendly business practices into its operations. Whether it is cleverly making the most of the available space or using renewable energy, the company has implemented a sophisticated strategy that revolves around social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Automation, improving efficiency while lowering energy consumption, and maximizing sustainability are all set to remain key action areas for Stiftung Liebenau’s state-of-the-art industrial laundry in the future – and the JENSEN-GROUP will remain by their side as a reliable partner to help them achieve these goals.