News & Innovations

When creativity defeats the COVID-19 challenges

Strong and immediate demand for PPE gowns
Until March 2020, LHLSI processed a 20,000 PPE gowns per week. The demand virtually exploded at the outburst of Covid-19, with significant investments in gowns, over time, an average 174,000 PPE gowns delivered each week. To manage this enormous volume, the laundry decided to put an end to the folding process and deliver the gowns in bulk carts of 500 or in bags of 10 pieces each. 

The new set-up was designed in close co-operation with laundry experts JENSEN’s Regional Office in Panama City FL. Two overhead conveyors automatically dispense the linen from the slings into a chute, and from there to the operator. Two operators perform a quick visual inspection before the gowns are bagged. No more walking around with carts, no more physically processing the gowns manually, no more folding:

“The new set-up increased the laundry’s output by an amazing 600 – 800%”

confirms Chief Operating Officer Brendan O’Neill and adds: “I don’t know what we would have done without this equipment during the crisis to cope with the enormous demand for reusable PPE gowns.”

Right now, the laundry employs two operators at each of the two conveyors. But they are ready for an even more intense future, as each conveyor has enough space for four operators, and figures could go as high as 250’000 gowns being processed on a weekly basis. 

About LHLSI – and 49 years of partnership with JENSEN
Ontario is Canada’s largest province and home to London Hospital Linen Service Inc. (www.lhls.on.ca), a laundry that was built in 1972 as a central servicing laundry for the healthcare facilities in London. It quickly grew and its team of close to 200 employees is now serving 45 healthcare customers in the entire South Western Ontario region, processing 250 tons per week: From a 65,000 sq.ft (6040 sq.m) in 1972 to 105,000 sq.ft (9755 sq.m) in 2020. Over the course of these 49 years, three additions and several renovations were made. 

The entire laundry operates JENSEN equipment from the front to the back, with the first machines being JENSEN 1234 feeder, which had the serial numbers 4 and 5. In 2020, the laundry operates three complete finishing lines and ten small piece folders. 

Cutting water and energy consumption
Three Senking Universal tunnel washers are processing most of the linen. According to Brendan O’Neill, both Senking Universal P19 from 1988 are still working wonderfully – not surprisingly, as the Senking Universal is known for its robustness and longevity. And above all: for its low water consumption.

In 2005, LHLSI launched EcoCare, an ambitious sustainability programme that resulted in enormous achievements. The laundry’s total water consumption was literally cut in half (-49.3%, to be precise) when comparing with the year 2000. Back then, each kg of linen consumed 0.813 cu ft. Right now, it’s only 0.412 cu ft of water for each kg of processed linen.

An important contribution to this breakthrough was the JENSEN Senking Universal tunnel washer installed in 2005 with built-in water reclamation, and the fact that the water consumption is being metered and controlled at all points. 

The laundry processes their healthcare goods in the JENSEN Senking Universal tunnel washer at an average of 5.83 liters/kg (.7 gallons/lb). LHLSI chooses not to use press water reuse for their facility. LHLSI prefers to stay the course with fresh water rinsing as a philosophy of “best practices” for best results for their customers.  When press water is reused, we at JENSEN see an average of 4.16 liters/kg (.5 gallons/lb) for typical healthcare goods

As part of EcoCare, the energy intensity (total energy inputs / kg. shipped) was closely monitored and dramatically improved over the years. From 3.4 kWh per kg of shipped linen, the figures went down to 1.74 kW/kg.

Expansions for a healthy future
Since 2005, LHLSI added a new fully automated soiled sorting system; a complete new Futurail infrastructure for the finishing side including automated pickers on all ironer lines. It has a significant impact on the capabilities of the laundry, notably the automated gown distribution system described earlier.

In 2013, LHLSI had also been looking at expanding its dryer capacities for a couple of years. The time proved to be right in 2014 when a second floor was built, and 20 new DT 120 dryers were installed – without any shutdown. JENSEN’s DT dryer series is known for its faster dry cycle time, its maintenance friendly design, and additionally for its tremendous energy savings, which was a key criterion for LHLSI. 

The armada of dryers processes all linen from the tunnel washers and from the washer extractors. Those are often used for the cubicle curtains that provide a certain level of privacy to patients in large rooms or at intensive care units. Also, personnel clothing for long-term care homes, scrubs, patients’ apparel, surgical drapes and housekeeping products like mops are being processed in the washer extractors. It’s a wide array of products that require individual washing and finishing processes, and of course reliable laundry equipment. 

Brendan O’Neill told us that he is a big fan of JENSEN:

“When I think of JENSEN, I think of quality in all aspects – in manufacturing, in preparing layouts, in people and in finished products. It took a lot of creativity and partnership to take us where we are today."

"Both Carlos Fernandes, Vice President Key Accounts USA/Canada, and our contacts at JENSEN USA always stand up and support the issue. When we call you, it’s more than an exchange among experts. It’s a discussion between friends”.