United States
A sure sign of Detroit’s ongoing renaissance and revitalization is evident just a few miles from the heart of the city. Last year, Metro Detroit Hospital Services (MDAHS) completed construction of a new state-of-the-art laundromat across the street from Henry Ford Hospital on Elijah McCoy Drive. Fourteen years after first connecting to a tunnel washer, they have again chosen Lavatec and installed new washing equipment that produces more impressive results and generates significant energy savings, reports Lavatec.
It’s another step in the progression of Michigan’s largest medical laundromat. A cooperative joint venture between Henry Ford Health System, Michigan Medicine and St Joseph Mercy Health System, MDAHS is the pride of the neighborhood. A team of approximately 150 employees is responsible for shipping over 2.5 million pounds of linen each month to its members.
With a history dating back to 1972, MDAHS served members from a building on Oakman Boulevard not far from its current home. The business has grown steadily, and MDAHS built an addition 10 years ago that brought its space to 47,000 square feet. However, as MDAHS grew, it became apparent that ultimately more capacity would be needed.
The new building is more than double the size at 115,000 square feet. Built with other considerations in mind, the sustainable design includes a waste water heat recovery system that incorporates environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycled materials. The drying part of the company has its own dedicated room to make it more efficient to operate in two shifts, five days a week. All areas can be expanded to accommodate future growth, says general manager Dave Haas, who helped guide the transformation.
“The past performance of Lavatec equipment certainly played a role in our decision to purchase their equipment for the new facility,” said Haas, a 17-year veteran at MDAHS who served as general manager for the past few years. last six years.
“During the verification process for new washing equipment, we wanted to remain open-minded when accessing equipment from each manufacturer. Ultimately, it was the simplicity, longevity and short learning curve that drove our decision to purchase the new Lavatec equipment. »
New levels of productivity
The original pair of MDAHS 14-compartment tunnel washers installed in 2007 allowed him to improve the overall quality of the wash. It also impacted the speed of processing and delivering linens, including surgical garments and mattress pads containing water-resistant micro denier fabric, to their customers. Haas said the 110-pound tunnels increased productivity levels in two ways. This gave them adequate rinses and the ability to run more pounds of wash per hour due to the single drum at the loading and unloading ends and a double drum in the middle.
In addition to the solid engineering, ease of use and simple controls that made tunnel washers user-friendly, Haas said their water consumption dropped significantly during this time by around 25%. Less steam was needed since MDAHS switched from steam dryers to gas dryers and, combined with Lavatec extraction presses and a centrifuge, resulted in reduced drying times and overall energy consumption. These numbers served as a catalyst when determining what equipment should be purchased for the new facility.
A global leader with equipment for laundry operations throughout Europe, the Far East, South and North America, over 8,000 LAVATEC machines have been installed in the United States alone. For more information, visit www.LLTusa.com.
• LCNi will report in detail on the installation of the new MDAHS laundry facility in the November issue.
