Institut für Werthaltiges Wirtschaften (IWW) assesses ethics and sustainability in the textile industry

New Beirtex® qualities outperform the capacity of laundry machinery

Product development has created new Beirtex® qualities to outperform laundry production-line capacity – and reduce costs.

Rental is the winning concept worldwide, and textile performance plays a crucial role in the success. Now, the development of new Beirtex® qualities has reached the point where replacing textiles can release considerable untapped potential for the laundries.

Managing director of Beirholms Væverier Peter Beirholm explains: “The laundries can boost their capacity while also reducing costs. The whole process of renewing the products is focused on increasing the output per man-hour combined with consistently high distribution quality. Another important advantage is that it saves energy and reduces emissions.”

Taking operational excellence to a new level

Demanding performance tests show that our latest, light Beirtex® qualities outperform the capacity of the laundries’ machines. The textiles run through productions fast and at lower temperatures than has so far seen in modern laundries. Test runs show that the innovative textiles in some cases outperform the machines’ capacity while saving energy, water, chemicals and man-hours.

New product strategy with clear benefits

Seeing that the product strategy has resulted in a Lean product portfolio and the Lean laundry operation has been calibrated and optimised with the right chemicals and machinery, the rental laundries can exploit economies of scale and at the same time usher in a whole raft of benefits.

Today the purchase price of a textile is around 20% of the textile’s total costs, while the remaining 80% is spent on operational costs.”That’s why there is every reason to focus much more on the attributes of the textiles as a raw material in operations,” Peter Beirholm continues. “Having the right industrial product, including aspects such as optimum fibre composition and weight, means higher output and savings on resources in the form of energy, water and chemicals.”

Less dust and lower emissions

The new Beirtex® qualities also excel with approximately 90% dust reduction. This is a significant improvement, minimising dust problems throughout the laundry, while also lengthening the products’ service life.

In addition to lowering operating costs, the new Beirtex® qualities also reduce emissions of CO², NOx, SO² and VOC – making a significant difference to the environment and the laundries’ environmental reports.

Intelligence alliances with suppliers hold great potential for laundries

Calibrating machines, chemicals and textiles is important for ensuring increased productivity and profitability. One of the keys to success is the cooperation between the laundries and their suppliers of machinery, chemicals and textiles. There is a great potential for the laundries when all four parties work closely together.

Beirholm consistently works to generate the right synergies between the parties to ensure progress ad results. “We recommend innovations that minimise TCO and increase our customers’ ROI. One example is our test washes, which are carried out using ‘Cool Chemistry’, whereby innovative enzymes in the laundry process are combined with the new Beirtex® products. The enzymes perform well at low temperatures and a neutral PH, which reduces the risk of ‘greying’ and extends the textile’s service life.”

The power is still in the hands of the end users

Consistently high distribution quality is such an important focus area for the laundries because of the end users’ power, which remains considerable: “That’s why it matters so much to future winners among the laundries to choose textiles that are market-fit, too, “Peter Beirholm emphasizes. “Designs and colors must have a strong appeal for the end users, combined with the feeling of comfort and luxury, and the need for sustainability almost goes without saying. All these benefits have been considered in the new, innovative Beirtex® qualities.”