Karl O'Neill

Dunlop Design Engineering Ltd are pleased to announce the recruitment of Karl O’Neill as Middle East Sales Co-ordinator.

Karl, a Psychology Graduate from Queens University has joined us to service the market in the Middle East. From September 2006, Karl will be based in Dubai and further strengthening the Sales Department.

Karl said, “ I am looking forward to the challenge of adapting to the culture in Dubai and am confident that our Heat and Water Recovery Systems will provide a solution to the growing drought and calls to reduce consumption. I believe I can provide an answer to the Laundry Industry in Dubai”.

We would like to welcome Karl into Dunlop Design Engineering Ltd and wish him good luck in his new role.

In an issue of Laundry and Cleaning Today which publishes the latest Cost Indices compiled by the TSA it was very informative for representatives of this Journal to be invited to Claremorris, County Mayo close to the far west coast of Ireland to attend the ‘Open House’ day at OCL laundry. Interesting as well as informative because this plant owned by Alan O’Connor and his other Board members, lays claim to be the first laundry in Europe to accept the challenge to find a radical and cost-effective alternative to the traditional steam-driven laundry operation.

Pictured from left to right: Walton Dunlop (Dunlop Design Engineering), Dennis Rutland (Jensen UK), Beverley Fynn (Teachta Dála - Irish MP), Alan O'Connor, (OCL), Declan McAteer (Ecolab)

At the sharp end all the washing, drying, and ironing in the plant is heated by gas and there is no steam generated at all. Alan O’Connor has completed the conversion of the entire collection of 18 stage CBW, 5 tumblers and 2 Ironer lines, to ‘steamless’ efficiency and in so doing has achieved major savings in fuel costs. For not only is there no steam, and no boiler, there is no oil fuel store either. This is a truly remarkable story for another reason, which tends to sharpen the debate amongst laundry people who have perhaps tended to accept the received wisdom of the ages with regard to steam as a power source derived from oil burning. Alan O’Connor is not a second, third or even fourth generation of an ‘old’ laundry family, he is first generation and has been in the business for a mere 6 years, starting from scratch.

The O’Connor family then headed by Alan’s father, Tommy O’Connor, used to own one of the largest bakeries in Ireland and having decided to sell and move on Alan started in the drycleaning business in a unit shop. Rapidly perceiving that rental laundry at a high quality was a fast expanding market, which was not being adequately serviced in the far west of the country, the move to premises in Claremorris took place and the OCL business began in earnest in 2000. The booming Celtic ‘Tiger’ economy had resulted in a massive development in tourism and the growth in Hotels created the demand for quality laundered flatwork products, this demand OCL set out to fill.

Coming as they did from an equally ferocious consumer of energy - the bakery business - the O’Connors, father and son, set about researching the European and UK market for the most efficient and economic machinery to cater for the growing requirements of the new business. A visit to the Frankfurt Texcare show resulted in Walton Dunlop of Dunlop Design Engineering, being asked to install an energy saving system for heating water in the plant and this system uses the market-leading Direct Contact Water Heating System from Kemco in Florida. This system is the fastest water heating system on the market and delivers a guaranteed, 99.7% energy efficiency in operation compared to the 65% - 75% efficiency performance of conventional boilers for water heating or steam generation. Demand led, the direct contact heater reacts to calls for heated water instantly and thus delivers much reduced fuel consumption as there is no ‘build up’ delay in producing at the correct temperature. Experience of the system in use has resulted in significant savings and total savings of up to 50% in energy costs are set to be achieved over the first year in operation. The heat exchangers installed as part of the Direct Contact water heating system are effectively returning heat from effluent waste water to the incoming feed water to the CBW and this too adds significantly to the cost effectiveness of the system.

The OCL Laundry delivers performance figures which at least one or two laundry managers would be pleased to report were being achieved in their plants, for example: 270K pieces per month representing 190K Kg’s of work per 4 week month. This uses 28K litres of gas per month and this at 6.56 KwHr per litre delivers a .995 Kw. per Kg. produced performance ratio, or for a quick definition 1Kilowatt of energy per I Kilogram processed. In terms of water usage from the CBW fed by the Direct Contact system and Dunlop heat exchangers the figures are: CBW 35Kg loads, 18 stages, on a 95 second cycle.
This gives a production figure of 1326 Kg/Hr using 6 cubic metres of water per hour. The final ratio being 3.77 litres of water per Kilogram of work processed. For those of a questing mind these are actual figures and Walton Dunlop (0289 263 3844) or Alan O’Connor 00 353 91 XXXXX would be pleased to discuss them with you if you can take time to call them directly.

As Alan O’Connor says ‘the traditional oil-fired steam boiler is the most inefficient way of heating water in industrial processes We have now disconnected our original boiler house and all our energy needs are provided by gas-driven systems. Having solved the CBW energy efficient water supply problem, we then commissioned the conversion of our five tumbler dryers to gas operation. We did this on site and after that week our drying time is reduced, our energy consumption is down and the need for steam lines has disappeared. This left only the ironers and from our Frankfurt visit we were taken by Jensen to a user of their new gas-fired Jen-Roll, EXPG ironers based in Dijon, France. As a result of that visit and in confirmation of our faith in the Jensen support team in the UK, we ordered two new gas-fired ironers and feeders and these are now producing dry, crisply folded sheets, at the rate of 44 lineal Metres per minute and at a true 1200 sheet units per hour. We were sadly disappointed by the attitude of other suppliers to the business where it seems that tradition and status quo in operational matters is the normal response to the sort of requests we made in our quest for the efficiency levels we have now achieved – without any steam and all the costs that go with steam supply.’

‘Our energy costs across the plant and over the past full year of operation are 6% and that includes everything you see here. We had faith in our suppliers’ ability to design good, effective solutions and apart from the anticipated teething and start up hitches, everything promised has been delivered and we are very happy with Dunlop, Jensen and Ecolab for their support and assistance over the time we spent researching and commissioning our plant.’

‘We also have no boiler insurance costs, no annual certification costs, no leaking joints from hundreds of metres of pipe, no corrosion and deposits, reduced maintenance costs, no steam generation costs and consequent start up delays each day, we can run part of the plant as necessary without worrying about the boiler and most of all we have reduced our operating costs to the absolute minimum. There is no gas in Ireland, as yet it is all imported, but the future for us, is contracted for and although there will be price rises, the use of gas in our plant gives so much saving overall that any other considerations are relatively unimportant at this point in time. We have a profitable and expanding business and we are confident of our ability to expand into other areas as business opportunities arise.

Our visit to Claremorris clearly demonstrated that the ‘steamless’ laundry is a viable solution to a set of problems that have been with industry since men first wrestled with the high pressure devices of James Watt, and the Stephensons, 200 years ago. In the 21st Century surely the current climate change and energy costs debate can be given a working, engineered solution, which achieves a best-fit answer to an age old problem. If a newcomer to this very traditional industry can see that the Emperor has no clothes others might just follow.

As Dennis Rutland said to us after the event, ‘We are very pleased with the results which Alan O’Connor has achieved which are obviously going to cause serious debate in our industry where novelty and technical innovation are too often disregarded and when the received and accepted wisdom tells a different story. Steam generation has been the driving force of the business for so long that people seem unable to accept that an alternative is possible. Steam has been a major factor restricting the forward movement of the industry into future where energy costs show signs of being as important as labour costs. A ‘steamless’ laundry is a major technical advance and the effects it will have on investment `plans in the future will be significant as directors and managers come to realize that the age of steam is a nostalgic vision which has been superseded by an energy released from within another natural resource.

WIN A TRIP TO KEMCO

Enter our competition to win a trip to Clearwater, Florida USA to see the Clearwater system being made by our partners, Kemco Systems Inc.

We will send you to America for 4 days to take a tour of the factory and show you a system in operation. We will show you how Dunlop Design Engineering Ltd and Kemco Systems provide the perfect solution for water re-use in today’s commercial laundries all over the world.

To enter, simply fill in the form below which asks three simple questions. Once we receive your application, we can put together a savings projection for your business to illustrate the efficiency of our equipment and how much money your business will save annually on your water and energy bills at current unit prices. The cost of energy and water will certainly increase.

Your name:
Your email:
Flow:	m3/hr
Cold Water:	oC
Effluent:	oC
Energy Cost:	p/kWHr

In the current competitive market, it is essential to reduce costs in an arena where increases are a certainty. Given the current environmental issues, the government has also set up initiatives to encourage the implementation of “environmentally friendly” equipment.

Our systems are Water Technology List approved which means you qualify under the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme to bring forward the time that tax relief is available on qualifying investments. This allows the full cost to be written off in the period in which the qualifying spending is incurred. This will deliver a helpful cash flow boost and a shortened payback period on investment.

What can you claim for?

• The price paid for a new product


• The costs directly associated with the installation of the equipment.

Claims can only be made for products appearing on the WTL at the time of investment. Because the Clearwater System makes such an impact to the environment whilst saving your business

• 85% of its energy bill


• 85% of water used in the process


• 85% savings on salt used in softening


• 30% on chemicals

There is nothing else on the market to compete with the Clearwater system and its impact to your bottom line. The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme makes the decision even easier.

How much is ECA worth?

Assuming a business has sufficient profits for the allowance to be written-off against, and a corporation tax rate of 30%;

The capital allowance for general spending on equipment is 25% a year on a reducing balance basis. In the year spending is incurred, the allowance can provide tax relief worth £7.50 in terms of reduced tax for every £100 spent. The balance of the spending is relieved in later years.

If you purchase the Heat Reclaimer, which has been approved by this scheme, you could claim the corporation tax back in the first year.

The payback on this system is calculated at 1.43 years and after Corporation Tax refund (ECA), this is reduced to one year. On an environmental note, a typical system will reduce CO2 emissions by 194 tonnes per annum.

For more information please contact Victor Smyth on 02892 672 333 alternatively log onto www.eca-water.gov.uk or www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

Escalating fuel prices are having a very negative impact on the margins of Textile Care companies and forcing them to seek improved operating efficiencies.

Efficiency

Dunlop Design Engineering, Water and Energy recovery specialists are marketing a range of innovative Direct Contact Water Heaters, which offer improved performance to conventional boilers. Designed and manufactured by Kemco in the US, the Direct Contact Water Heaters (DCWH) operate at 99.7 % efficiency compared to 60/70 % with conventional boilers

KEMCO's Direct Contact Water Heater

How does it work?

Cold fresh water enters the DCWH at flow rates of between 2 cubic metres per hour up to 100 cubic metres per hour, depending on the specific model.
This produces capacities ranging between 200 k.watts up to 10 mega watts of power.
Specially designed high temperature stainless steel packings form a dense mass of searing hot channels which:
• Break up the water flow into microscopic droplets, and
• Heat the droplets rapidly as they fall-up to hundreds of gallons per minute in the larger units.

Direct Contact

The pre-heated water then passes directly through a ‘wall of fire’
capturing the flame’s heat energy. Instant hot water is available within seconds after start-up which helps production planning and reduces fuel usage.

Customer Benefits

- wide range of capacities available
- 99.7 % operating efficiency
- reduced fuel usage
- rapid payback.
- low maintenance costs

Maintenance

Dunlop’s provide a nationwide systems design, installation and maintenance service. It is recommended that The Direct Contact Water Heater should be serviced annually to maintain optimum efficiency.

For further details of Dunlop’s Energy and Water Conservation Solutions please telephone 028 92 622524, e-mail info@dunlopdesign.com or visit their website www.dunlopdesign.com

Alan O’Connor of OCL Laundry

It is a very interesting experience to visit OCL Laundry in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Staff are busy operating ‘state of the art’ washing, drying and ironing laundry equipment and handling over 24,000 pieces per five day week – and yet there is no steam anywhere in the plant!!!! Alan O’Connor, the owner, has in effect converted the operation to be the first steamless laundry in Europe and is benefiting from major savings in fuel costs.

Business Opportunity

Alan started the new venture from zero in 2000 having spotted a business opportunity in the western counties of Ireland. Many factors combined to create this business opportunity. The healthy ‘Celtic Tiger’ has increased visitors to the west of Ireland resulting in additional investments in hotels and restaurants. This created an increasing demand for improved laundry services at a time when there was limited laundry capacity in the region.
Since starting trading, OCL has rapidly built up an enviable reputation for providing very high quality laundry services and delivering excellent after sales service to the Hotel and Restaurant sectors.

Technology

A key factor in Alan’s success has been his commitment to utilising state of the art laundry equipment and energy saving systems. To date over €2M has been invested in the plant following thorough research throughout the UK and mainland Europe.

Energy Saving System

Walton Dunlop, Director of Dunlop Design Engineering, was asked to design, install and commission an energy saving system. This has just recently been installed and is projected to save up to 50% in energy costs in addition to reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The system includes a Direct Contact Water Heater and two Heat Exchangers.

Direct Contact Water Heater

This is the fastest and most efficient water heating system available resulting in 99.7% energy efficiency compared to conventional boilers which operate at 65/75% efficiency.
This gas-fired heater only needs to be switched on when hot water is required for the process as it produces hot water instantly. Therefore fuel usage is reduced.

‘A traditional oil-fired steam boiler is the most inefficient way of water in industrial processes’ says Alan O’Connor.

Heat Exchangers

Both heat exchangers are recovering lost thermal energy by capturing the heat from the waste water in the laundry process and re-using it to pre-heat the incoming water supply.

Therefore the Dunlop System is reducing water and energy consumption and lowering operating costs.

Quality Laundry Equipment

In addition OCL Laundry has invested in sophisticated laundry equipment including a new batch washer, gas-fired tumble dryers and two feeder/gas-fired flatwork ironers/folder lines supplied by Jensen.
Line 1 is dedicated to tablecloths and duvet covers and Line 2 deals with flat sheets and is capable of processing up to 1,000 per hour. This equipment results in the production of very high quality laundered items.

Expansion Plans

Alan O’Connor’s commitment to reinvestment in new technologies, control of operating costs and improvements in customer service position the company very well for future expansion northwards into Co. Donegal and southwards towards Limerick, Kerry and Cork.