Unipress equipment gets customers talking

SERIES: Big Tech for Small Spaces

By Becca Anderson

When you walk through your plant, you are probably focused on how much work is going through it, and thinking of ways to speed up the process. You look at the equipment, you look at the people, you look at how the workflow is moving customer items through the plant.

Sometimes, replacing just one piece of equipment can make a huge difference, if it’s the right piece. The key is, does that new equipment mean less touches to each garment? Every time you touch it, it costs you money. Every time the garment has to pause, the whole line slows down.

Unipress shared some of its current equipment, and gave us links to hear what actual customers have said about how they increased their productivity. After all, a sales brochure is nice, but real-world experience is golden.

From presses to baggers

Let’s start with the most necessary of equipment—a shirt unit. For most dry cleaners, shirts are the backbone of their operation. Getting them clean and then finishing them to perfection is a daily challenge.

CT-2 CYCLONE Double Buck Shirt Unit

• Blend of innovation, technology, and craftmanship
• Processing classic cut shirts and fitted, custom shirts
• Consistent quality with little operator experience
• Improved productivity with fewer touch-ups

Customer Comments

Ken Sandy, FRSTeam Dryy Restoration: 12 years ago, I entered this industry outsourcing from a PRN marketing lens… and learned fast: if you don’t do the work, you don’t control the outcome.

Today, that culture is paired with technology and machinery like the Unipress Corporation cyclone series shirt unit. It creates a platform for maximized production, enhanced quality and the most impeccable finish to the shirt.

Watch his video on his philosphy of business and his impression of the CT-2 Cyclone unit here.

Some garments don’t need the full treatment in a finishing department, especially with pressless finishing on many newer garments. A steam cabinet may be the answer for garments that don’t require as much handling.

SC1 Steam Cabinet / Wetclean Dryer

• Classic designed redefined by making it 7” taller for mini, midi, or maxi length dresses
• 5 garments per cycle
• Selectable timer
• Steam or Dry garments
• Up to 300 pcs per hour
• Current fashion requires PressLess Finishing
• Improves workflow with many garments bypassing the finishing department.
• Minimal operator training required
• Less is more.  More productivity, less space, weight, moving parts, energy consumption, and price than other finishing equipment.

See it in action in a video here.

Customer Comments

Robert Amborn, United Dry Cleaners – Vicksburg, MS

I have one, it is great. It has sped up our productivity… it does an exceptional job on sport coats, golf shirts pull overs. About 40 percent goes straight to assembly or inspection [after running it through the steam cabinet], another 40 percent is light touch-ups like creased sleeves and ironing the lining in sport coats, and the other 20 percent needs to be pressed.

Once garments are finshed, the next step is assembly. There are lots of options for making them customer-ready so they can make it from your plant to the customers’ closets without resoiling the garments in the process. Bagging is tedious work, but it can be made easier.

Automatic Bagger

• Labor-reducing “need to have” item
• Package 180-280 bundles per hour
• New redesign allows for both 28” and 25” poly rolls.  
• New optional bottom seal for routes or event linen storage

See it in action in a video here.

Customer Comments

Jerry Moore, Moore Services:

It’s in the bag…And we automated it! This labor-saver bags and seals both the top and bottom of the linen (or garments). The rail installation is completely floor supported and can be modified for future volume.

See Jerry’s video showing what he replaced, and the new system here.

Raymond Slush, Independent contractor:

That is a simple yet effective time saving method for a large amount of dry cleaning plants. The ROI is quickly realized.Not all of this equipment is new. Some of it is several years old, in fact. However, it may be new to you and your plant. The key to continually improving your quality and efficiency is not having the “latest and greatest” but reviewing your operation continually and upgrading where necessary to achieve your best. Sometimes that’s equipment just off the assembly line. And sometimes, it’s choosing to install something already proven over years of usage.

What’s your story? What have you installed in your plant that has made it more efficient, requires less touches, or automated a process you previously had to do by hand? Tell us about it. Email to: becca@fabricarecanda.com.

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