Low-maintenance solution for Faversham Linen Services

01 December, 2015

Established in 1898, Faversham Linen Services provides clean, quality linen, towels and workwear to a diverse range of customers across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and South London, including hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and care homes.

Positive from negative

In June 2013, a huge fire tore through the business’ Victorian premises in Faversham, burning the building to the ground. Unable to salvage anything from the wreckage, Faversham Linen Services’ owner Richard Cope saw the fire as an opportunity to rebuild a stronger business, and work began almost immediately on a brand new, state-of-the-art 23,000sq ft (2137sq m) laundry, which would be built on the same site. The very latest processing and cleaning equipment was commissioned and installed in the new facility – which opened just 12 months after the fire.

For the laundry business to operate at its optimum performance, Cope knew he also needed to invest in new compressors. Compressed air plays a pivotal role in keeping Faversham Linen Services’ operations running smoothly, with it being used in all its processes, including controlling the detergent dosing, washing, drying and ironing and shrink wrapping.

Even before the fire, the company was in the process of making improvements to the reliability and efficiency of the existing compressors. A data logging exercise and a leak detection survey had revealed the existing system was not performing efficiently and the full extent of the energy being wasted through leakage.

Flexibility requirement

Armed with the research from the old compressed air equipment and the criteria he wanted for the new equipment, Cope approached Mattei to discuss its product portfolio. Faversham Linen Services required a variable speed compressor for flexibility, as well as a fixed speed compressor as a standby to cope with additional load or to offload capacity during routine maintenance of the variable speed compressor.

Mattei specified an Optima22 variable speed compressor and an AC22L fixed speed machine, along with air treatment and storage equipment.

“It is our mission to stay ahead of the market through innovation, and we have a long tradition of investment in the latest technology to achieve this objective,” said Cope. “Every aspect of our operation – including compressed air – is considered important to the overall performance of the business and the service we offer our customers.”

According to Cope, one of the main selling points for the company was Mattei’s warranties. “We could see the compressors were great products and the performance and efficiency met the criteria we were looking for, but the 10-year unlimited hours air end and 100,000 hour blade warranties, along with the reliable service Mattei offers, meant that we could keep our running costs low too,” he remarked. “It felt like we would be installing a fit-and-forget product, as any issues would be taken care for us quickly and with as little downtime as possible.”