One thing is for sure: introducing Vectura, a fully automatic stack management system, was a complete success! And still one drop of bitterness remains. Seeing how well the Vectura works in the terry department, Keith Pooler, president and owner of Sacramento Laundry, regrets not also having implemented the stack management system for other flatwork. Keith Pooler is impressed by how much his operation benefits from the new conveyor system: “That was huge in terms of efficiency! The improvements in the terry department had the biggest impact on our 35% increase in productivity.”

Sacramento Laundry Company is a family-owned and operated textile service provider for over 35 hotels in Northern California. The company started out as a local coin-operated laundry in downtown Sacramento over a decade ago. Today, Keith Pooler and his team of over 350 employees serve a customer range from boutique hotels in San Francisco to military base hotels, luxury ski resort hotels around Lake Tahoe, and 1,000+ room convention center hotels.

With the installation of six new XFM Speedline drywork folding machines, Sacramento Laundry had to face a major logistical challenge. All the produced towel stacks had to be sorted and dispatched for every customer. This is anything but a piece of cake if it needs to be done by hand, given the wide variety of articles and large number of customers. Manual picking up and sorting stacks behind the folding machines would reduce productivity, slow down dispatch and cause sorting errors, which ultimately leads to dissatisfied customers. There was only one solution to the problem: Vectura from Kannegiesser – the fully automatic stack management system.

Vectura uses belt conveyors to automatically sort and transport laundry stacks to a central pick-up position. The system tracks each individual stack and sorts according to customer, article or machine. When receiving the laundry stacks, big displays show operators which stack belongs to which customer to ensure smooth dispatch.

At Sacramento Laundry, the key to success was the integration of the six new towel folding machines with an automatic sorting function and the Vectura stack sorting and transport system. Previously, one or two employees were required behind each folding machine to receive the laundry stacks. The Vectura now provides a central discharge position for the laundry stacks which makes it possible to receive the stacks of six folding machines by only two employees. If it wasn’t for the central pick-up position, operations required up to twelve employees for pick-up behind the machines.

Faced with labor shortages, Vectura offers textile service providers the opportunity to expand and accelerate production volumes without having to rely on filling open positions. Furthermore, the automated stack management eliminates the threat of sorting errors. However, in the end the biggest beneficiary of Vectura is the customer, who receives a guarantee of complete and fast deliveries.

The advantages of Vectura at a glance:

Fast and complete delivery
Easy dispatch through automation and guaranteed complete delivery.

Significant cost reduction
Reduce your personnel expenses in the expedition area.

Reliable processes
Avoid sorting errors and gain valuable delivery time.

Complete documentation
Collect and access all relevant information at any time.