Accountability is number one. Unnecessary expense is required for methods that do not track the piece count both in and out if the product is delivered by the piece to the customer. Loss of linen is a major expense for any laundry. The ability to count the incoming linen accurately and efficiently is a huge benefit to the bottom line of any laundry. Production Throughput (in pieces per hour). Estimate increasing your throughput to 2000 pieces per operator hour (PPH) or more. The standard hospitality plant averages three pieces per pound, so this comes to approximately 670 pounds per hour. You can use this “rule of thumb” when calculating the number of operators (tables) you may require. Depending on the mix and the operator increasing this to 2400 PPH is realistic. NOTE: When using the Bullet system you may experience an increase of several hundred pieces per hour increase due to its ability to be in continuous use and dump directly into wash slings/carts. 2700 PPH is realistic in this case. Improved wash load setup with the Bullet. One of the best tools in the Bullet system is the ability to assign a weight to each item in the setup functions on the server. With a little investigation you can reach a very appropriate “soiled weight” for each item and then let the system calculate the quantity of this item times the assign weight for a superior wash load weight. This function, if used correctly, will give you a very accurate wash weight saving on chemical cost and producing a superior product. Used correctly this will almost replace the need for a scale or the step to stop and weigh each sling. This ability has also proven to improve wash aisle productivity since the slings are loaded to the correct capacity. Experience has shown that most slings are under loaded, so loading the sling to the correct full weight increases the amount of linen washed per day. Reducing required floor space and Flat Belt conveyors with the Bullet. Think about how you want your wash sling/cart to be loaded for the washers. One of the main “keys” in setting up an automated vac count/sort system is being able to place specific items into the respective wash sling/cart ready for the washers. When laying out and designing your system, design the system to use the flat belt conveyor as little as possible. Instead, design your system to place 50 to 75% of the items into containers located directly over your sling carts. Depending on your mix this can be accomplished by installing the proper equipment together to create a multi-tiered system. NOTE: Refer to the section on definitions on the different types of components used in a complete system. Space and utilities required when installing a system. After running the numbers to calculate the quantity of tables you will need, then placement and utility requirements for the equipment is the next item to consider. Elevations should be considered in the layout process. Contact Automation Dynamics for sizing and utility requirements. Environmental Issues. Noise, lint and debris are the common issues to take into consideration. There are lint-collecting devices that can pre-filter the air before being released to the outside or in colder areas in the winter you may want to exhaust into the inside to save your heat. Venting the exhaust to the outside or a remote location within the plant can greatly reduce the noise. Directing the noise to the upper levels of the plant can help keep the noise to a very reasonable level. Debris is best controlled at the count table by “shaking out the items” to be counted and transported via the vac or Bullet system.