Gurtler Experts
Gurtler’s expert technical field service representatives have been trained to implement the most cost-effective techniques in applying the latest chemical technology in the laundry industry. This will result in the best quality of linen with the lowest possible chemical and energy cost. Our representatives also are constantly monitoring the production process to make sure all aspects of the washroom workflow are working to their fullest capabilities and efficiencies. Our field service representatives have the complete support of our laboratory to diagnose any stain or fabric problem that cannot be cured in the field. As a leading commercial laundry product supplier, the Gurtler brand promises to always stay at the forefront, providing our clients with consistent results.
Your Gurtler Expert can act as your consultant that reviews your overall operation, from soil-sort to washing to final finishing, to make sure that the process is running smoothly at maximum efficiency, producing the highest possible quality at the lowest possible overall cost.
Wash Formula Design
The primary service your Gurtler technical representative can offer is good wash formula design. Taking into account time, temperature, mechanical action, and chemical action requires a broad understanding of the entire laundry operation. For example, wash formulas that are focused on reducing chemical cost could be designed to make up for the lower chemical action by increasing both time and temperature. However, that could cause an unwanted increase in energy usage and a decrease in production, or pounds of clean laundry produced per hour. So, understanding all the factors that can affect the overall operation is the key responsibility of the Gurtler representative.
Collaboration with Management
As noted, the Gurtler rep will advise and/or develop wash formulas, however this should be a cooperative relationship with management, to make sure that the overall goals of the management team are well understood. Laundry chemical cost can be only a few percent of the overall operational costs of a laundry, however mis-applied chemicals or poorly designed wash formulas can affect the other 95+ percent of operational costs, perhaps driving water and sewer costs out of line, using too much natural gas due to unbalanced hot water use, or increased wash formula times will drive down wash aisle productivity.
Service Call Analysis
The key aspect of a Gurtler Service call is to analyze the overall wash operation. Service reports detail the actual data of the main wash formulas, to include operations times, temperatures, chemical activity, water hardness, and most importantly, quality of results. Your Gurtler rep can periodically conduct a stain audit to track the number or percentage of stain/rewash and the types of stains to see if there are any changes or trends that would indicate a need for a change in the wash formulas. Service and titration reports are maintained and archived to be available to track any long-term changes or trends. And, the Gurtler rep will review your chemical inventory to make sure that you maintain adequate levels of product to ensure continuous operation.
Equipment Inspection & Maintenance
The Gurtler Experts will inspect the wash equipment looking for issues, such as leaking drain valves that can cause both a quality issue and an increase in water and energy costs. Plus, the Gurtler rep will check on the performance of our automatic liquid injection equipment. The Vis•Tex line of dispensers is highly reliable and has a data recording system that can be accessed to review any needed preventive maintenance. He or she will also make sure the soil sort operation is designed appropriately. A new textile or garment or customer may call for a new soil sort classification and a new wash formula to maximize processing efficacy.
Review & Reporting
Gurtler’s technical representatives meet with the key management at the beginning of the service call to review any recent concerns that may have developed since the last service visit, and at the end of the service call to review all the actions and recommendations that we included in our service report. During the service call the rep should interact with line management or leads in each department, (such as soil sort, washroom, finishing department, maintenance, etc.) to make sure that any issues are reviewed.