Question of the Month
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008We measure our natural gas consumption:
- Weekly (34%, 16 Votes)
- Daily (34%, 16 Votes)
- Monthly (23%, 11 Votes)
- Do not measure (9%, 4 Votes)
- Quarterly (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
Loading …Question of the Month
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008Do you dry your mats?
- Yes (74%, 64 Votes)
- No (26%, 22 Votes)
Total Voters: 86
Loading …Is Mat Drying a Necessary Expense?
Sunday, January 6th, 2008Why do some laundry operators dry their mats and others do not? How much money can you save by skipping the drying process? Is their a corresponding compromise in the quality of mat to the customer when you do not dry your mats? We are interested in gathering opinions from our readers and publishing your comments.
How much does it cost to dry a 3 x 5 mat?
If your gas cost is $10/mcf (commodity+basis+transportation), your moisture retention is 12% after extraction and your dryer is very efficient (1800 BTUs/lb H2O), then your cost would be .023/mat. With less effective extraction and less efficient dryers, you could be close to .05/mat. Labor to load and unload the mats in and out of the dryer will add another .025 to .05/mat, depending on how much automation is in use. So an operator that processes 1,000 mats per day is adding $13,000 to $26,000 a year to the expense line to dry his mats.
What are the quality issues created by skipping the drying process?
1) Musty odor.
2) Mats are too wet or too frozen to place at a customer.
3) Too much sand is left in the mat.
Processing methods that can minimize these quality concerns:
Rolling mats allows for some air drying; flat stacking mats allows for little air drying.
Mats shipped to depots will generally have more time to air dry.
Wash equipment with poor mechanical action will not sufficiently remove sand and will require tumbling to achieve satisfactory mat quality.
Extraction formulas are often overlooked as a method to remove more moisture. Better extraction is a more cost effective method to remove water than drying.
Some operators report that adding sour to the wash formula eliminates a musty odor.
Please post your comments, opinions and experience!
Welcome to turnkeyengineering.com
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007Thank you for visiting our new and improved website! Each month we will provide a new discussion forum topic and new resources for all visitors to use and enjoy. We will be sending an email link every month to our subscribers, informing them of new topics and content. Go to the “Contact Us” link to subscribe. The resource page is home to every article and presentation published by our staff. You can use the search bar from anywhere on the site to find information by topic or author. Please contact us with your questions and comments. We are looking forward to providing you and your organization with greater value in everything that we do.