CHICAGO — Perhaps Wes Nelson, who heads the sales and service efforts of finishing equipment manufacturer Sankosha USA, described the relationship between a traditional drycleaning or laundry press and its padding the best: “They are like tires to an automobile.”
Equip your automobile with a good set of tires, then properly maintain them, and you can drive tens of thousands of miles on good roads without incident. Fail to keep them in good condition and it won’t matter what your ride looks like or how powerful its engine is—the road ahead will eventually be a bumpy one.
This month, American Drycleaner reached out to representatives from various finishing equipment manufacturers, as well as press pad makers, and asked them to analyze the relationship between press and pad, and how they work together in producing quality finished garments.
Q: For what specific types of presses are pads made? Does every drycleaning, laundry or garment press have a pad or pads?
Richard Greco, national sales manager, Hoffman-New Yorker, press manufacturer: Every press requires a pad, from the basic utility and legger shape, to the chest and side and back press used in garment manufacturing. The drycleaning and laundry press use a ready-made pad, while all of the garment presses require special padding determined by the actual shape of the head and buck.
Brent McWilliams, regional sales manager, FH Bonn, press pad/cover manufacturer: All equipment require pads/covers. If you do not use the recommended padding, or do not change the padding from time to time, the cleaner cannot finish a garment professionally. Customers can try and clean garments at home, but they can never duplicate the finishing that a plant is able to do.
Wes Nelson, head of sales and service, Sankosha USA, press manufacturer: In our current lineup of laundry and drycleaning pressing equipment, all models use various covers and pads.
John Rizzuto, vice president, Air World, press pad/cover manufacturer: Generally, most machine manufacturers equip all their machines with press pads and covers.
Yuriko Tanabe, vice president, European Finishing Equipment Corp. (Hi-Steam), tensioning equipment and press manufacturer: As we specialize in European tensioning machines (to finish garments by blowing steam and hot air into the garment while holding the garment under tension), our machines have very few pads and covers.
Q: How would you describe the relationship between a drycleaning press and its pads? Can one really work without the other?
Nelson: Covers and pads play an integral part for achieving the best possible finished garments. They are like tires to an automobile.
Rizzuto: When pressing garments on drycleaning presses, it’s very important to change those pads routinely. When pads are left on the press too long, they become hard and they don’t provide enough cushion for the best-quality press. Also, steam flow and vacuum strength are restricted, which degrades pressing quality.
Greco: Both are integral to one another. The press will not work properly without the correct padding.
Q: When a properly padded press is working perfectly, what should be the result?
Greco: A high-quality finish with no seam impressions, no button impressions, and no ‘leave off’ marks. Also, sharp creases.
Rizzuto: Garments should be free of any moisture, wrinkles, and any unpressed areas. They should also have sharp creases where required.
Nelson: It allows for operators to produce professionally pressed clothing at a high rate of productivity.
Q: Under normal conditions, how often should press pads be changed?
McWilliams: Padding is to be changed as it wears down. As a rule of thumb, drycleaning pads about two to three times per year, head pads about once a year, and with other equipment, it is dependent on just how many garments are processed.
Any good presser can tell when it is about time to change. Some of the newer equipment in the market have counters on them, so the finisher can simply follow the manufacturer’s suggestions on changes.
Nelson: The best operations set up a maintenance schedule and, most importantly, they follow it. Currently, our shirt equipment has the capability to let the cleaner know when their covers and pads should be changed.
Rizzuto: It depends mainly on the volume of the store. In an average store, prior to six months, pads should be changed. With shirt units especially, it is important to have backup covers, pads and air bags.
Greco: This has to be based on the combination of the number of garments being produced and the length of time the pad is on the machine. A pad sitting idle will dry out in time. Also, if laundered items are pressed with excessive moisture, the pad will wear out faster.
Check back Thursday for the conclusion!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].