Tunnel washers are the core machines in the modern laundry plants. They have a high level of automation and continuous efficient production capacity. This significantly improves washing efficiency and linen quality. However, automation does not mean “zero-failure” or “maintenance-free” operation. Unscientific and non-standard operations cause various problems to tunnel washers, especially the chamber blockage. Once this happens, the production line may be disrupted. More seriously, equipment and linens may be damaged. Overall production efficiency and economic benefit in industrial laundry plants are affected.
Why do tunnel washers suffer from chamber blockages? Based on extensive field visits and case studies, Kingstar has found five major factors.
Factor 1: Excess Water
Many laundry plant workers think that excess water makes linens easy to flow. Why do chamber blockages occur? In practice, excess water results in chamber blockages. During washing process, inner drums swing back and forth to tumble linens. A high water level leads to large items (such as bed sheets and duvet covers) floating due to buoyancy. They do not tumble in an orderly manner at the bottom of the water. Linens in front and back chambers entangle and knot. During transfer between chambers, entangled linens fail to pass the gate. The following linens continue feeding into the chamber, resulting in a blockage.
Suggestion:
Based on different categories of linens and loading volume, strictly follow the equipment brochure to set water levels. Laundry plants should avoid the misunderstanding that excess water makes linens clean.
Factor 2: Insufficient Water
Insufficient water is a common cause of chamber blockage. Insufficient washing water makes some linens fail to fully absorb water. They remain partially dry. Friction between the linens and chamber walls significantly increases. This further increases chamber transfer resistance. In the given period, linens transfer successfully. But due to slow movement, they fail to enter the next chamber completely. By this time, the next batch is pushed forward according to the programs. This causes chamber overloading and blockage.
Suggestion:
Water level should fully soak linens with proper remaining space. For cotton linens with high water absorbency, increase additional water input during pre-wash or main wash cycles.
Factor 3: Overloading
Overloading is a main cause of tunnel washer chamber blockages. It can be divided into two cases: man-made and non-human overloading.
● Man-made overloading
To improve working efficiency, some workers reduce linens regardless of the overloading warning of the weighing platform. They directly throw the excess onto the conveyor belt. The system falsely detects the total weight as normal. Parameters (such as water and chemical dosage) of a tunnel washer calculate automatically according to the weighing data. Actual washing volume exceeds the weighing weight. This causes insufficient water and chemicals, as well as chamber blockages.
● Non-human overloading
Non-human overloading mainly results from an external strike to the weighing platform. High-sensitivity load cells support the weighing platform of a tunnel washer. If linen carts or forklifts strike the platform accidentally, load cells will be displaced or damaged. The weighing data may be inaccurate. For example, the system adds water according to the lighter weight. Actually, the tunnel washer is loaded with more linens. This causes hidden overloading. Many laundry plants do not install safety guardrails for weighing platforms. This is a hidden danger.
Therefore, laundry plants should stress that workers carry out the weighing process strictly to prevent intentional overloading. The height of safety guardrails around the weighing platform should be higher than that of the loading platform. This prevents linen carts or people from striking. Regularly calibrate weighing load cells to ensure accurate measurement.
Factor 4: Low Water Absorbency
The materials of hotel linens include three categories: cotton, cotton-polyester blend, and polyester. Cotton has the highest water absorbency, while polyester has the lowest. A high proportion of polyester in linens significantly decreases the water absorbency. This creates a conflict. Systems set water levels according to the water absorbency of common linens (such as cotton). For linens with low water absorbency, water is excessive. Therefore, these light linens, which are difficult to absorb water, float similarly. Linens getting entangled between chambers leads to blockages.
Suggestion:
Run small batch tests while accepting orders. Choose proper water levels and wash programs. For polyester linens, reduce the water level. And adjust the chamber transfer frequency.
Factor 5: Improper Operation
A tunnel washer has multiple load cells and an alarm system. When situations such as poor chamber transfer, overloaded motors, and abnormal water levels occur, it can automatically trigger an alarm and stop operation. However, some operators do not identify the breakdown causes in order to meet deadlines. They forcibly restart the equipment. This may worsen blockages. Minor entanglement may become tightly compressed blockages after forceful operation. This leads to severe blockages. While cleaning, operators spend several hours or half a day dismantling the equipment. This results in huge losses.
Suggestion:
Make strict operating rules. If the tunnel washer alarms and shutdowns, stop all operations. The operator should check where the chamber is blocked and clean entangled linens. Restart the equipment after the weighing system and water levels return to normal. Operating with unresolved faults is not required.
Preventive Measures
Proper and standardized use is essential to the efficient operation of tunnel washers. Although chamber blockage is a simple problem, it hides lots of factors, such as water levels, loading management, equipment maintenance, fabric adaptability, and manual operation. Laundry plants can take the following preventive measures:
● Systematically train operators to make them understand the connection between water levels and chamber blockages.
● Safety guardrails should be installed for the weighing platform. Load cells should be calibrated regularly.
● Choose wash programs based on fabric types.
● Build an alarm response system to prevent forced reset operation.
Operational standards ensure smart equipment operate efficiently and consistently. Therefore, a tunnel washer can deliver its automation advantages. This reduces the risks of production line interruptions caused by chamber blockages.
Q&A
Q1: How can an operator calibrate the weighing system of a tunnel washer?
A1: Use a bucket of water. Check the system weekly.
Q2: Does a Kingstar tunnel washer have guardrails?
A2: Yes. If the safety guardrails are opened, the shuttle conveyor will stop.
Q3: Can a Kingstar tunnel washer transfer between chambers?
A3: Yes. When a chamber blockage occurs, the equipment stops. The load transfer function helps remove blocked linens.
Post time: Jul-02-2026