In the process of building a digital and intelligent laundry factory, with the combination of current development progress of laundry equipment technology in China and the current market situation of the industry, CLM believes that the digital and intelligent upgrade of laundry factories still needs to go through three key nodes, ultimately achieving unmanned operation in the workshop. This article introduces the other two key nodes.
Digital Operating System
After completing the process integration and automation transformation, although the laundry factory has achieved a relatively high operational efficiency, it is still at the level of automated production. At this time, a new problem will gradually appear. The equipment is operating, but the data has not been used efficiently. The process is smooth, but the management still relies on experience.
What we need to do is make all pieces of equipment, process, and staff online, so as to collect, record, and analyze data. In other words, this stage is actually the transformation from an automated factory to a data-driven factory.
● Laundry Equipment and IoT
All core equipment is not just tools for performing actions, but rather data collection terminals and system nodes. Tunnel washers, dryers, ironing lines, hanging bag systems, and other core equipment should have the ability to collect and transmit real-time data.
- Equipment operating status
real time feedback of running, standby, shutdown, fault…
- Energy consumption data
key indicators such as water, electricity, and steam consumption
- Process parameters
temperature, time, speed, program selection…
Through continuous collection of equipment operation data, the following capabilities can be realized:
- Quantitative analysis of equipment utilization
- Refined management of energy consumption
- Real-time early warning of abnormal operation
- Provide a data foundation for subsequent intelligent optimization
● Informatization of business process
The ERP management system is like the brain of digital operation. It needs to integrate, manage, and dispatch all business data.
- Linen identification and tracking system
Linen is marked with RFID tags or QR codes when it enters the system. This realizes that one item has one code. This mark runs through the entire life cycle of the linen.
- Production scheduling system
People intelligently assign production tasks according to customer type, urgency, and equipment status to optimize assembly line efficiency.
- Warehouse management system
A systematic management mechanism for linen inbound, outbound, and inventory management is built to realize first in, first out, automatic inventory counting, and inventory warning settings.
- Quality traceability system
The washing quality inspection results of each batch of linen are recorded, so problems can be quickly traced to specific customers, teams, equipment, and washing batches.
- Financial and settlement system
It automatically counts washing quantity and service types, automatically generates bills, and connects with customer systems to improve settlement efficiency and accuracy.
● Digital staff management
It is from experience management to data management. In a digital factory, personnel are no longer just executors, but part of the system.
- Equip employees with iPDA or mobile Apps to realize:
Scan linen tags, receive work tasks, report abnormal situations, record working hours data…
- Add a performance dashboard system to display each person’s work efficiency and work quality pass rate in real time through data, so as to realize:
transparent management, data-driven assessment, and continuous optimization of staffing
Intelligent Operation and System Autonomous Decision-Makin
After the factory completes the first two nodes, it already has two key conditions: full process automated operation capability and a complete data accumulation system. On this basis, the factory will enter a real intelligent stage. The system does analysis, prediction, and decision making based on data.
● Intelligence of the production process
- Intelligent sorting
Laundry plants use RFID and image recognition technology to automatically identify linen types (bed sheets, quilt covers, towels, pillowcases…) and stain types, and guide robots or employees to sort. This improves sorting accuracy and efficiency.
- AI optimization of washing processes
The system automatically recommends or selects the optimal washing program (water temperature, detergent dosage, time) according to the dirt level, type, and historical data of the linen.
- Unmanned feeding
It automatically feeds bed sheets, quilt covers, pillowcases, and towels.
- Intelligent ironing line
It uses machine vision and automation technology to realize automatic spreading, ironing, folding, and stacking of linen, and automatically distinguishes customers.
● Intelligence of logistics and warehousing
- AGV/AMR (Automated Guided Vehicle/Autonomous Mobile Robot)
It automatically transports linen trolleys in the factory. It connects all links, such as linen receiving and dispatching, washing, finishing, and warehousing, to form an unmanned logistics line.
- In depth application of RFID technology
It replaces QR codes to realize batch, long distance, and fast reading. It exponentially improves the efficiency of linen inbound, outbound, and inventory counting.
● Intelligence of management and design-making
- Data cockpit/BI system
It integrates, analyzes, and visually displays data of all links (orders, production, quality, equipment, energy consumption, and manpower).
- Demand forecasting
It can predict order volume according to order history data, seasons, and customer growth trends.
- Intelligent production scheduling
It can automatically make the best production plans by considering order, equipment, delivery , and energy.
- Energy consumption
It can monitor and analyze energy consumption in real time. Also, it can identify abnormal energy consumption and waste points and provide energy saving optimization.
Post time: Apr-08-2026