Maxi Comet Executive Exec-56-G - Page 55

Comet Executive Gas Operating Guidelines
3-13
Final Rinse
The final rinse can affect the quality of
atwork nishing. It is important all atwork be
thoroughly rinsed before entering the unit to keep
atwork from sticking to the ironing cylinder. A
pH level of 7.2 is recommended.
Add a fabric softener to prevent static
electricity from causing the atwork to stick.
Never use starch in the nal rinse.
A warm rinse allows more water to be extracted
from the material. Thus, the unit needs to remove
less moisture from the atwork. Additionally,
with warm atwork, the unit does not have to
work as hard to keep at set temperature. This
produces flatwork with a dry, high quality
nish—more eciently.
Moisture Retention
Another important factor in delivering a high
quality nish is the amount of moisture retained
(MR) in the atwork. The correct MR helps to
determine the ironing speed and temperature—
drying atwork after just one run through the ironer.
A few important factors in moisture retention
(MR) before ironing are:
• Wash formula–write down the standard
for consistency
• Extraction process–write down the
standard for consistency
• Tumble dry condition time–write down
the standard for consistency
• Type of fabric–higher percentage of
cotton, the more moisture retained
• Thickness of fabric–thinner material
retains less moisture
With too little moisture, atwork can cause static
buildup problems. If too much moisture is left in the
atwork, the ironing section must work harder in
order to process the work, by either slowing down
the speed or increasing the temperature.
After extraction, the optimum MR is 30% -
35% for polyester/cotton fabrics and 45% - 50%
for cotton fabrics.
1. Use a precise scale to measure the “still
wet, but extracted” atwork; then weigh
again after the same atwork is “com-
pletely dry”.
2. Subtract the weight of the “completely
dry” flatwork from the “still wet, but
extracted” atwork. Divide the weight
dierence by the “completely dry” at-
work weight. Finally, multiply the result-
ing weight by 100 to determine the MR
percentage.
The optimum MR after ironing is 4% or less.
Ironing is not intended to remove 100% of the
moisture from the atwork. Therefore, feel the
atwork when it rst comes out of the unit; there
should be a slight moisture content.
Allow the atwork to sit for a few minutes to
allow excess steam and heat to dissipate in the
air. Check the atwork again; it should now feel
dry to the touch.
If the atwork does not feel dry or to improve
the quality of finish and productivity, repeat
Conditioning Flatwork Before Ironing on
page 3-12.
Timing Between Washing and Ironing
The amount of time delayed between washing
and ironing/drying reduces the atwork nish
quality due to fabric cooling and MR. Flatwork
needs to be ironed directly from the washer/
extractor whenever possible.
Start up the unit when the second load of wash
is entering the nal extract cycle. Flatwork may
be put into carts from the washer and sorted out
as desired.
Be aware that atwork that sits overnight or
longer will have uneven MR, and the operating
speed must be adjusted accordingly.
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