Aashish Swami |[Bryan Smit] | [Saleem Al-Homidi] | [Robert Hulsbergen}

LANDUWASCO ANNOUNCES NEW MACHINE TO LET KITCHEN TEAMS AUTOMATE SQUARE KITCHEN TOWEL HANDLING FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY

Innovative system will expand towel options, reducing manual labour and can be directly used with existing folding machines

Date

Monday, 3 November

Intro

Landuwasco announces new machine in development to automate the process of handling square towels. This new machine can directly be integrated with existing folding machine by feeding it towels. Incorporating these machines eliminates manual handling in the square towel folding process. For kitchens, laundries and facilities searching for greater speed, efficiency and reducing costs in handling towels.

Problem

Handling square towels
Square towels can’t be automated with current machines. This forces staff to fold them by hand, reducing efficiency and increasing labour.
Limited towel options
Companies are forced to use rectangular towels, preventing them choosing the right shape that suits their needs.

Solution

Landuwasco’s system automates the handling of square towels from pick-up to final positioning for folding. A camera with AI integration detects the first corner. The robot arm has a hybrid gripper, which can suction up the corner and clamp it. The towel is then pulled through the second gripper, which holds it securely and stops it at the second corner for precise alignment.
This eliminates manual handling, increases speed, and ensures consistent, high-quality folding.

How the product/service works

1. Corner Detection & Pick-Up:

A camera with an AI-integrated system locates one corner of the wet square towel. The robot arm moves to the detected position and picks up the towel using a hybrid suction-mechanical gripper.

2. Corner Transfer:

The robot feeds the first corner to a second gripper placed on the first pneumatic cylinder.

3. Second Corner Alignment:

The towel is then pulled through the second gripper, which has a hemisphere-shaped inner surface. This design prevents the towel from slipping and ensures it stays securely inside the gripper. As the robot pulls the towel, the curved surface naturally guides it and stops it exactly at the corner closest to the fisrt coner,

4. Positioning & Stretching:

The robot then passes the first corner to a third gripper located on the second cylinder. When both cylinders close, the towel is stretched and aligned perfectly.

5. Transfer to Folding Machine: