Updated Equipment Reduces Emergency Calls

Chemex Canada in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, had been using a multi-washer dispensing system that utilized peristaltic pumps, leading to consistent maintenance problems and emergency maintenance calls. From minor leaks to major tube failures, these occurrences piled up, negatively affecting Chemex’s customer satisfaction, maintenance costs and productivity levels.

“Our customers are on set service schedules with the intent to replace parts on a proactive basis, but we found that our technicians were often called for emergencies stemming from failures of simple items like check valves or squeeze tubes,” says Todd Anthony, commercial laundry business manager, Chemex Canada. “Our customers’ satisfaction is a top priority, so we knew we had to find a more reliable and innovative solution.”

As the industry and its technology continues to evolve, customers expect their vendors to as well. Specifically, laundry operators expect equipment to provide data and alarms to help them run a more efficient facility. They also value equipment that is safe, accurate, compact and easy to use. With an outdated and unreliable dispensing system, Chemex was concerned customers would begin shopping elsewhere for their laundry chemicals if immediate action was not taken.

In search of a smaller, more reliable system, Chemex chose the Dositec Electromagnetic System from Hydro Systems, Cincinnati, because of its size, reasonable cost and advanced features like remote data access. In August of 2017, Chemex identified a site that had been experiencing frequent pump and maintenance issues with the current dispenser and decided to pilot the new Dositec system.

“Chemex is a small but actively growing team, and we needed to find a system that wasn’t maintenance intensive and could help us reduce our service load and the number of emergency calls,” says Anthony. “It was important for us to invest in a system that didn’t just enhance our offerings but showed our customers that we were actively working to improve the way they run their businesses.”

The Dositec Electromagnetic System features high-quality electric valves, an electromagnetic diaphragm pump and a rotameter for proof of delivery. Because the system does not use peristaltic pumps, it eliminates the most common maintenance task — changing squeeze tubes and recalibrating the dispenser. It can dispense up to eight chemicals to as many as six washing machines. Its remote monitoring and control capabilities give customers access to critical chemical data and allows them to adjust formulas or settings without traveling to the site.

Less than a year after testing the Dositec system at the customer’s site, Chemex noticed numerous benefits, including:

• No more emergency service calls. Emergency calls were completely eliminated, and routine visits to the customer happened according to the preventative maintenance schedule.

• More accurate chemical delivery. Squeeze tubes wear over time, and if not properly maintained can lead to under-dispensing and increased rewash. The Dositec system did not require squeeze tube maintenance leading to more accurate, repeatable results.

• Enhanced customer satisfaction. An intangible benefit Chemex experienced was securing a customer that could have shopped elsewhere due to frustrations over equipment issues. The customer saw the new dispensing system as Chemex’s commitment to serving them better and prioritizing their needs.

• Cost savings of up to $4,000 per year. With the previous dispensing systems, Chemex was losing money by frequently replacing broken parts, and spending time and labor to address emergency issues.