BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Maytag and Whirlpool Commercial Laundry have opened a new 28,000-square-foot facility in St. Joseph, Mich., featuring a state-of-the-art commercial laundry testing lab.“Concise and accurate testing is an important step in ensuring the performance and reliability of products,” says Craig Kirchner, director of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corp. “With this new, interactive lab, we can provide in-depth development, as well as reliability testing, for both single- and multi-load commercial laundry equipment.”The new 3,250-square-foot lab features 35 test stations and is capable of testing both single- and multi-load products to the power requirements of most countries around the world, Whirlpool says. Twenty of the test stations are automatic, computer-monitored lifespan test stations, and the other 15 are manual and developmental test stations.The regimen of tests at the lab will include lifespan testing, energy testing, development testing, early warning analysis and some aspects of product approval. The lab facility can easily accommodate large, multi-load equipment with its high bay ceilings and 1,200-pound-capacity floor scale for multi-load energy testing. The lab also has the ability to test both gas and electric dryers, and it has domestic hot and cold water supplies with soft-water capability.Having the lab and all other Maytag and Whirlpool Commercial Laundry department offices under one roof is a significant advantage, Kirchner adds. “Our new commercial laundry facility puts the lab under the same roof as our engineering, sales, marketing and service departments, resulting in better communication and faster decisions.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].