Students: Eusebius Vercelli Ananda Satya Ardany, Luis Eduardo de Santiago Martinez, Okay Uğurlu
SMR Delft Launches The Laundry Packaging Robot: A Leap Towards a More Efficient and Effective Laundry Industry
SMR Delft, in collaboration with Landuwasco B.V., has unveiled a revolutionary laundry packaging robot designed to reduce labor costs and eliminate human errors, transforming the laundry industry.
January 29th, 2025
A Bold Step Forward
Today, SMR Delft proudly announces the launch of the Laundry Packaging Robot, developed in partnership with Landuwasco B.V., a leader in commercial laundry services. This cutting-edge robotic system represents a major advancement in industrial laundry operations, providing a solution that promises not only to streamline the packaging process but also to set new standards in efficiency and accuracy.
The Laundry Packaging Robot exemplifies how innovative technology can address pressing industry challenges while driving operational excellence. By automating the previously labor-intensive packaging process, this solution significantly reduces the reliance on manual labor, paving the way for a more sustainable and scalable future for laundry services.
Addressing Industry Challenges
Laundry facilities across the globe are struggling with rising labor costs and the inefficiencies inherent in manual processes. Human involvement in laundry packaging, while essential, often leads to inconsistencies, errors, and delays that negatively impact operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Additionally, with increasing demand for faster turnaround times, traditional methods are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of modern businesses.
Landuwasco B.V., a trusted name in the industry, sought a transformative solution to automate their laundry packaging processes. Their goal was clear: to lower labor expenses, improve packaging precision, and create a seamless workflow that ensures consistent results. The Laundry Packaging Robot was born out of this ambition to address these challenges head-on, delivering tangible benefits to the industry and redefining what is possible in commercial laundry services.
A Revolutionary Solution
The Laundry Packaging Robot combines the precision of a Doosan M1013 robot arm with an innovative end-of-arm tool. The system seamlessly picks garments from the folding machine’s output conveyor, using a camera to identify the center point of the garments and adjusting the robot arm to ensure precise centering before transfer.
Once the garments are picked up, the robot transfers them to boxes with unparalleled precision. Using pneumatic cylinders, the tool’s conveyor belt flaps open, allowing gravity to gently guide the clothes into the boxes without disturbing their folds. This elegant, automated process ensures consistent, professional packaging every time—eliminating human error while boosting productivity.
How to Get Started
The development of the Laundry Packaging Robot began with concept generation for the end-of-arm tool, focusing on methods to efficiently pick up garments from the folding machine’s output conveyor. After brainstorming various ideas, prototypes were created for the most promising concepts. These prototypes were tested and refined to identify the best-performing design. The final design was developed in SolidWorks and constructed using 3D-printed components, laser-cut triplex parts, and standard hardware like bolts and nuts.
Simultaneously, the team designed a testing frame to simulate the entire setup, including the robot, boxes, and conveyor belts. This iterative process ensured that the final product not only met functional requirements but also exceeded performance expectations.
“Our team is incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with this project. The journey has been a valuable learning experience, providing lessons that have strengthened us as a group. We are grateful for the opportunity to work on this challenge and contribute our efforts toward meaningful progress. We hope that the results of this project will not only exceed expectations but also help drive the company forward into a brighter future.”
The Project Group
“The results of this project are truly beyond my expectations. The solution aligns perfectly with our system and workflow, making it ready for immediate implementation. This level of excellence and attention to detail is exactly what we needed, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome!”
Alex van Nieuwenhuysen, Landuwasco B.V.
Closing and Call to Action
The Laundry Packaging Robot represents the culmination of a collaborative effort to innovate in the commercial laundry space. Starting with concept development for the end-of-arm tool, we refined our ideas through iterative prototyping and rigorous testing to ensure optimal performance. By combining cutting-edge robotics with thoughtful design, we’ve created a solution that transforms laundry packaging into an efficient, precise, and automated process.