Innovation through automation
October 1st 2004

An effective hand drying system is essential to maintain the hygiene and health of both staff and visitors, but while the washing effect on hand hygiene has been studied, hand drying for the most part has been overlooked. Wet hands collect and transmit bacteria more easily than dry hands and the drying process plays an important part in the removal of harmful pathogenic microbes that live on hands and under dead skin cells

Currently a gap exists in the hand drying market for a system that effectively solves issues for purchasing decision-makers across the board. To cut costs and reduce wastage, hand-drying systems need to offer controlled usage, which will stop end users from over consumption and pilferage. C-fold towels are the prime example of over consumption; end users automatically take at least two to three towels every time they wash their hands resulting in massive wastage.

Hygiene is also a key issue to creating an efficient hand drying system. Research1 of hand-washing surfaces shows that hand towel dispenser levers carry the highest concentration of bacteria of all washroom contact surfaces. Cross-contamination by hand contact via surfaces was discovered in 1910, yet still today many towel dispensers use a lever method to dispense the paper towel from the system. This is closely followed by the air stream flow of the hot air dryer, which uses recycled air, depositing microbes onto wet hands from the air streams. With more and more focus being placed on hygiene, the market place for washrooms is becoming gradually automated. End users are realising that the less contact surfaces touched, the less bacteria can be transmitted, so the demand for automated washroom equipment has soared over the last few years. With this in mind Lotus Professional felt that electronic towel dispensing was the next logical step towards an automated washroom.

Lotus Professional set out, in late 1999, to develop an innovative concept in hand drying that solves all the key hand-drying issues. Extensive research was undertaken in the US and in Europe at many different locations including hospitals, airports, offices and food preparation areas. Focus groups and concept testing continued over the four-year development stage, producing positive feedback and resulting in many improvements and eight prototypes. It is due to this research that Lotus Professional is now confident that its recently launched hand drying system will solve market place requirements. enMotion, a state-of-the-art touchless hand towel dispensing system aims to solve hygiene issues, cut waste and make significant cost in use savings.

Waste in the UK continues to rise at 3% per year2 and the government is set to carry out recommendations from the Waste Not, Want Not report3 to address the waste situation in the UK and reduce the amount generated. enMotion is designed specifically to cut waste, when paper rolls are running to the end, purchasers are often left with the choice of throwing the roll away or risk the dispenser running out of towels. However when the paper roll is running low in enMotion, the carousel is simply rotated forward, enabling the paper roll to be used to the end. A new roll is loaded on the main arms, ready to feed through the machine automatically when the stub roll has finished. The dispenser need never run out of paper, resulting in higher user satisfaction and it dramatically cuts wastage as no part rolls are thrown away, which in turn has implications on labour requirements and disposal costs.

The enMotion developers felt that many of the hygiene issues could be solved through the automation of hand towel dispensers. enMotion dispenses paper towels via a sensor. When a hand is waved in front of the sensor a length of towel is automatically dispensed, eliminating the need for end users to touch the system and therefore reducing the transfer of infectious organisms. The paper towel also has a beneficial effect in terms of hygiene to the users. Research4 showed that a 1-ply towel removed 91% of transient bacteria whereas 2-ply towel only had an 88% reduction. The fibre of the 1-ply towel created small cups to scoop the water and bacteria from the hands and is therefore more effective although harsher to the touch. Lotus Professional therefore created a hand towel using Hydratek technology, which is not only effective in removing bacteria but also thick and soft to the touch. The paper rolls are manufactured in a controlled, clean environment to minimise the microbial count and the paper roll is contained within the dispenser stopping germs collecting on the towel.

The overriding purchasing factor for most organisations is cost and enMotion has been designed with many features designed to maximise cost-in-use benefits as much as 50%, through lower wastage, controlled usage and reduced maintenance. The system offers controlled usage with several adjustable functions. The sheet size function allows the user to adjust the towel size according to application suitability via an easily adjustable switch. The sensor proximity function can be adjusted to vary the range at which the towel will be dispensed and the time delay function controls how long enMotion will wait before dispensing the next towel, reducing pilferage and over consumption. If usage changes then the dispenser can be adapted to suit the situation. enMotion has also been designed to only dispense another towel once the first has been taken. This feature, combined with the time delay function, ensures that the first towel is completely used and breaks the habit of end users automatically assuming two towels are required to dry hands.

As the complexities of loading a paper towel dispenser can cause unnecessary costs, a key objective was to develop a reliable, low cost electronic towel dispenser. The paper roll concept was shown to be the simplest through research. enMotion uses a very simple method to load the paper towel rolls, via two flexible support arms. This helps to reduce dispenser damage through incorrect loading and is quick and easy to service.

Karen Halifax, trade marketing manager for enMotion at Lotus Professional comments: A new generation of automated dispensers is setting a standard for excellence in washrooms. The innovative design of enMotion aims to solve a range of issues with existing hand drying systems and provide a cleaner, more hygienic washroom and significant cost-in-use savings. Aesthetically enMotion fits effortlessly in all kinds of washrooms, from premium hotels to healthcare environments.

1 Research carried out by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Georgia Pacific Corporation

2 Environment secretary, Margaret Beckett, 8 May 2003

3 published November 2002

4 Research carried out by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Georgia Pacific Corporation

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