Sea-lion America has announced the North American introduction of the Sea-lion Laundry Dragon® 8.0 Series tunnel washer recently at Texcare Asia. The Sea-lion Laundry Dragon 8.0® Series tunnel washer is a substantially upgraded tunnel washing platform engineered for high-throughput commercial and industrial laundry operations.
Developed by Jiangsu Sea-lion Machinery Co., Ltd., the new 8.0 Series incorporates a number of mechanical and process-control improvements designed to improve washing consistency, water utilization, thermal efficiency and overall system throughput. The platform is available in 60- and 80-kg compartment capacities, with configurations extending from 7 to 18 compartments.
“The 8.0 Series is more than a cosmetic redesign of the Laundry Dragon®,” said Ed Kirejczyk, President of Sea-lion America. “Sea-lion has focused on the core engineering of the tunnel—wash liquor movement, mechanical action, heat retention, water recovery and textile transfer—to produce a more sophisticated continuous washing platform for today’s high-production laundries.”
Bottom-Transfer Architecture
At the heart of the Laundry Dragon® is Sea-lion’s bottom-transfer design, engineered to move textile loads between compartments while minimizing the potential for blockage associated with conventional transfer arrangements. The tunnel combines single- and double-drum technology, with internal lifting ribs designed to generate mechanical action as textiles progress through the wash process. Sea-lion’s tunnel architecture also provides compartment-level chemical dosing, water inlet and drain functions, allowing wash formulas to be configured around specific textile classifications and soil conditions. The bottom-transfer system is particularly suited to continuous high-volume processing where reliable textile movement and predictable cycle times are critical.
Independent Counterflow Water Management
The 8.0 Series incorporates independent water circulation and counterflow technology to manage wash liquor movement through the tunnel. Water-flow monitoring and compartment-level control allow the system to regulate water introduction according to the programmed wash process. The system also incorporates dual water-recovery tanks with lint filtration, allowing recovered process water to be reused within the washing system. The objective is to optimize the relationship between water flow, temperature, chemistry, mechanical action and textile loading, rather than simply increasing water volume to achieve cleaning performance.
“The engineering focus is on controlling the wash process at the compartment level,” Kirejczyk said. “Water, chemistry, temperature, transfer and mechanical action all have to work together. The 8.0 gives operators more control over those variables while maintaining the production characteristics required in a tunnel washer system.”
Integrated Heat Recovery
The new design also incorporates a dual-tank heat-recovery system with insulated construction intended to capture and reuse thermal energy from the washing process. By retaining and recovering heat within the system, the design is intended to reduce thermal losses and improve the overall energy efficiency of the wash process. The heat-recovery architecture is particularly relevant to high-production laundries where large volumes of hot water are processed continuously.
Process Monitoring and Control
The Laundry Dragon® platform provides centralized control of key washing parameters, including:
- Wash temperature
- Water flow
- Water changes and circulation
- Chemical/additive dosing
- Wash and transfer times
- Individual wash programs
- Cycle Sequencing
- Production data and machine status
Sea-lion’s tunnel systems also support integration with automated loading, extraction/pressing, drying and material-handling equipment. The company’s current tunnel architecture uses weight-sensing loading conveyors or overhead sling monorails, with hydraulic press or centrifugal extraction options depending on the installation. The machines are designed as part of a complete continuous laundry system, rather than as standalone washing equipment. Sea-lion’s tunnel platform can be integrated with automatic loading, pressing, shuttles, pass-through dryers and downstream finishing equipment.
Designed for High-Production Applications
The Laundry Dragon® 8.0 is intended for applications where continuous processing, repeatable wash formulas and high daily production volumes are primary requirements, including healthcare, hospitality, institutional, industrial and other commercial laundry operations.
Sea-lion has manufactured industrial laundry equipment since 1969 and developed its first tunnel washer in 2010. The company’s tunnel washer technology has subsequently evolved through continued development of water recovery, counter-current washing, automation and process monitoring.
For more information, visit the company’s web site: SEA-LION
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