Chart Industries (Mayfield Heights, OH) is a $450M company that supplies engineered equipment for handling industrial gases. Its Chart Applied Technologies division specializes in liquid gases and associated equipment used for medical, restaurant, and dry cleaning applications. Chart is introducing a new dry cleaning technology that is faster and safer than the traditional methods that use percloroethylene (perc), a flammable, volatile, carcinogenic solvent that has stringent EPA and OSHA regulations for its use. Chart's new technology uses carbon dioxide (CO2), a natural, nontoxic gas found in ambient air. Their tool, the CO2L CLEAN 55, uses Control Technology Corporation's equipment to control all the machinery needed to pressurize the CO2 gas to a liquid state, clean the clothes, and recover the CO2 back into storage tanks for the next wash cycle. Chart selected the CTC automation controller because it had the best price/performance ratio of all the products available. The controller also ensures safe operation of the pressurized system, while a the CTC touchscreen provides a friendly interface for operation. "We think the CO2 technology will revolutionize the drycleaning industry in the next five years," said Jon Turner, Drywash Development Manager at Chart Applied Technologies. Currently, perc methodology holds a 75 - 80% share of the dry cleaning market; within the next five years, Chart believes that share will drop to 25%, with most of the differential shifting to the new liquid CO2 process. The new product, which has only become commercially available within the last year, has been well received during introductions at trade shows, and is gaining rapid acceptance across the country.

In the dry cleaning process, the clothes are placed in the washing chamber of the CO2L CLEAN 55. After the doors are closed, the valves for the CO2 storage tanks open, releasing the CO2 into the chamber. At the high pressure (700 psi) and moderate temperature (55° F) maintained within the chamber, the CO2 is in a liquid state. During the wash cycle, a compressor moves the liquid CO2 around in a unique jet process that circulates the CO2 through the clothes. When the wash cycle is complete, the liquid CO2 drains back into the storage tanks. The small quantity of CO2 that still remains in gaseous state is recovered by compressor, which puts the CO2 back into the storage tanks. Cold water from a water chiller is circulated through condensing coils in the storage tank, re -condensing the recovered gas back to a liquid. The clothes are now clean, the chamber's pressure is neutralized, and the door can be opened via a button on the touchscreen. Because CO2 is a gas, not a liquid, at ambient temperature and pressure, the clothes are dry as soon as the cycle completes, eliminating the drying step needed for traditional perc cleaning. After pressing, the clothes are ready to wear.

With a rapidly growing distribution in the U.S., Chart plans to establish markets worldwide from its manufacturing plants in the U.S., Czechoslovakia, and China over the next few years. Plants in the U.S. will serve North and South America, while the Czech and Chinese plants will serve the European and Asian markets respectively. But increased sales also means increased support. Chart plans to meet some of its support needs through another new technology: directly accessing parameters within the machine over the phone. Using CTC's remote monitoring features, Chart is investigating the possibility to dramatically reduce service calls. "Phone access will help with servicing," notes Turner, "because we can remotely monitor the machines instead of flying there. Service technicians can even use it for some preventive maintenance to eliminate problems before they occur." The CTC automation controllers can easily be connected to connect to any phone, cellular, or network lines. Once connected to a network, the parameters in the controller may be accessed by one or more remote PCs.

CTC is looking forward to connecting Chart Industries with the future.