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5,000 ITEMS OF WASHWARE.
FIVE METRES OF SPACE.

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe

Around 9,000 meals a day, 42,000 students and a busy lunchtime rush: every process has to work perfectly at Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe. At [kœri]werk® alone, the MEIKO Comfort R handles around 5,000 items of washware in a space just five metres long.

CURRYWURST ON A GRAND SCALE

Around 1,500 currywursts per lunch break: [kœri]werk® is one of Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe’s successful concepts. It serves versions made with veal from a regional butcher as well as vegan alternatives, accompanied by homemade fries, fresh side salads and six different curry blends.

[kœri]werk® is part of a university catering operation on a very different scale: across its locations, Studierendenwerk prepares around 2.5 million meals a year, approximately 9,000 a day. Nearly 180 employees cater for around 42,000 students.

Claus Konrad, Head of University Catering, knows exactly what matters. A trained chef who previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, he knows both sides of the counter. For him, one thing is clear: without clean washware, even the best kitchen cannot deliver its quality to the plate.

13 TROLLEYS FOR ONE DISHWASHING PROCESS

The importance of a high-performance dishwashing process was particularly evident at [kœri]werk®: around 5,000 items of washware have to be cleaned during one lunch service. This volume increasingly pushed the existing dishwasher to its limits.

The logistics showed just how much pressure the process was under: the stock of trays had to be doubled to 3,500. In addition, 13 transport trolleys were in constant use to take trays and cutlery up one floor to another MEIKO dishwasher. It was an elaborate additional process simply to manage peak lunchtime demand.

The new solution therefore needed to do more, and above all fit the existing processes and spatial conditions better.

FIVE METRES FOR A BETTER SOLUTION

There was little room to manoeuvre: only five metres were available in the dishwashing area next to the counter. Plates, cutlery and trays needed to be cleaned quickly and reliably there, while also reducing the workload for the team.

The requirements were specific: minimal scope for operating errors, no machine hoods that had to be moved manually, and steam extraction for a more pleasant and hygienic indoor climate.

Konrad searched for the right solution together with MEIKO, a long-standing partner of Studierendenwerk. When the opportunity arose to test the new MEIKO Comfort R under real-life conditions before its official market launch, he opted for the field trial.

Today, the modular rack-type dishwasher reliably handles peak loads during the dining hall rush. This provides additional process reliability, especially during the ongoing refurbishment of the two large kitchens at the nearly 100-year-old Studierendenwerk.

MORE THAN A QUESTION OF PERFORMANCE

The people who work with the Comfort R every day show how well it performs in practice. In addition to MEIKO’s support during training, Severine Hofheinz, deputy area manager in the dining hall, particularly values the fact that the new technology continuously monitors the dishwashing process and keeps track of day-to-day operations.

For Claus Konrad, the effect of the Comfort R on everyday work is most apparent in his team’s response: employees thanked him for the noticeable relief. His conclusion:

The investment in the Comfort R paid off immediately! Thanks to this new machine, we can finish work calmly and on time at 3:30 p.m.

Claus Konrad
Head of University Catering

This brings the process full circle: while thousands of plates, trays and pieces of cutlery pass through [kœri]werk® at lunchtime, the Comfort R keeps the dishwashing process reliably on track. Everything is ready for the next 1,500 currywursts and for a working day that ends on time.