Miele Tumble Dryer PDR 944 [EL SOM] – 3 AC 480V 50/60HZ, Stainless steel

An 800 litre drum with a rated load of 44 kg at a 1:18 ratio puts the PDR 944 into the heavy-duty bracket for a single marine dryer. With a listed 28 minute programme duration, large batches of PPE, mops or bedding can be turned round inside half an hour when the programme and textile type permit it.

This Benchmark Performance Plus front loader is specified and approved for shipboard use and for offshore installations, and runs on a 3 AC 440V 50/60HZ electrical connection. Total connected load is 37.7 kW, with an electric heater rating of 42.4 kW and a heater rating of 36 kW, so the machine has to sit inside a planned peak-load and energy management scheme rather than be added casually to an existing panel. Maximum floor load is 3780 N and net weight is 294.3 kg; both figures matter to the naval architect checking deck plating and stiffeners under the laundry space.

Drying is by exhaust air, with a maximum evaporation capacity of 37.2 litres per hour and a specific energy consumption of 0.52 kWh/kg. Heat dissipation into the room is given as 4 MJ/h; in an enclosed laundry this feeds directly into the HVAC calculation and the make-up air requirement. The emission sound pressure level at the workplace is quoted as 63 dB(A) re 20 µPa, which is low enough not to dominate a machinery-space laundry but still needs to be considered if the room sits close to accommodation.

Externally the PDR 944 stands 1640 mm high, 1206 mm wide and 1385 mm deep. The gross shipping envelope of 1766 × 1390 × 1474 mm and a gross weight of 312 kg are the practical numbers for moving the unit through doors and hatches during installation or later replacement. The 520 mm diameter door opening with a 180 degree opening angle and a left hinge determine how the dryer can be arranged against bulkheads and alongside washers or other dryers without obstructing access. Recycling rate is stated as 94%, which has a bearing on end-of-life planning for operators running formal sustainability programmes.

Control is via the programmable M Touch Pro system with a residual moisture controlled user interface. Programmes can be aligned with the vessel’s textile mix and load patterns, while the remaining cycle time display allows crew to plan around the 28 minute programme duration instead of opening doors to check progress. Service life is specified at 40,000 drying cycles, which gives a quantifiable basis for lifetime cost and renewal planning within the maintenance regime.

The load tables translate the nominal 32 kg and 44 kg capacities into concrete items. At a 1:25 load ratio the capacity is 32 kg, and the dryer is rated per cycle for 16 respirator masks, 6 overalls, 9 over jackets, 4 synthetic duvets with 8 synthetic pillows, or 4 down duvets with 8 down pillows. For cleaning work it can process 727 cloths at 22 g each, 373 office mops at 100 g, 248 stairway mops at 150 g, 168 cotton mops at 40 cm, 145 cotton mops at 50 cm, 267 microfibre mops at 40 cm, 188 microfibre mops at 50 cm, or 5 summer horse blankets in a single run.

Build and control

• Specified and approved for shipboard use
• Specified for offshore installations
• Front loader Benchmark Performance Plus series
• Stainless steel front
• Exhaust-air drying system
• M Touch Pro control system, programmable
• Residual moisture controlled user interface
• Remaining cycle time display
• Communication slot for network modules
• Prepared for a payment system (self-service laundries)
• Optical service interface for diagnostics
• WiFi networking
• Connector Box for external systems
• Can be tied into a peak-load / energy management system

This dryer is the right choice where the vessel can support a 3 AC 440V 50/60HZ, 63 A connection, provide an exhaust-air route to handle 37.2 litres per hour of evaporation and run consistent 32–44 kg batches. It is the wrong choice for a smaller laundry that cannot spare a 37.7 kW connected load, cannot accommodate the 4 MJ/h heat dissipation in its HVAC design, or has no practical way to run exhaust ducting from an exhaust-air dryer. Ordered under Miele material number 11722760 and article number 52944007SOM.