The wfk-Cleaning Technology Research Institute is organised according to its statutes in form of a non profit member-based society to promote pre-competitive basic and applied research in the field of cleaning technology for textile and non-textile materials especially in the interest of small and medium enterprises. Consulting, training, general duties (standardisation, collaboration in technical and environmental regulations, technical basic support for installation of laws) are taken over in the interest of the associated businesses.
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History
The predecessor of the wfk-research institute was established in 1933 as a department for textile conservation of the Bast-Fibre Institute (a Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute) in Sorau, Silesia. Main scope was the improvement of textile finishing and washing processes with regard to a longer lifetime of the textile materials. At the end of World War II as a consequence of expulsion from Silesia the Sorau Bast-Fibre-Institute (now after renaming The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Society into Max-Planck-Society as a Max-Planck-Institute) was continued at Bielefeld, Western Germany.
As at Bielefeld no facilities were available scientists and engineers from the Sorau department of textile conservation met in Krefeld, where a laboratory was provided by the industry to continue their research work. With the currency reform in 1948 the assets of the Max-Planck-Society were significantly reduced. Therefore it had to look for ways how to lower the number of institutions that were supported. All those institutes that did applied research for the industry as the Bast-Fibre-Institute including its department for textile conservation were excluded from further funding. In order to carry out further laundry research, on April 30, 1949 an application was submitted to the headquarters of the British zone to allow the establishment of a laundry research institute, supported by commercial laundries and their suppliers as well as the minister for economic affairs of North-Rhine-Westphalia. However, due to the obstructions caused by the Allied High Commission’s Laws it took more than 1 year until the registration of the association was legally settled in 1950. This institute was planned as a forum to help the laundry businesses finding new ways of technological development after the demolitions of World War II. In order not to waste time for these important tasks at the same meeting a first laundry technology conference was planned where an exchange of research results and technical experiences took place. This first wfk-conference „Referatetagung” took place in autumn 1949, 56 years ago. Midst the fifties, in connection with the introduction of new fibres and detergents, household laundry processes were included into the work programme. In 1974 a department for dry-cleaning was established.
Since 1991 the institute has been loosely affiliated to the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. It was renamed wfk-Cleaning Technology Research Institute. Parallel to this its scope was extended to hard surface cleaning and environmental problems. Between 1991 and 1995 a research department existed in Eastern Germany which co-operated very closely with institutes (especially on the textile field) of the Technical University in Dresden. The co-operation with the Dresden university institute is still continuing even after closing the Dresden part again at the end of 1995 because of a lack in financial support. In 1999 the board of directors came to the decision that new facilities were needed to follow the growing needs of the member companies. A second reason was the enlargement of the scope of the institute into new research areas. Furthermore the former building had to be given back to the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia at the end of the year 2005. A new building had either to be built or bought.
In 2000 wfk rented a former school house and the respective ground under favourable conditions from the city of Krefeld and the reconstruction into a laboratory building was started. Additionally a new technical plant was built. On March 23, 2001, we had our official grand opening in the presence of State Secretary Krebs of the State of North-Rhine-Westphalia, the Lord Mayor of the City of Krefeld, the Head of the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and the President of the Association of Industrial Research Organisations (AiF).
New scope
Parallel to renaming the Institute into wfk-Cleaning Technology Research Institute, the scope of activities was extended. Besides textile cleaning research and development research in hard surface cleaning was included. Current activities are projects in the field of industrial cleaning, hospital cleaning, clean room cleaning, reprocessing of medical instruments, cleaning in the food industry and industrial parts cleaning. Further information is available from wfk on request.
Members
Textile service companies, raw material and detergent producers, washing and laundry machine manufacturers, textile and garment making industry, consultants and professional associations support the institute as a non profit research institution by their annual membership fees, special donations and honorary activities of experts in different bodies of the institute. The assembly of the members (general assembly) is the most important body of the institute. It elects the board of trustees which controls the activities of the institute and determines the executive board of directors. It also elects the members of scientific advisory board. The Scientific Advisory Board defines the crucial points of the research. It controls the orientation of the projects with regard to the interests of the industry.