The University of Pennsylvania is currently building a 1.5 million square foot hospital on Penn Medicine’s west
Philadelphia campus. The Pavilion will house 500 private patient rooms, 47 operating rooms, and emergency
department, expected to be completed in 2021. As part of the project, Penn Medicine will be incorporating the most
advanced Pneumatic Waste & Linen Conveying System available.
The enclosed pneumatic system provides for automated transportation of trash, recyclables and soiled linen from various locations throughout the hospital to the final point of drop-off in a soiled linen collection room or compactor
containers at the soiled dock. The system evacuates waste and soiled linen from users directly to the dock or linen
staging area, eliminates intermediate waste staging areas, removes infectious materials from corridors and
elevators, decreases elevator requirements, reduces staff injuries and increases efficiency.
Designed, manufactured by Precision AirConvey Corporation, the system is positioned to handle 60,000 lbs. of trash,
recyclables and soiled linen 24/7. The system encompasses roughly 80 load stations located throughout Penn
Medicine’s Pavilion. The unique system requirements for the Pavilion required innovative technology, monitoring
and controls designed by Precision AirConvey that will result in the most advanced pneumatic waste & linen
conveying system installed in North America.
“The collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania has been outstanding from the bid process to lab testing of
unique applications through the integrated project delivery process,” says Precision AirConvey CEO Thomas Embley.
“The pneumatic waste and linen system technology is a perfect fit for the leading-edge design and technology that
will be employed throughout The New Patient Pavilion.”
Pneumatic transportation replaces conventional means of transporting trash, recyclables and soiled linens that
typically utilize elevators or gravity chutes to accomplish the same with increased efficiency. The need to improve
hygiene and immediately remove soiled materials from open air environments continues to drive this technology
into medical communities.
For more information, contact Dean Herbstreit, PAC’s Director of National Sales, at dherbstreit@airconvey.com or
804.658.6594