Xpress® Pushes Physical Boundaries: Pneumatic Tube Systems Maintenance and Service Advised

This advancement comes at a critical time for hospitals, as they continue to invest in more flexible, scalable infrastructures designed to support future expansion, adapt to emerging care models, and meet the growing complexity of patient needs with greater efficiency. A key factor in meeting these goals is the ability to efficiently transport vital materials throughout the facility, regardless of physical reconfigurations or future expansions.

Traditional pneumatic tube systems, while a time-tested and reliable technology, have not been able to keep pace with hospital needs. That is why the technological enhancements built within the Xpress platform are so powerful. TransLogic has raised the bar on performance with design elements and physical components that move far beyond traditional pneumatic tube infrastructure. 

• High-speed transmission expands service to more departments, with advanced queuing and staging delivering speed increases of up to 99%, improving efficiency for high-volume labs, pharmacies, and emergency departments.
• Advanced architecture allows new systems to overlay and integrate with existing ones, enabling seamless upgrades of older technology while supporting redesigned or repurposed spaces.
• Optimized design acts as a performance multiplier, allowing up to six carriers to be dispatched simultaneously, while providing greater flexibility for staff to manage a wider range of tasks.
• Space-saving configurations replace multiple bulky stations with a single multi-carrier station, freeing valuable space in constrained areas.
• Enhanced system design supports transmission distances of a mile or more, serving geographically dispersed facilities, especially beneficial for urban hospitals expanding beyond their primary campuses.

While technology innovation rapidly advances, many hospitals unfortunately continue to rely upon outdated maintenance plans and protocols that do not support newly acquired systems. This limits system performance and prevents its components from operating at full potential. This underscores the critical importance of robust maintenance in the deployment and ongoing performance of Xpress.

The following key support touchpoints are essential to optimizing Xpress performance and should be integral to every hospital’s pneumatic tube system maintenance program:

• Hardware and/or system upgrades. Upgrade existing hardware and infrastructure to support the platform and to ensure its capacity to operate at optimum performance levels. Neglecting to optimize the environment can lead to weak links and an increased risk of issues.
• Parts maintenance and updates. Maintain a critical parts inventory with aggressive replenishment levels. 
• Ongoing training. As parts are updated, Swisslog Healthcare trained technicians are required to maintain the equipment
• Maintenance protocols. Higher traffic levels equate to more demand on the equipment. Maintaining protocols is mission critical for continued, uninterrupted operation. This requires an aggressive preventative maintenance agreement.
• Network stability. Optimizing uptime in high-volume environments is critical to performance. Swisslog Healthcare resident technicians bring onsite knowledge and an experienced skill base to work closely with hospital staff to maintain network stability for Xpress.  

Today’s hospitals are making sizable investments in technologies to support their need to serve a broader, more diverse population in ways that are patient centered and deliver a high quality of care. Therefore, the technologies they embrace must be proven to keep pace with aggressive growth and expansion strategies. 

These strategies require the support of technology that delivers consistent, reliable performance. But even the best systems can be held back by outdated or inadequate maintenance programs. That is why high-performance systems, like Xpress need high-quality maintenance to deliver their full potential. Xpress combines unmatched speed with flexibility. Supporting it with robust maintenance will help hospitals enhance patient care, streamline operations, and build a sustainable, high-performing future.