The case studies below are examples of how Air Innovations created environmental control solutions to work in a variety of processes across multiple industries. From biotech and pharma to aerospace and military, you can learn about a handful of our customers who came to us for solutions in environmental control.
To see how we can develop a custom environmental control system or HVAC solution that meets your environmental or process control challenge, give us a call or submit a custom project inquiry today.
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Lockheed Martin Space Systems: An Inside Look Into How An Environmental Control Unit Protected An Investment In The Future
Setting The Scene Humans have been enthralled with space for centuries, and in the latter half of the 20th century, we finally overcame gravity to make space exploration a reality. The universal gains from studying space over the last 50 years have been immeasurable. First, we have a greater understanding of the Earth’s history and […] Read More »
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Environmental Control Units: Innovation In Emergency & Military Response Vehicles
KBR, a leading provider of U.S. government cyber, military, and electronic security solutions, approached Air Innovations for help updating earlier-generation military trucks and utility vehicles into portable air traffic control systems. These humvees needed significant climate control system improvements to protect sensitive equipment and Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force personnel being deployed to […] Read More »
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Aerospace Environmental Control Unit For Lockheed Martin Space Systems: Protecting An Investment In The Future
Lockheed Martin, leader in space innovation, asked Air Innovations to customize an aerospace environmental control unit (ECU) to support the Orion program’s space capsule while earth-side. The system would need to protect the capsule during transportation on the ground, as well as in the air aboard a Super Guppy, until the unit was connected to […] Read More »
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Pharmaceutical Environmental Control Unit: Where Process Control Drives the Outcome
A pharmaceutical company that specializes in chemical process technology solutions came to CleanroomSystems® for help maintaining a cleanroom environment for one of their compound research and development (R&D) units. More specifically, they were looking for a customized pharmaceutical environmental control unit that would control the temperature, relative humidity, pressure and cleanliness of the space and […] Read More »
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Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) Case Study – Mobile Thermostatting Unit
The Challenge: The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) recently came to Air Innovations® to design and manufacture a mobile thermostatting unit (MTU) [also known as a portable environmental control system]. This MTU would need to condition 100% of the air for the payload and would be exposed to ambient conditions of -15° to 33°C (5°-91°F) […] Read More »
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Portable Environmental Control System – Aerospace Case Study
The Challenge: Our aerospace customer challenged us with designing and manufacturing a trailer-mounted, portable environmental control system (PECS) that was self-powered (generators included) with 100% redundancy. The PECS needed to condition the rocket on the way to the launchpad. The aerospace environmental control unit (ECU) needed to control temperature to ±2°F and keep humidity levels […] Read More »
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Vertical AdvancAir® ECU
The Challenge: The project was an environmental control unit (ECU) for a clean room in a research complex that presented challenges in both space restriction and climate control. The project needed multiple clean room air conditioners that could fit into a small, restrictive space while still providing the temperature, humidity, and static pressure control required […] Read More »
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Aerospace Environmental Control Units in a Semi-Tropical, Salt-Air Environment
The Challenge Air Innovations was tasked with creating an aerospace environmental control unit (ECU) to support various needs of a major aerospace industry client. This client is located in close proximity to the ocean, which makes salt corrosion a concern. The ECU would need to be protected against the salt environment in order to preserve longevity. […] Read More »
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Explosion Proof HVAC: Mining and Drilling
The Challenge: Air Innovations was asked to design a Class I Division I environmental control system (ECU) to cool an electrical cabinet that houses several variable frequency drives for a large centrifuge machine. These drives generate a significant amount of heat that needs to be removed from the cabinet. Centrifuges are typically used to remove slurry during drilling for […] Read More »
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Custom Clean Room Temperature Control for Lithography Tool
The Challenge: Air Innovations partnered with a semiconductor tool firm to design and build an environmental control unit with once-thru steady-state air to maintain conditions within a semiconductor lithography tool. Inlet air was to be taken from the existing class 1000 controlled environment. The unit needed to conform to a precise footprint: 26” x 30”. […] Read More »
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Engineering: Custom Temperature Control in Complex Structures
The Linq High Roller Case Study The Challenge: Control the temperature in each cabin of the world’s largest observation wheel: Caesars Entertainment’s High Roller observation wheel at the Linq. The High Roller is 550 ft. tall and features 28 cabins, which hold 40 guests apiece. It is expected to operate 18 hours per day, 365 […] Read More »
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Custom: Redesign of Personal Environmental Control Console
Custom replacement for Personal Environments® Fan and Electronics Unit from Johnson Controls The Challenge: Develop a replacement circulated fan and electronics unit or “Personal Climate Control Console” integrated into a personal console (advanced office desk) after the original provider discontinued the product. The end product needed to provide cooling or heating, as necessary: Directional cooling […] Read More »
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Research: Water-Cooled ECU for Laboratory
Water-Cooled Environmental Control for Research Lab A university research lab wanted to expand its infrastructure in the field of nanophotonics and approached Air Innovations for help. In response to their needs, we built a three-cubed, water-cooled air conditioner (each cube 26″ x 30″) with dry-steam humidification for an e-beam lithography tool. The tool will be used to support […] Read More »
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Military HVAC Systems: Withstanding Harsh Conditions
The Challenge: A defense contractor that designs and manufactures electronic enclosures for avionic, mobile and fixed applications came to Air Innovations for a solution to make its devices more rugged and capable of withstanding harsh field conditions. The military HVAC system would be located in a workstation that is typically in the back of a humvee. […] Read More »
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Homeland Security HVAC: Environmental Control for Explosives Detection Devices
The Challenge: A world leader in multi-biometric technologies for use in security and identification came to Air Innovations to partner in the development of its explosives detection devices used in airports around the world. The technology used in the OEM’s automated baggage handling explosives detection devices was sophisticated, and in order to function properly, required strict […] Read More »
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Semiconductor: Custom ECU for Semiconductor Process Equipment
The Challenge: One of the biggest challenges in using lithography in high-volume semiconductor fabrication is photomask defectivity. A global supplier to the semiconductor and photomask making industries asked Air Innovations to create an environmental control unit (ECU) that could service — on demand — any of its nanomachining mask repair tool systems. Extremely tight tolerance […] Read More »
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Pharmaceutical HVAC Systems: Precision Process Control
The Challenge: Two separate pharmaceutical packaging firms required unique air conditioning technology. In one case, a returning customer requested precisely controlled conditions to provide an exact level of uniform drying for fluid bed dryers used by the manufacturer to coat capsules, pills and caplets. The second pharmaceutical company required a single packaged system containing humidification […] Read More »
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Medical Devices: Ensuring Efficacy of Process Reagents – Chemical Process Control
The Challenge: Proper technology is needed to control close-tolerance cold and dry environments in order to protect on-board process reagents. The company brought an initial concept for a custom chemical process control system to Air Innovations. Our task was to refine the design to meet the customer’s performance, serviceability and space specifications, and to prototype, test and ramp up the […] Read More »
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Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Explosion-Proof Air Conditioners
Interested in explosion-proof HVAC in other industries? Read more The Challenge: Air Innovations’ Cleanroom Systems division was asked to design a Class I, Div I Enclosure. This form of environmental control system (ECU) is used to control the process air needed for solvent-based coating of pharmaceutical tablets. The final environmental control solution needed to […] Read More »
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Research: Linear Accelerator Cooling System
This case study discusses how we met linear accelerator cooling requirements for a federal laboratory. The Challenge: Air Innovations was approached to design and build a linear accelerator cooling system for a silicon pixel sub-detector (PXL) inside the “STAR” detector, which is located inside the linear accelerator of a federal laboratory. Weighing 1,200 tons and as large […] Read More »
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Resarch: Environmental Control System for Photonics Testing
The Challenge: An international photonics manufacturer that builds photometric testing devices for imaging devices in aerospace, medical, optics, and a variety of other industries approached Air Innovations for help in designing an effective sphere spectrometer system to rate the lumens (luminous flux) in light emitting diode bulbs (an LED characterization system). Since the light output […] Read More »
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Medical: Desiccant Humidity Control and Temperature Regulation for Biotherapy Effectiveness Testing
The Challenge: A design engineering firm came to us to design a medical environmental control system (ECS) that could maintain <3% relative humidity (RH) and 75°F temperature ±2° for automated packaging of biotherapy reagents, some of which were highly sensitive to moisture and sensitive to heat. The desiccant humidity control and temperature regulation system would be […] Read More »
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Aerospace: Environmental Control Systems & PECS
The Challenge: Air Innovations’ client and NASA partner, Orbital Sciences Corp. (now Northrop Grumman), needed to condition the key stages of the Antares rocket system – including its payload and core – during pre-launch. The rocket would be outfitted with its payload about a mile from the launch site. Then it would be towed in a […] Read More »
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Aerospace: Portable Cleanroom Control
The Challenge: A prime aerospace and defense corporation came to us with a calibration system challenge in their airborne laser defense system. The calibration system needed to mount inside a modified Boeing-747 designed as a missile defense system to destroy tactical ballistic missiles. The missile defense system used two kilowatt-class Target Illuminator Lasers for target […] Read More »
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Climate Control Solution For KBR: An Environmental Control Unit Designed for Durability & Efficiency
Climate Control Solution For KBR: An Environmental Control Unit Designed for Durability & Efficiency
Introduction KBR, the leading provider of U.S. government cyber and electronic security solutions, approached Air Innovations to engineer a custom environmental control unit (ECU) to protect its ERILS radar systems. The company selected Air Innovations for its decades-long experience completing environmental control projects with unique requirements. The Challenges Air Innovations needed to design an ECU […] Read More »
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Protect Vulnerable Nursing Home Residents with HEPAiRx
As beloved elderly family members age, many require increased living and medical support levels and move into nursing homes. These residential facilities provide round-the-clock care to keep their patients as healthy and happy as possible. However, between their naturally lowered immune systems, comorbidities, and living in relatively close quarters, keeping senior citizens safe in nursing […] Read More »
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Environmental Control Unit For Private Aerospace Developer: Promoting Operational Reusability
Introduction A private aerospace developer of reusable rocket engines for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight, was referred to Air Innovations through connections in the aerospace industry. The company was commissioning an environmental control unit (ECU) to support its progressive mission to build safe, low-cost space rockets for civil, commercial, and defense customers. The […] Read More »
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Portable, Robust Sterile Storage Cabinets Deliver Efficiency to VA Hospitals
Aldevra had been selling refrigerators and temperature monitoring systems to federal agencies such as the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense for years, when customers presented a new challenge. Through Aldevra’s strong ties with these government agencies, they became aware of a need for a portable, enclosed solution to store sterile supplies and equipment that was sophisticated enough to meet stringent VA and Joint Commission requirements. The company didn’t yet sell such a system, so they started researching options.
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Modernizing Environmental Control Units For Microchip Manufacturing: Advancing Temperature, Humidity, and Cleanliness Tolerances
Introduction A leading provider of engineering solutions to manufacture microchips needed to address equipment components that were about to reach the end of their life. Rather than replacing the fleet of chip manufacturing machines, the company pursued a more cost-effective solution of upgrading the outdated critical machine components. One of the critical components that needed […] Read More »
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Environmental Control Units For Semiconductor Producer: Redefining Precision Temperature and Humidity Tolerances for the Semiconductor Industry
Introduction A leading provider of engineering solutions used to produce new chips and advanced display equipment, made a strategic decision to overhaul its suite of mask lithography tools. The wholesale upgrade would include replacing all electronics, lasers, and environmental control units (ECU). The company approached Air Innovations for a custom ECU that could meet stringent […] Read More »
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West Bend Mutual Supercharges Workspace Comfort and Control with MyZone
Introduction In 1991, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company built a new 180,000 square foot corporate headquarters in West Bend, Wisconsin. The state-of-the-art facility included nearly 500 personal environment management (PEM) units to keep their associates comfortable. The PEM units were connected to the HVAC system through the floor raised during construction to accommodate the HVAC […] Read More »
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IsolationAir® System Enables Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health to Maintain the Highest Standard in Community Care
Introduction Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health (RSBCIHI) has been providing comprehensive healthcare to the local Native American population since 1968. The organization comprises seven clinics in two of the largest counties in the United States and is devoted to abiding by the customs of their Indian communities. The mission of RSBCIHI is to promote wellness […] Read More »
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Environmental Control Unit For Multi-Function Radar: Delivering Precision Temperature Control for Detection Systems
Introduction A manufacturer of multi-purpose radar detection systems was in the market for precision climate control that could protect sensitive equipment from hostile surroundings. The company retained Air Innovations to build a customized environmental control unit (ECU) that could maintain pristine temperatures amid unpredictable ambient conditions. The Challenges Radar detection systems operate in any environment […] Read More »
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Northwest Medical Center Gains Control Of COVID-19 With Air Innovations IsolationAir® Portable Contamination Control Systems
Introduction Located in Winfield, Alabama, Northwest Medical Center provides medical care to three counties in a rural region of the state. The new facility replaced the historic Winfield Hospital in 1998 and several specialized services were added since then, including a rehabilitation facility, dialysis center, assisted living center, and surgery division. The hospital is […] Read More »
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