• Floratech

• Cleanroom Systems

• Wine Guardian

• OEM and Custom Products

Fall 2012

A cooling system has been de- signed and is being built by AI for a silicon pixel sub-detector (PXL) inside a STAR that is located inside a linear accelerator at a federal laboratory. Weighing 1,200 tons and as large as a house, the STAR—a Solenoid Tracker that is a part of a Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)—tracks thousands of particles produced by each ion collision in the RHIC. Physicists from around the world use RHIC to study what the uni-verse may have looked like in the first few moments after its creation. What physicists learn from these collisions may help us understand more about why the physical world works the way it does, from the smallest subatomic particles, to the largest stars. The PXL housed inside the STAR runs the risk of getting overheated due to insufficient ventilation in the exist-ing structure, generating the need for a cooling system. Because of the existing space restrictions and equipment, the required HEPA-filtered, cleanroom-quality air being delivered to the collider had to use an unusually high static pressure with specialized blow-ers to navigate the original undersized ductwork and then into and through the process taking place. Maintaining a temperature con-trol of 72° +/– 2°F requires constant cooling of the airflow in a single pass arrangement. Dehumidification is also provided in the ECU as dry, non-con-densing air is a necessary part of the research process. The collider’s cooling system operates by remote control and is certified to UL standards. Air Innovations designed, engineered, manufactured and assembled the unit, and tested it in AI’s state-of-the-art psychrometric laboratory.

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Critical space requirements for sub-detector cooling system

AI’s psychrometric laboratory

Air Innovations’ environmental control systems support numerous industries with challenging specifications. Four such projects, by-lined by President/CEO Michael Wetzel P.E., were recently featured in trade media. Laser World Focus published a photonics article on cooling a spherical system for light-emitting diode testing (above). The system features ducting (inside the black structure below the sphere) to control the diversion of the flow from the sphere to the closed loop return to the environmental control unit. All electronics and measuring equipment is stored in the electronics rack.

Aerospace Manufacturing and Design pub-lished “Ready to Launch,” an in-depth look at the type of environmental controls AI created for an Air Force base that launches military materiel into outer space. Over the years, AI has designed and manufactured portable and fixed environmental controls used in the manufacturing of NASA satel-lites, for the laser system of an airborne early warning system, and for a transporta-tion system that carries rockets from assem-bly to launch pad.

PharmaManufacturing.com published “En-vironmental Control for Fluid Bed Machines,” which described AI’s environmental control solution for mitigating inefficiencies in the tablet coating department. Perfecting the timing and precision of moisturizing and drying procedures can eliminate or at least drastically reduce coating problems.

Controlled Environments published “Customized Cleanroom Applications Meet Today’s Environmental Challenges,” featur-ing six different solutions AI configured for close-tolerance temperature and humid-ity control, filtration and pressurization at a federal laboratory that develops and operates unmanned scientific spacecraft for earth observation, astronomy and space physics missions. To read the articles in their entirety, go to www.airinnovations.com/news.

AI projects featured in trade journals

Floratech’s making export newsFloratech continues to expand internationally with Low Profile shipments destined for installation at supermarkets in Ecuador and at florists’ shops in England.

AI employees raise funds for Make-A-Wish®

Almost $10,000 was donated to Make-A-Wish® Central New York, thanks to AI em-ployees, who organized a golf fundraiser in September, golf match sponsors and donors, Make-A-Wish “stars” and AI’s Charitable Contributions Committee, which matched monies raised. That will be enough to grant a child a complete wish. Make-A-Wish is dedicated to granting special wishes to children between the ages of 21⁄2 and 18 who are living with life-threatening medical conditions. Sponsors included the following:

Air Innovations Employees

American Vending

Brownlie Design Inc.

Clean Rooms International

Cooley Group

Continental Fan

Custom Coils

Eastwood Litho Inc.

EBM Papst

Emerson Climate

Empire Freight Logistics

Empower Federal Credit Union

EZO Copper Products

Goetzmann & Associates LLC

Grainger Industrial Supply

Grenell Consulting Group

HR One

ICM Controls

ICS Solutions

Innovative Wine Cellar Designs

Intertek

Jamestown Container Company

Luvata

Metal Solutions

New Penn Trucking

Pinckney Hugo Group

Richlar Industries

R&L Carriers

Romano’s Family Dentistry

Rosehill Wine Cellars

Shulman, Curtin & Grundner

Sporlan Valve

Testone, Marshall & Discenza

Tecumseh Products

The Reagan Companies

Thom French-United Components

Thruway Fasteners

Vigilant

Wine Care Concepts

Members of the AI Make-A-Wish fundraising planning committee: Lou Rabbia, Deb Pelow, Rick Couse (chairman), Karen Marcely, Russ Warner, Steve Miklajyck. Missing from photo: Sam Redden, Scott Toukatly.

Floratech’s Low Profile can be ordered in several lengths and any color to suit supermarket floorplans and décor. It uses our patented, Always Open® design and boundary layer airflow technology to keep flowers fresh without doors or confining tops and sides.

AIR INNOVATIONS EMPLOYEE NEWS

Wine Guardian portfolio expandsNew ducted split cooling system

A ducted split cooling system for wine cellars was recently introduced by Wine Guardian. The system offers superior air distribution, temperature and humidity control to protect valu-able wine collections of any size or style for residential, restaurant or commercial wine storage facilities. “This system expands our product portfolio into a complete line of wine cel-lar cooling equipment,” said WG division manager Michael Militi. “It’s designed to maintain ideal cellar conditions for long-term storage, which typically requires a temperature of 55° to 57°F and from 50 to 70 percent humidity.” The system is extremely quiet, virtu-ally vibration free, and offers multiple supply air openings for installation flexibility. This makes it ideal for cellars

HEPAirX awarded contract to expand sales strategiesAir Innovations is breaking new ground with the HEPAirX, with assistance from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which recently awarded a contract to AI for developing “go-to-market” and distribution strategies that will channel HEPAirX into home care, medical and cleanroom markets and spur sales of the product to end users. HEPAirX, invented by AI Chairman Larry Wetzel, is a window-mounted ventilating room air cleaner that re-circulates, filters and dilutes room air while removing par-ticulates and gases that may trigger respiratory reactions or symptoms in susceptible individuals. HEPAirX not only reduces the airborne contaminants through its HEPA filter but also heats, cools and dehumidifies the space for comfort or process needs. HEPAirX proved its efficacy during four years of computer modeling, laboratory test-ing and field studies. NYSERDA is especially interested in how the unit generates energy savings when it captures the thermal energy in the exhaust air to condition incoming outdoor air via an air-to-air heat exchanger. “This energy capture can save up to 85% of heating and cooling costs for ventilation air compared to other approaches,” said Wetzel. In addition to home and health care use, HEPAirX is well-suited for industrial applica-tions such as cleanrooms, where it could be used in laboratories, parts cleaning, com-pound mixing and gown-up rooms, as well as in factory offices and laboratories, where it can protect occupants or critical components or instruments from airborne contaminants such as dust and other particulates. It would also work effectively in enclosures such as those used in sterile medical device manufacturing and animal research cages. For more information, visit www.airinnovations.com/hepairx.

Wine Guardian around the worldJohn Patalita, Wine Guardian export manager, said that, “WG products were on display at several international trade shows this year, including the Alcoholic Bever-ages and Confectionary show in Chengdu, the largest of its kind in China. The WG personnel were also busy at shows in Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as the USA.” International projects were underway in: Germany, at a distributor’s showroom that supplies wine cellar cooling in new homes; Shanghai, further fueling sales growth through our Chinese business partners; and, Denmark, where a distributor completed a unique geo-thermal application using a water-cooled WG system.

that have no space to install a self-con-tained system, for applications where condenser air is difficult to exhaust, and for longer duct runs. The two-piece system is available in four capacities and offers such options as humidification, integral electric heat, remote monitoring and sensing of tem-perature and humidity, alarm capabili-ties, and duct collars and kits. Wine Guardian products are distrib-uted internationally. “Our representa-tives can help determine which size and options are optimal for your wine cellar design and storage needs,” Militi said. He recommends that sys-tems be installed by certified HVAC contractors. For more details, visit www.wineguardian.com/splits.

Ducted split cooling system

Welcome new employees John Donath (top right) and Bob Sammon (bottom right), assembly associates

Service AnniversariesSam Redden, receiving and material handling associate, 15 yearsKeith Wilson, assembly associate, 5 years

Careers with AI Engineering (Refrigeration Design Engineer): AI is growing and we seek an experienced refrigeration design engineer to join our team. If you have a bachelor’s degree in engineering and 5 to 7 years experience in refrigeration, HVAC systems and mechanical product design, please contact hr@airinnovations.com.