Environmental Process Control Systems

Michael Wetzel
Title - President & CEO, Management Board of Directors
Phone - 315-452-7400
Email -  [email protected]

Michael Wetzel is President and CEO of Air Innovations. Wetzel is a licensed Professional Engineer and has many years of experience working on highly technical HVAC projects. He has worked with many industries including aerospace, healthcare, biotechnology, and advanced engineering structures.

Many manufacturers have specialized equipment or parts of their equipment that require special environmental conditions to operate or that process something requiring a controlled environment. Air Innovations solves challenges related to temperature control, humidity regulation, and filtration in a way that helps manufacturers differentiate themselves from their competition.

We can accommodate nearly any environmental process control need in nearly any industry.

Our specialty HVAC environmental process control solutions can be found around the world in a wide variety of applications. We've designed custom climate control solutions for scanning equipment for homeland security, desiccant humidity conditions and temperature control within medical equipment, explosion-proof temperature-regulated systems in gas-emitting environments, and a variety of other climate control solutions. (See our case studies for some specific environmental control solutions we have created).

Every process control solution we develop is designed to meet our client's precise specifications in packaging and performance. Here are some specifics:

• Temperature – Control tolerances as precise as +/- 0.01°C

• Humidity – Control tolerances to +/- 0.5%

• DX, chilled water, or thermoelectric capabilities

• Broad filtration capabilities – HEPA, ULPA, molecular

• Pressure

Humidity control is important across a broad spectrum of industries, applications, and processes. Adverse effects or even catastrophic outcomes are possible if humidity is not considered. In the aerospace industry, if your rocket requires tight tolerances and the humidity control does not work properly, crystallization may occur inside the rocket which could result in the loss of the overall system.

As an environmental control company, we specialize in providing humidity control solutions for our customers in which controlling humidity is vital for the success of their projects.

Environmental control applications involving or exposed to combustible substances demand the use of specialized equipment to ensure operator safety and prevent explosions. For these scenarios, explosion-proof HVAC systems serve as an ideal solution. These systems find use in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, military, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

At Air Innovations, we design and manufacture custom explosion-proof HVAC systems that provide full temperature and humidity control. Our solutions are suitable for use in volatile ambient conditions and meet Class I, Division I and Class I, Division II standards.

Air Innovations features an entire division dedicated to the design and manufacture of unitary and custom HVAC systems for cleanrooms and critical environments. In fact, our products are the only fully integrated modular environmental systems specifically created for the cleanroom industry. And – as with all Air Innovations environmental control systems – our clean room air conditioning systems can be tailored to your exact specifications in size, features and functionality.

One of the most critical aspects of cleanroom HVAC systems is air filtration. Not only do these systems control temperature, humidity, and air pressure, they also control the ventilation within the cleanroom, including the direction, speed, and filtration of air as it flows into and out of the space. For this reason, cleanroom HVAC systems typically have a much higher rate of air exchange when compared with standard systems.

In addition, cleanroom HVAC systems usually incorporate high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters, which are capable of removing extremely fine particles and microbes from the air. These filters are critical for maintaining a sterile, controlled environment in critical applications including research laboratories, medical facilities, and pharmaceutical manufacturing and testing operations. It is crucial that your cleanroom HVAC unit meet any regulatory standards and requirements put in place for your particular applications.

AdvancAir® custom environmental control units for cleanrooms put greater capacity and enhanced performance in a smaller footprint. AdvancAir units are built to your exact specification in a variety of system configurations.

Our engineering staff will work with you one-on-one to create a full-sized prototype. You can then inspect and test the solution under contract load conditions simulated in our environmental test chambers. Small scale or full-run production capabilities are available.

Units are assembled for installation either vertically or horizontally, on the floor inside or exterior to the cleanroom, on a mezzanine or suspended from building structurals.

HEPAir® cleanroom HVAC units, which are available in horizontal modules, are the perfect solution for stable control of temperature, humidity, pressure, and cleanliness. HEPAir integrated modular environmental control systems can be used in cleanrooms as well as in industrial and commercial applications such as compounding pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals, facility additions, mini-environments, and process isolators. Units are ideal for softwall, single-pass air cleanrooms where comfort cooling is desirable. Multiple HEPAir units are easily grouped together for added cooling capacity.

The MyZone® personal desk environment (model ME200) is a desk console management system that attaches to a personal work surface and combines environmental control, lighting control, and lift functions inside a single unit.

The MyZone® desk console management control system includes a color touch screen for environmental control (heating and cooling airflow), lighting control, and integrated desk-leg lift control functions. Users can control these features with the non-fixed controller, which can be positioned anywhere above or below the desk. The unit itself can be mounted horizontally or vertically under the desk.

Managing cleanliness and sterilization standards is a constant challenge for healthcare facilities, especially when you face space constraints. Air Innovations' sterile storage cabinets (SSC 4500) offer increased storage space with controllable temperature and humidity conditions—technologies that meet or exceed industry standards.

Facilities need to maintain sterile conditions for stored sterilized implements, equipment, and inventory. This includes detailed procedures for cleaning and sterilizing, but also the right storage tools, so companies can stay compliant with regulatory standards.

Sterile storage units do not just create a barrier between items and potential contaminants like dust, dirt, viruses, or bacteria. They regulate the temperature and humidity to prevent decay and increase the shelf life of stored goods. Medical and industrial facilities need sterile storage capabilities for scrubs and head covers, as well as other sensitive items, such as surgical instrumentation, surgical implants, medications, and surgical setups. They decentralize the storage of sterile instruments.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, dentistry was one of the most dangerous professions and put dentists and dental staff at great risk for infection. Air Innovations created the HEPAiRx® ventilating room air filtration unit to keep patients and staff safer in the dental environment. This system can also be utilized in other settings where clean air exchange is necessary.

The HEPAiRx® system is an air filtration device that quickly and effectively purifies the room of airborne particles and contaminants. The system combines multiple strategies for maintaining optimal health. Each window unit uses medical-grade HEPA filtration, ventilation to exhaust the room air every 30 minutes for a standard-sized room, optional UV-C light, and creates positive or negative pressure spaces to reduce the number of particles from entering or exiting the space.

The HEPAiRx® System:

• Brings dedicated fresh air into the space to naturally dilute volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gases.

• Integrates HVAC to isolate the space from the existing systems. HVAC ductwork is a source of cross-contamination between operatories. The HEPAiRx® system seals off the existing system to isolate it from adjacent spaces creating a true isolation space.

• Pressurizes the space and creates either a negative or positive pressure environment.

• Uses optional upstream UV-C light to kill viruses trapped on the intake side of the medical-grade HEPA filter. This is the only effective means of killing the virus on the HEPA filter.

IsolationAir® is a portable contamination control system ideal for hospitals, extended care facilities, and emergency preparedness centers. This system maintains a sterile environment in an isolated room, which prevents cross-contamination throughout the rest of the facility - creating a better environment for patients and staff.

IsolationAir is equipped with on-board HEPA filtration, UV sterilization, and ductwork connections. This system is capable of quickly converting a standard-sized patient room into a negative or positive pressure environment. IsolationAir helps hospitals meet and address Capability 4 Medical Surge Objective 2 in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response:

• Activity #9 Enhance Infectious Disease Preparedness & Surge Response

• Activity #6 Provide Burn Care during a Medical Surge Response

• Activity #1 Develop Emergency Department and Inpatient Medical Surge Capacity and Capability

• (Ensure Immediate Bed Availability by rapidly… using non-traditional spaces;

• Critical Care: rapidly expand capacity by adapting… areas for critical care)

These case studies 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.

A collection of whitepapers on the HVAC challenges presented to Air Innovations from the industries we serve.

Semiconductor and aerospace applications require strict environmental control in order to operate as efficiently as possible. Our whitepapers describe the challenges these industries present when it comes to effectively controlling factors such as temperature, humidity, and more.

Here you will find answers about HVAC questions, Clean Room Systems, answers to Environmental Control questions, and more. These HVAC FAQs cover general and advanced topics, including answers about the service Air Innovations provides. Contact Air Innovations directly if you do not see the answer to a question you have.

Looking for the Glossary? Go here: Air Innovations terms and HVAC glossary of terms