HVAC News, April 2020

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, unveiled its newest Smart Distribution Center in Jacksonville, Florida. This warehouse is the latest addition to the company’s $150 million national investment to expand its smart distribution network, which also includes new facilities in Denver, Dallas, Atlanta/Northern Georgia and a planned warehouse in Northern California. GE Appliances Smart Distribution uses data and IoT technology to ensure the right product is available at the right time, for...

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, will invest $60 million to create a Manufacturing Center of Excellence for production of water heaters at its Camden, South Carolina plant. Renovation and retooling efforts will transform the plant, which currently produces refrigerators, into a state-of-the-art, high-volume, water heater production facility with capacity for future growth. Since 2018, GE Appliances has invested more than $600 million in new products, U.S. manufacturing and its expanded sma...

ECR International announces Matt Reksc as the new Continuous Improvement and Process Engineering Manager. In this new position, Matt will primarily oversee ECR’s Continuous Improvement-Cost Reductions Program and Manufacturing/Engineering support. Culture of Continuous Improvement Matt brings to ECR and BDR Thermea extensive experience in Continuous Improvement, Cost Control, Process Improvement, Lean/Material flow, Supplier Negotiations, Project Management and VAVE. ECR is focused and...

ECR International, Inc. announces the appointment of Jennifer Richards to the position of Payroll Administrator. She began recently in the Utica facility. Jennifer will be responsible for all aspects of payroll including: weekly/ bi-weekly payroll processing, timeclock administration, advanced HR employee self-service, internal reporting and disability claims processing. Jennifer is a graduate of Bryant & Stratton College and resides in Ilion, New York.

Downtown Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin House needed an HVAC overhaul but, like most historic buildings, had no room to expand. EVAPCO reached into its archives for the specs of the building’s original cooling tower and created a more powerful, up-to-date version for the same space, making the installation process easier for Elliott-Lewis Corporation. Upgrading ‘The Ben’ cooling system Upgrading historic sites typically comes with challenges, such as limited space Th...

The EKE superheat controller & Colibri expansion valve are the perfect combination to provide optimal superheat (SH) control for process cooling in the food industry. Good SH control is critical, because it maintains optimum evaporator performance for both energy efficiency and cooling. One of the main challenges with blast chill or blast freeze in food process applications is the turndown ratio required in the cooling capacity from initial to final load at the target and holding temperatur...

The new CIE in Denmark will meet a growing demand for a qualified workforce in the field of electronic engineering. Advanced labs for education and research will put a high demand on the cooling system. Therefore, Danfoss and partner G.I. Industrial Holding are introducing one of the first chillers using the refrigerant R452B. It has some of the lowest Global Warming Potential for scroll systems available.   The low GWP is a specific choice from Danfoss owners, The BMC Foundation, who...

IFA 2019 will be the European launching pad for LG Electronics’ (LG) innovative AI-infused customer service solution, Proactive Customer Care. The service leverages the company’s advanced ThinQ AI to provide personalized support, alerting users to issues with their LG appliance and offering helpful tips and solutions to maximize performance and long product life. The service will initially support LG’s newest front-load washing machines and bottom-freezer refrigerators in Fra...

Residential ultraviolet duct disinfection systems arrived on the market about 1995. These are the standard ‘UV stick lights’ that most contractors are familiar with. They operate on the 253.7-nanometer germicidal C-band wavelength and are very effective for destroying germ carrying microbes and bacteria in the ductwork. “Everyone’s using UV-C. It’s a very effective wavelength for disinfection,” noted Aaron Engel, vice president, business development for Fresh...

LG Electronics (LG) is bringing voice recognition to customers via its ThinQ (formerly SmartThinQ) mobile app, giving users maximum convenience to connect to their LG ThinQ appliances from anywhere at any time. Smart home appliance management The first mobile application for smart home appliance management to support English leverages the Google Assistant’s voice recognition technology to manage all Wi-Fi enabled LG appliances including washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, dis...

LG Electronics (LG) and LUMI United Technology, an Internet of Things (IoT) and smart home solution provider, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an ecosystem that goes beyond basic appliance management to deliver a more complete IoT solution for the home. The partnership will focus on developing innovations using AI and advanced sensors that can detect changes in indoor environments such as humidity level, temperature and movement of doors. Aqara sensor technology LG product...

South Dakota’s beauty and significance is often betrayed by its lack of mentions in the national news. Largely comprised of rolling prairie, pothole lakes and crystal clear streams, South Dakota is host to many natural wonders and historically significant landmarks. The Mount Rushmore State is bookended by its two largest population centers. Rapid City lies to the west, near the iconic Black Hills and Badlands National Park, while Sioux Falls, in the southeast, is just minutes from the Mi...

The Manufacturing Institute estimates that there could be as many as 2.4 million vacant skilled trade positions in industry across the country by 2018. This is a huge gap that can only be overcome by partnering with other organizations and companies to make a meaningful difference. GE Appliances, a Haier company, believes that partnerships matter and the industry would do better together. That idea has never been more important as they tackle workforce development issues going forward. So, when...

Heat Transfer Products Group, LLC (HTPG), manufacturer of commercial refrigeration equipment sold under the recognized brands of Russell, Witt, Kramer and ColdZone, was recognized for excellence in product design in the 16th annual Dealer Design Awards Program sponsored by The Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration News magazine. An independent panel of contractors acted as judges in the contest that had 79 entries. HTPG’s EcoNet Enabled Unit Cooler with EcoNet Command Center won th...

ECR International announces Jared Kachmar as their new Technical Procurement Analyst. In this position, Jared will primarily be responsible for supporting the Procurement function, the Procurement financial analytics (MPV/PPV, budgets, inventory) and sourcing new components with the new product development teams. Culture of Continuous Improvement ECR is focused on creating a culture of Continuous Improvement in support of our BDR initiatives, and Jared will play a key role in creating and supp...

“Evaporative cooling, direct, indirect, and two-stage solutions, are being used across the board in a wide variety of commercial and industrial solutions,” said Randy Niederer, Director of Marketing, Cambridge Engineering Inc. “It is currently experiencing a renaissance, as large manufacturing and distribution facilities are choosing this technology to provide cooling relief for employees.” This renaissance, along with several new technology factors, creates a backdrop f...

PCI Membranes, globally-renowned provider of custom crossflow membrane filtration systems, has completed the strategic acquisition of Pentair’s X-Flow Classic Membrane. X-Flow Classic Membrane PCI Membranes will now be the exclusive provider of this technology, expanding its already unique offering of process and separation solutions. PCI Membranes and Pentair closed the product line acquisition deal, which includes hand over of existing assets and customers, earlier this spring. This a...

SPX Corporation announced that it has completed the acquisition of SGS Refrigeration Inc. (“SGS”), based in Dixon, Illinois. SGS is a manufacturer and distributor of industrial refrigeration products in the North American market. “We are excited about SGS joining the SPX team” said Gene Lowe, President and CEO of SPX Corporation. “As a leader in industrial refrigeration, SGS has operated as a close partner with SPX in the evaporative condenser market." "I am very...

Greenheck was recognized for excellence in product design in the 16th annual Dealer Design Awards Program sponsored by The Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration News magazine. An independent panel of contractors acted as judges in the contest that had 79DDA_GOLD_2019 entries. The company’s Vari-Green Drive with companion app was the Gold level winner in the Ventilation Products category. The ACHR News is the pioneering trade magazine in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning, a...

As temperatures climb, new smart technology from GE Appliances, a Haier company, rolls out a WiFi-enabled window air conditioning (AC) units with geolocation capabilities. By connecting the window AC unit to the GE Comfort app, users can enable real-time adjustments to the temperature before they ever get home, creating energy savings and peace of mind. When activated, the location assist feature uses the phone’s location to determine if homeowners are away from home and then automaticall...

Triatek by Johnson Controls will be exhibiting at the 2019 International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Annual Conference. Below are some of the highlights that the company will be showcasing at the conference. Performance Contracting and Laboratories: O my- It’s O&M: Wednesday, October 23 2019 Triatek by Johnson Controls is sponsoring a session entitled O my- It’s O&M, and it will feature a panel discussion on how the University of Illinois at Chicago utilized perf...

Cairo Airport, the second busiest airport in Africa after that of Johannesburg, which serves more than 65 airlines, thanks to the addition of the new Terminal 2, will reach a capacity of over 30 million passengers a year. With an increasing air traffic, the structure had even a greater need for the filtration of the outside air towards the inside, especially because of the pollution coming from planes and other ground vehicles operating close to the gate areas, in order to ensure the comfort of...

General Filter announces that they will participate in MCE Expocomfort 2016. They look forward to welcome visitors to their ‘green space’ (Pavillon 13, booth C20) inspired by their sustainable philosophy. A great opportunity to ‘touch and feel’ General Filter’s comprehensive assortment of filters, ranging from an efficiency class G2 up to U15, accessories and systems for filtration, included the latest Energy Saving line, that maximizes efficiency, and Nanowave, th...

General Filter improve its line of filtration products for hospitals and cleanrooms including products for air conditioning, operating room, laboratories and specific systems designed for the needs of infective, intensive care, and CAT wards. The line covers all needs in compliance with local and international laws and regulations. A brand new information brochure about all the filtration products for hospital and cleanroom will be soon available in English, Italian, Spanish and French. Indoor...

General Filter launches a line of filter pockets in synthetic nano fibers that substantially improve the technical performance of the classic fiberglass products. In recent years the development of nanotechnology has achieved remarkable results in many industrial applications, such as the chemical, pharmaceutical, electronics, medicine, construction, sport sectors, and they are now also used to enhance the performance of synthetic filters. Obtaining satisfactory results The amazing properties...

It is estimated that in a commercial building the air conditioning system contributes to approximately 50% to energy consumption and that, in particular, the air filtration system it is responsible for about 30%. General Filter, in order to help companies optimize the overall energy efficiency, is to launch a new range of products specifically developed for the energy saving, supported by tailor-made consultancy services to guide customers in choosing the best, yet environmentally-friendly, com...

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, announced three significant investment and job growth initiatives in Georgia that will significantly expand the company’s operations in the state and are part of GE Appliances’ goal to become the leading appliance manufacturer in the U.S. The initiatives include $43 million invested in the company’s Roper Corporation facility in Walker County, creating 100 new jobs; a $32 million investment to build a new Southern Logistics Center in Murra...

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, Executives were at Doss High School to observe students presenting the final part of their Virtual Classroom experience.  The final challenge from GEA to students in the Manufacturing Pathway at Doss High School was to pick a problem at their school and apply the problem-solving methods they learned from GE Appliances' employees. Students at Doss said it takes a long time to get through the lunch line at their school, which means they aren't able to ea...

Danfoss Drives just got a new employee who doesn’t sleep, has an inhumanly steep learning curve and is available around the clock. So, customers who get a warning, alarm or fault code in their drive and have no user guide nearby to search for information need not worry. The ‘Danfoss Drives troubleshooting chatbot’ has been launched to provide immediate customer support. A real-time simulated conversation with a computer software really is the new black in our increasingly digit...

Danfoss has boosted the part load performance and the operating map of its leading VZH variable speed scroll compressor range. The third-generation commercial inverter scrolls retain the strengths of the previous version, with the addition of the Intermediate Discharge Valve (IDV) technology for enhanced seasonal efficiency, and a wider operating map. The products are particularly suitable for comfort reversible applications and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units.  Matthieu Stoll,...