Congratulations To Make-A-Wish. Ductmate Is Proud To Celebrate 40 Years Of Granting Wishes.

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

Ductmate Industries is proud to join Make-A-Wish in its 40th year of granting wishes. Our logo’s blue star represents our mutual commitment to delivering hope and joy to children with critical illnesses in our community.

DMI Companies and Ductmate have been working with Make-A-Wish to grant a wish to a child in need every year since 1990.

For more information on the Make-A-Wish Organization, please visit their website at https://wish.org/

Our 2019 Sustainability Report Is Now Available

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

The Year’s Overview – Presented by Ray Yeager (President/CEO)

Dear stakeholder,

In previous years, I indicated how our success breeds more success in a multitude of ways. The Annual Report follows the same outline of DMI Sustainability efforts and the benefit to our stakeholders.

DMI Companies aspires to be a leader of sustainable efforts throughout the United States. We focus on sustainability in our corporate strategy through innovative products, operations, and employee engagement (i.e. culture change). A sustainable environment requires culture change. At DMI, all of our employees make a difference. From the board room to the shop floor, everyone is a contributor, and everyone is an environmental steward.

Our business performance has the commitment to environmental, social and community stewardship by:

  • Reducing the environmental footprint
    • Continually increasing our reduce, recycle and reuse efforts;
    • Implementing projects for waste minimization, and energy and water savings;
    • Working within the supply chain – building owners, engineers, contractors, distributors and vendors to create energy and labor-saving products.
  • Engaging in sustainability issues
    • Speaking to stakeholders such as employees, industry groups, universities, legislators, community leaders, various administrative agencies, and our board of directors to promote sustainability;
    • Increasing transparency and disclosure of our sustainable performance through our Annual Sustainability Report.
  • Supporting sustainable development
    • Collaborating with stakeholders to grow sustainably while considering the social, economic and environmental impact of our decisions;
    • Creating an innovative infrastructure to support our product development, our operational lean enterprise and our corporate sustainability culture.

DMI Companies began our sustainable journey from day one. We like to say, “Sustainability is in our DNA.”

Our most recent (2019) accomplishment – Zero Waste to Landfill Silver certification through the U.S Green Building Council’s TRUE certification process at our Monongahela Facility – was years in the making. It was made possible by our employees who dedicated their efforts to such a worthwhile endeavor. And remember, just around the corner will be other zero waste to landfill facilities at DMI.

We commit ourselves to integrating sustainability as a core value for DMI – protecting the health and well-being of our employees and our communities. We actively participate in every community in which we operate. We want these communities to thrive.

By thinking and acting sustainably, we will continue to deliver excellent customer service and produce strong financial results and position the company for a strong future. The future is here! If you have any questions or comments about this subject or others, please feel free to correspond with me at RYeager@DMICompanies.com

Sustainability Strategy – Presented by Paxton Bucheral (Sustainability & Environmental Compliance Manager)

ZERO WASTE STRATEGY

In last year’s annual report, we made the commitment to have our Monongahela facility certified through the Total Resource Use & Efficiency (TRUE) program, administered by GBCI. The TRUE Zero Waste certification program is an assessor-based program that rates how well facilities perform in minimizing their non-hazardous, solid wastes and maximizing their efficiency in the use of resources by awarding credits when certain milestones are achieved. I am pleased to announce that as of March 2019, our Monongahela facility has been awarded the TRUE Silver Zero-Waste certification, reaching a waste diversion rate of 94.49%.

We aim to improve our diversion rate to over 97% over the next few years as we expand our recycling, reduction and reuse opportunities across all DMI Companies’ sites. The TRUE program will be used to help us define, pursue and maximize our zero-waste goals while reducing our carbon footprint and supporting community health. Our focus will expand beyond diversion rates and look towards upstream policies and practices to put our goals within reach. Continued implementation of this program offers a platform for perpetual improvement that leads to advanced certification levels and aligns with DMI’s sustainable core concepts: people, planet, and profit.

In 2018, a Green Procurement policy was enacted to support DMI’s sustainability program with initiatives to minimize potential environmental impact. As of 2019. DMI’s Procurement Department has received training on environmentally-preferred purchasing standards set forth by the U.S EPA. The procurement team supports our reduce-recycle-reuse efforts by minimizing the creation of waste through reduced packaging, and by buying green products containing recycled content where possible.

Our current waste program is providing a sustained benefit to the bottom line as we were able to avoid $87,000 worth of expenses in 2019. The list below summarizes some of our recycling and reduction efforts during the calendar year:

  • 2,469 tons of metal recycled
  • 79 tons of wood recycled
  • 44 tons (combined) of cardboard & plastic film recycled
  • 9 tons of totes and drums recycled
  • 59 tons of pallets reused
  • 55 tons of steel pallets returned to vendor
  • 5 tons of plastic steel coil spacers returned to vendor

Although 2019’s recycling markets proved volatile, our Monongahela location was able to divert 2,751 total tons of waste from landfill – a 95.76% diversion rate. We are committed to increasing this quantity year over year and incorporating our sustainability program throughout every single DMI facility across the country.

ENERGY & WATER CONSERVATION

Energy conservation continues to be a top priority at all DMI facilities. In 2019, we took advantage of multiple energy rebates to improve our infrastructure while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and costs. Solar panels, LED lighting, skylights and energy-efficient air compressors are a few examples of our continued initiatives. Continued on the next page are our combined energy statistics in 2019:

  • Electricity consumption: +5.11%
  • Water consumption: -26.28%
  • Natural Gas consumption: -9.85%

We remedied our excessive natural gas usage (2018) by installing air curtains and repairing gas leaks. The addition of ultra-low-flow toilets and water-efficient coffee systems at our Monongahela and Charleroi facilities have assisted in our continued reduction of water usage. Although we missed the mark on electricity consumption, we are addressing our current use of occupancy sensors and LED lighting to help us get back on track in 2020.

We continue to maximize our impact on the community’s energy conservation efforts, as well. By taking advantage of energy rebates, we installed two electric vehicle charging stations at our Monongahela facility, available for public use. At our annual Manufacturing Day with local school students, we participated in Energy Efficiency Day alongside representatives from the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA).

Workforce Development – Presented by Katie Hager (Workforce Development Manager)

As you probably know, DMI Companies has been investing greatly in upgrading and updating our systems, equipment and processes as part of our journey towards building the Factory of the Future. While these efforts will result in numerous improvements across DMI, the most significant benefits will directly affect our people – employees and customers.

Equipment upgrades such as fiber lasers, robotics arms and other automation features have reduced much of the labor-intensive work, improved safety and provided opportunities for employees to increase their skills and knowledge to advance on their career pathways. Instead of performing heavy lifting and rigorous manual work, these employees have been trained to operate and maintain the new automated systems that will do this work for them. Many repetitive jobs have been replaced with more exciting, higher-skilled advanced technology roles. This has resulted in many new opportunities for employees throughout DMI Companies. Just one example of this are the two Monongahela employees who are currently being trained as Maintenance Technicians so they can ensure overall machine and system efficiency around our new advanced manufacturing systems.

Implementations including DMIOne, MES, CPQ, VPI and more will integrate and optimize aging manual and automated processes to fill gaps, reduce errors, improve communication and drive process improvement. In preparation for these advancements, we have been conducting extensive training to prepare those who will be using the new systems. The result will be an improved employee and customer experience from ordering to production planning, and shipping.

In addition, automation and data analytic capabilities provided by these upgrades can help identify, control and optimize energy resources which will further our sustainability goals and provide cost-saving opportunities. The combination of these changes will better enable us to respond to change, meet customer needs, protect our environment and keep up with industry advancements. This will not only contribute to our continued profitable growth, but it will also further our position as an employer of choice and an industry leader.

Our People – Presented by Melissa Lourimore (Human Resources Manager)

Former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr was quoted as saying, “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions”.  As we step into the next phase of the Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0, we as a Company will be stretched in ways we’ve never before experienced or imagined when DMI Companies began over 40 years ago.  As a company that is more broad than deep, it is those very experiences that allow all of our employees to grow and thrive professionally and personally.

In our home city of Pittsburgh, PA, Heinz 57 is a shortened form of a historical advertising slogan “57 Varieties”, by the H. J. Heinz Company. It has come to mean anything that is comprised or mixed from a lot of parts or origins.  That is an excellent way to describe all of the employees of DMI Companies.  We are a group of individuals diverse in education, training and work experience.  Each of us brings things to the table others do not have and makes the sum greater than all the parts.

DMI is rich in history and looks forward to blazing trails as we step into this new decade. We will continue to adapt to changes in the industry, economy and compliance requirements.  There is no doubt we will pull together as a team to face each challenge and overcome it to allow us to continue to meet the needs of our customers and achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.

It continues to be a challenge to find and retain great people for openings for all companies in the United States due to record low unemployment rates and high demands. DMI works hard to show the world that a career in manufacturing is a path to great personal success by providing a stable and safe workplace with a fair compensation package that includes generous health and retirement benefits.

Our Ownership, Board of Directors and Senior Management are proud of the team we have built and feel confident that we will go into the future with the utmost integrity and professionalism that will allow us to continue to be the world leader in HVAC products, service and design for many, many years to come.

Financial Growth & Stability – Presented by Dan Bruno (Chief Financial Officer)

DMI Companies takes pride in being a socially responsible corporate citizen and recognizes the importance of sustainability in that role. We believe that there can most often be great harmony between environmental, ecological and economical sustainability, and we always strive to act in ways that ensure those harmonies. Our continued growth and financial success will never compromise our commitment to the sustainability of future generations!

To download a PDF version of this report Click Here.

We Are Pleased To Announce The Launch Of The All New Ductmate.com

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

We are very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. After a lot hard work and dedication, we are pleased to officially announce the launch of the all new website at Ductmate.com!  We wanted to make the new website faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly.

As an HVAC accessories manufacturer and innovation leader, it’s important for us to make information regarding our products and services easily accessible for our current and prospective end users and customers. We strive to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information, and share our knowledge and expertise with the HVAC Industry.

Our goal with this new website is to provide our visitors an easier way to learn about Ductmate’s products and services, and to browse information based on their own choice. The new website gives better access to Ductmate product information, services, technical resources, distribution info, as well as company news, information, and announcements.

Visitors to the website will find useful information about our products in our new Technical Resources section.  This section now servers as a general repository for all our spec sheets, SDS documents, how to’s, and more.

For any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments, please contact us.

Ductmate’s First Employee Honored In SNIPS Magazine

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

How Bill Bradford became a legend at Ductmate Industries Inc.

Bill Bradford’s sheet metal career is the embodiment of the phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants.” Only, in this story, Bradford is one of the giants.

Bill Bradford is a veteran of the sheet metal industry in more ways than most.

Born and raised in North Side Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the city’s “Steel City” renaissance, Bradford graduated from high school June 1955 and immediately joined the Air Force that July. “I was 17 so my parents had to sign documents to get me in,” he remembers. His dad, a truck driver, was gone on the road a lot while his mom worked different jobs to make ends meet. “Upbringing was normal in that we did not have a lot but did not want for anything,” he says, the oldest of two brothers and two sisters. The service was his chance to fight for his country while learning skills to build a future.

“College was not for me,” Bradford says, simply. Around age 23, a job repairing fighter jets for the National Guard became his ticket into the sheet metal industry, and soon he signed up for his first apprenticeship. “I did not want to go to college with that experience from the Guard,” he explains, “so I joined the Pittsburgh Local 12 Sheet Metal Apprenticeship program.” He adds, “Where else can you start a career and make a great living right out of the gate?”

Now at 82 years old and retired, Bradford is celebrated as part of the early generation of tin knockers who made making a living in the sheet metal industry possible. “I miss the great trade, the great people that I worked with over the many years,” he says. “Right now, we cannot hire enough sheet metal workers as there is so much work to be done across the country.” The bulk of Bradford’s part in that work began in the ’70s.

On a scale of 1 to 10, “Sheet metal work was a 10 back then,” Bradford says. “What made it difficult was all electric corded tools; we had to build scaffolding; there were no GLG lifts, heavy wooden ladders, no Tek screws, all pan head screws that had to be screwed in with flat blade screw driver, a lot of heavy manual lifting of ductwork,” the list goes on. However, that never stopped Bradford from getting the job done, and the downtown Pittsburgh skyline flaunts his resume. Installing the U.S. Steel Tower’s large HVAC system, “We also installed very large drop ceilings that were part of our scope of work,” he explains. “They were approximately 5 feet by 3 feet and 3 inches thick. No Ductmate-type connectors at that time.” Today’s PNC Park and Heinz Field stadiums are also at the location of another Bradford assisted project, the former Three Rivers Stadium (built in 1970 and demolished in 2000). “The coldest job ever,” he remembers. “Heavy ladders were hard to move around and the weather conditions were horrible.”

In 1978, Bradford made the career jump from field metalwork to manufacturing duct products as the first employee for a little-known company at the time called Ductmate Industries (now DMI Companies) under founder Peter Arnoldt. At 40 years old, Bradford welcomed the “lucky opportunity” to give his body a break from the everyday grunt work and extend his career.

“I received a call from one of the Ductmate owners about the possibility of a job. I talked it over with the foreman at my current company and he told me that Ductmate was a new company and he did not know much about it,” he remembers. “The good thing was, he told me to give it a shot and if it does not work out you can come back.” After a month, Bradford knew the company would be a success, he says. “I thought the company would be a success because of the type of connection they were going to introduce to the industry.”

The Ductmate 35 Flange was the first product line. “Peter (Arnoldt) chose that as the first one. I helped him set up the first roll former to get the 35 out the door. We were on a shoestring budget getting that first roll former up and running. We spent many nights and weekends working overtime to get that very first piece of equipment running properly,” says Bradford, and he wore more than a few hats in the process as general superintendent and national service manager. “I ran the shop, ran the roll former and did the purchasing. If we had field installation problems, Peter would send me to troubleshoot and fix the problem.”

The most common problem with field installations at the time was that contractors were not reading the installation instructions, he explains. “When they read the installation documentation, the installs went well. We made automated equipment to help contractors install Ductmate Flange better and faster. Some of these were the Ductmater, Autosealer and Super Welder. Peter invented all of these pieces of equipment.”

As the company took off and started to expand in the late ’80s, Bradford took on a role that most people today know him for: mentor.

“My first meeting with Bill Bradford, who supervised me at the time, sticks out in mind,” says Doug Gudenburr, now chief operating officer at DMI Companies. “We were young, snot-nosed, knew everything, and he would chase us around and shake his head sometimes. But at the end of the day, I think we really appreciated him and he appreciated us. At that time the general concept and mentality of the folks was whatever it took to get the job done. We played hard but we certainly worked hard, and that’s something I will always remember about Bill.”

Under Bradford’s whatever-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done style, future leaders were made that could efficiently manage the company’s operations into success. The William Bradford Training Center at DMI’s headquarters in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, pays homage to that success.

“I decided to retire as I had the proper people in place to take over my responsibilities,” says Bradford. “We had good people at Ductmate so I was not worried that the success we had would continue.” And it has.

“The generations of workers that Bill has trained, it could be countless. From his early days of running the facility to being on the road and working with contractors and users and distributors, different sales forces that have come and gone over the time. Many people at this point are either retired or frankly not with us any longer,” says Gudenburr. “It’s just a whole new group of people Bill has touched as time has gone on with his tenure in the company.”

Original Article On SnipsMag.com

Supporting America And Union Sheet Metal Workers For Over 40 Years

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

All three Ductmate Industries Manufacturing Facilities Are Proud Members Of SMART

Monongahela, PA – SMART Local 12

Wagoner, OK – SMART Local 270

Lodi, CA – SMART Local 104

For over 40 years, Ductmate Industries has been manufacturing HVAC components and accessories that are crucial to the efficiency and longevity of the entire HVAC system. Whether you need our industry leading DM 25/35/45® connectors, our formulated for performance duct sealants, or practically any other component for the HVAC system, you can count on Ductmate to deliver the best – every time.

Products engineered for performance and manufactured with union level quality is what makes Ductmate Industries the unsurpassed leader in HVAC components and accessories manufacturing.

DMI Achieves Zero Waste to Landfill, First of its Kind for a PA Manufacturing Facility

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

DMI Companies is proud to announce that their main manufacturing facility, located in Monongahela PA, is now classified as a zero waste to landfill facility.

Spearheaded by an overall corporate vision of a sustainable future and innovative energy efficient product design, DMI is the first manufacturing facility to achieve the TRUE Silver zero waste to landfill certification in the state of Pennsylvania.  Zero waste to landfill certifications are also a relatively new concept in the HVAC Parts and Accessories Manufacturing Industry.  Typically manufacturing processes are large waste producers, but DMI is among the first in their industry to cease sending waste to landfills through training, audits, and hard work from their employees.  Landfill waste diversion through the TRUE system is a whole systems approach aimed at changing how materials flow through society, and promotes processes that consider the entire lifecycle of products used within a facility with an end goal of zero waste.  The idea of becoming a zero waste facility started for DMI in 2011, and after years of hard work, led by Sustainability & Environmental Compliance Manager Lisa Pavan, we made the final push for the classification beginning in November of 2018,

“We started with a goal that if something could not be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted – then it should be restricted, re-designed, or removed from our production pipeline.  Most of our production lines can go through many different metal alloys and other materials on a daily basis, so we saw initial hurdles eliminating recycling contamination.  However, we worked hard to overcome those hurdles through training, audits, and employee buy in from the factory floor all the way to the corporate office.” – Lisa Pavan, Sustainability & Environmental Compliance Manager

In 2018, DMI diverted 94.49% of their waste from incineration/landfill through recycle, reuse and reduction programs and plans to improve that diversion rate by 1% annually.  DMI sought out to obtain 38 credits on the TRUE Silver scale, but exceeded that by receiving 41 out of the maximum 45 on March 15th, 2019.  TRUE- certified projects are environmentally responsible and achieve a minimum of 90 percent waste diversion. The program helps facilities turn waste into savings, cut greenhouse gas emissions, manage risk, reinvest resources and create jobs.

This certification is one of many accomplishments in sustainability DMI has achieved in their 40 year history of manufacturing HVAC Duct Systems and Accessories.  DMI was founded on the idea that their products should increase the efficiency of the whole HVAC system.  This practice carries on today as DMI continues to design and manufacture energy efficient products and pursues sustainable business practices.

“We focus on Sustainability in our corporate strategy through innovative products, operations, and employee engagement (i.e. culture change).  We were introduced to this model many years ago and have continually embraced the concept.  It’s time to bring it back to the forefront of our discerning employees at DMI.  We commit ourselves to integrating sustainability as a core value for DMI; protecting the health and well-being of our employees and our communities.  We actively participate in every community in which we operate.  We want these communities to thrive.” – Raymond Yeager, President/CEO of DMI

To read DMI’s full TRUE Silver evaluation report, CLICK HERE.

For more information about TRUE and GBCI, we encourage you to learn more at HTTP://TRUE.GBCI.ORG.

Spiralmate® Round Ductwork System Is Working Well in South Dakota

Spiralmate Round Duct Connector

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

The Prairie Lakes Wellness Center in Watertown, S.D., a modern community center conveniently located in the fastest growing area of Watertown, opened in April 2017 and has 104,000 square feet of space. The $24 million multi-level facility features multiple basketball courts, racquetball courts, a running track, a sauna and whirlpool, a large fitness area, and a state of the art pool area that includes a leisure pool as well as a competition pool.

Choosing the Right System for Aesthetics and Performance

For areas that are not exposed, rectangular, medium-pressure ductwork was chosen. For exposed areas, the Spiralmate® Round Duct Connection System was used. All the spiral connections were manufactured by Ductmate Industries, Inc.

Gary Chappell, Ductmate Regional Channel Manager, said the spiral ductwork is exposed and visible from multiple perspectives. On the second floor, where the ceiling for downstairs is positioned at eye level, it was even more important to have an attractive product. Chappel said, “The project is aesthetically pleasing both close up and from a distance. From a performance standpoint, the system is airtight, efficient and doesn’t require any additional sealing.”

Jon Burri, Vice President at Creative Metal Solutions, the specifier and fabricator for this project, said everything went very smoothly on the job site. “We made custom lengths in the shop and delivered them to the jobsite, ranging in size from as large as 42” in diameter to as small as 10” in diameter. Large amounts of 28-32” ductwork were installed above the track, and 18-20” inch segments were installed in the workout areas.”

The ductwork in the pool area was double-walled aluminum to reduce the sound of the airflow from spectators and to prevent corrosion from the harsh pool environment. Galvanized steel was used on all the ductwork in other areas.

MacArthur Co. was the distributor for this project. According to Chappell, “They have been a great asset and long-standing Ductmate distributor in Sioux Falls.”

Burri said a couple of trailers of product a week were sent to the jobsite on and off for about six months. “We delivered in phases so that a lot of room wasn’t needed to store product during the entire job,” he said.

The company always recommends the Spiralmate® system because, Burri said, “The cost is always justified with savings in field installation time and cost, and it allows for an air-tight system that looks great.”

Faster Installation, Big Labor Savings
Active Heating, Inc., based in Watertown, S.D., was the HVAC contractor. Jason Roehrich, Vice President at the company, said the installation of the Spiralmate® system is usually fast, but this project went even faster than normal.

“The finished job features a wide-open, exposed look with neat, straight long runs,” he said. “In one area, we had a run of 100-150 feet with a 90-degree turn into another long run of about 300 feet, and it looks great.”

Roehrich added, “Our installers in the field really like the Spiralmate® system because it quickly snaps in place, provides a great seal, installs faster than other products, and it provides a straight, clean look when it’s finished.”

Another advantage of the system is that when a piece of ductwork is cut down in size, the flange can be removed and re-used—unlike with other systems. This saves even more time and money.

The end result was a successful project for Ductmate and everyone else involved. The state-of-the-art Prairie Lakes Wellness Center has an HVAC system to match that’s pleasing to the eye, energy efficient and will perform well for many years to come.

PROseal Spray Duct Sealant Shortens Application Time By 50%

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

Studies and testing have demonstrated that heating and cooling systems can lose up to 30% of their efficiency due to leaks in the duct joints and seams. One solution is to seal the ductwork at the joints with gasket material supplied by the manufacturer. Another is the application of duct sealant that can be applied at the joints as well as duct seams for a tight connection.

New standards in the building industry now require all ducting to be sealed to prevent air leakage. Not only does it save energy, low leakage reduces the load on the heating and cooling equipment.

Scott Schindler, owner of Schindler Heating & A/C, Inc., runs his business in Boonville, IN. For over 15 years he has installed and serviced air conditioning and heating equipment in southern Indiana.

Schindler has four employees and works primarily on residential and light commercial housing. As a businessman, he believes every job he does gets 110% of his efforts—a main reason he is the HVAC installer choice for many of the largest builders in his area.

Schindler has used Ductmate’s PROseal mastic for many years. Like most duct sealants, it is applied manually and can take an entire day to finish one house. The results were always good, but if you are not careful you can wear as much as you apply.

While picking up materials at Wilhite Supply Co, his local Ductmate distributor, Schindler was introduced to PROseal Spray, Ductmate’s premium water-based, high velocity duct sealant that can be applied using a wide range of sealant application equipment. It was love at first sight!

“I’m somewhat of a tool nut and am interested in anything mechanical,” said Schindler. “The fact that you can apply duct sealant using a spray system really intrigued me; five minutes later I was a believer.”

Schindler had investigated other brands of spray mastics as well but found one major problem. Most sealant manufacturers strongly recommended using their spray system. These systems cost on average $7,500 a unit, a greater investment than he wanted to make.

“We found out that Ductmate’s PROseal Spray can be used with a variety of spray systems with no problems in application or performance,” said Schindler. “In the end I purchased a sprayer for $1,700, and that was even for a slightly better unit than I needed.”

Christian Nauman, Sealants & Adhesives Product Line Manager for Ductmate, says ProSeal® Spray offers contractors benefits other than speed of application. “Ductmate formulated ProSeal® Spray as an extension of our manually-applied ProSeal® product,” said Nauman. “Both are designed to seal metal and metal joints against air leaks in low, medium, and high pressure duct systems up to 15” w.g.”

ProSeal® is a premium water-based high-velocity duct sealant that is non-flammable with a low odor and low VOC off-gassing. This is important for contractors working in tight spaces for prolonged periods of time.

ProSeal® Spray has excellent adhesion to all types of metals, and will not drip or sag under normal application conditions. The sealant has a very low shrinkage rate and remains permanently flexible over the life of the product. It is also UV, water and mildew resistant, and can be used on painted latex or epoxy finishes.

Upon using the PROseal Spray for the first time Schindler said he was a little apprehensive it would work as promised because of the viscosity of mastic. It didn’t take long to convince him otherwise.

“Our sprayer has a 150 foot hose allowing us to reach most of the house without moving the unit,” Schindler remarked. “We can finish an entire house in 30 minutes compared to an entire day using manual application.”

Many of the builders Schindler works with construct Energy Star homes. These buildings have to pass strict requirements minimizing air leakage for the building as well as the HVAC ducting. Schindler sprays all seams and joints with PROseal Spray with great success.

Schindler says his duct installations always pass with ease, and the inspector says his work is the best he has ever seen.

Once finished, the spray unit must be cleaned before the mastic hardens. Schindler says all that is needed are a few gallons of hot water that he runs through the sprayer until it runs clear. Since PROseal Spray is water-based, no harsh cleaners are required.

In addition to duct sealing, Schindler has found another use for the product. With PROseal Spray’s excellent adhesive qualities, he uses it to seal holes and cracks in the building that he may come across in places like crawl spaces.

New Polyester Duct Liner Less Expensive, Reduces Installation Time

PolyArmor™ Duct Liner

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

Schreiber Foods is constructing a new corporate headquarters and global technology center in downtown Green Bay, WI. Founded in Green Bay in 1945, it lays claim to be the world’s largest employee-owned dairy company. The $50 million headquarters building is 235,000 sq. ft. and reaches five stories high with a fit-out of primarily office space. When completed, it will employ approximately 550 people in the greater Green Bay area.

The firm Hammel, Green and Abrahamson (HGA Inc.) is an integrated architecture, engineering and planning company responsible for the HVAC system design along with other mechanical systems on the Schreiber Foods Project. Kevin Pope, Senior Mechanical Engineer and Vice President at HGA, is the Engineer of Record on the project.

“For most ducting projects of this type, we typically specify a polyimide foam liner for the supply ducting and a fiberglass liner for the return,” said Pope. “The reason for this is any fibers coming off the fiberglass liner are captured in the air handling filtration system before it reenters the supply air. It’s also a way to keep cost down since fiberglass is less expensive and offers reasonable sound attenuation.”

The polyimide foam is generally coated with an acrylic-type polymer when used for duct liner. The coating provides a protective barrier against dust and moisture from collecting in the duct. However, one of the drawbacks to the polyimide foam can be more expensive than other materials.

J. F. Ahern Co. is the mechanical contractor for the project and responsible for the sheet metal and other mechanical systems. Shaun Neubauer, Project Manager for J.F. Ahern, has as one of his primary functions – the need to control project costs.

“It’s part of my job to control project costs so I begin immediately looking for alternative material choices,” said Neubauer. “We noticed immediately that the polyimide foam cost was coming in rather high and we began investigating alternative duct liner material. We had an opportunity to meet with Ductmate Industries to compare their new PolyArmor polyester-based liner material.”

PolyArmor is new to the market, having been out only one and one-half years. It is a polyester duct liner used in forced air heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. It is engineered to provide industry leading R-values with excellent noise reduction values and superior indoor air quality.

The polyester material is webbed into a thermal blanket which is then bonded with an FSK facing to resist damage during system installation and operation. It also provides excellent durability in the airstream.

Neubauer said the PolyArmor met the specification requirements and he was nicely surprised with the cost estimate. Since the polyimide was specified, he submitted the PolyArmor cost saving and specifications to Pope and requested a substitution, which was approved.

J. F. Ahern and Neubauer have a long history working with Ductmate Industries. Quite often they specify other Ductmate products like access doors, connectors and vane systems. Their relationship was a key factor in their decision to install the new PolyArmor liner material.

More emphasis was placed on noise reduction than insulation values although both were important. The PolyArmor proved excellent for sound attenuation with a .65 NRC rating while also delivering a R5 insulation value in one-inch material thickness.

Duct sizes vary, having dimensions up to 6’ by 3’ and handling an air flow of up to 80,000 CFM. The specifications called for the PolyArmor installed approximately 20’ downstream from each VAV discharge connections.

Chris Elwing, Shop Manager for J.F. Ahern, was impressed with the installation performance of PolyArmor. With over 31 years working the sheet metal industry, 13 of those with J.F. Ahern, he’s seen his share of duct insulation.

“We install all duct liners at the shop and have had to use elastomeric-type product for many of our installations,” said Elwing. “Elastomeric material is tough to work with because it’s hard to cut and shape into place.”

“We had never used the PolyArmor liner before and discovered that it installs much faster and is easy to pin; It greatly reduced our man hours on the project.” Elwing estimated they installed 25,000 sq. ft. of the liner material, all installed by hand using no coil machine. Even with the additional labor time required, he cut his installation time by 30% or more!

The PolyArmor liner is installed to the duct surface using water-based adhesives. This eliminates the need for solvent-based bonding agents that emit VOC’s for many years after installation. The polyester base material does not promote or support the growth of mold or mildew making it very desirable for a healthy environment and occupant safety.

The net result was even better than expected.

Neubauer commented, “Not only did we reduce costs for the liner material, we saved another 30% on installation time, which is significant.”

Both companies agree they will use the PolyArmor on future projects.

High Ceiling Project Makes Spiralmate A Must

Spiralmate Round Duct Connector

Posted on by Ductmate Industries

The North Shore Marine Transfer Station is located in College Point near New York City and LaGuardia Airport. It is expected to open in the spring of 2013 and will haul about 3,000 tons of garbage from Queens borough by barge to landfills each day.

The facility is enclosed to limit bird attraction, which can be very detrimental to airplane traffic at nearby LaGuardia Airport. It was birds after all that were sucked into both engines of Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s airplane causing him to ditch in the East River. The North Shore transfer station is only 735 yards from one of LaGuardia’s runways.

The spiral duct manufacturer on the projects is Southern Tier Custom Fabrication located in Elmira, NY. Sothern Tier has been a loyal user of Ductmate® products for many years, especially the Spiralmate® spiral duct connector.

Ian Morrell, Vice President of Southern Tier is very proud of their relationship with Ductmate. “We really believe in Ductmate’s innovative approach especially with products like the Spiralmate,” said Morrell. “They are easy to install and are real time savers in the shop and in the field.” Morrell said the company has enjoyed incorporating the Ductmate line into their fabrication process for about 30 years. He said they are also an installing contractor, however not on this particular project.

Because the North Shore Transfer Station is a marine facility, it is naturally in a corrosive environment. The saltwater air will eventually start corroding any steel product including galvanized spiral ducting. The project was specified with 316 stainless steel to counter the corrosive seawater environment and any toxic off-gassing from the trash.

Stainless steel is also very expensive, almost five times that of regular steel, and Morrell said it’s important the spiral ducting installs correctly and without any damage.

Morrell said Ductmate offers their Spiralmate in a variety of materials that include galvannealed, aluminized, 304 stainless, 316 stainless and PVC coated. In addition, the Spiralmate has a sealing mastic in the pocket of the flange that eliminates the need to manually add sealant during assembly. Ductmate guarantees the flange will seal from 18’’ positive to 10’’ negative WG. The mastic is non-hardening and non-drying and will not crack when transported to the shop site by truck.

The sheet metal contractor on the project is Delta Sheet Metal Corporation located in Long Island City, NY. Delta is part of P. J. Mechanical Corp a mechanical contractor founded in 1971 and serving the greater New York City real estate market.

Jacob Pierides, Senior Project Manager for Delta Sheet Metal, commented that the installation was different from the typical spiral projects.

The overall size of the facility measures 260’ by 215’ and consists of three levels. The tipping floor approximately 26’ above the pier is where the large trash trucks enter and unload their waste. The waste falls to the loading section 10’ below where heavy equipment collects and tamps the trash into compact bundles. These trash bundles are then loaded onto barges 16’ lower at the pier level where they are taken for eventual burial.

The facility requires constant ventilation due to the refuse odor and exhaust gases from the trucks. Because of the volume of ventilation required, the facility has 28 fans with 18 located in the mezzanine level. These 18 fans are all connected to the spiral ducting with runs along the station ceiling.

In all, approximately 3,800 linear feet of stainless spiral ducting was installed at the transfer station in a variety of sizes from 10” to 62” with 1,400 feet sized at 52”. Over 1,200 stainless steel Spiralmate connectors of all sizes were used to attach the ducting.

The highest point in the trash facility is 62’, making the installation rather treacherous at times! For ductwork 42” or less in diameter, Pierides said the sections were manufactured 10’ lengths. Ductwork above 42” in diameter was manufactured in 5’ long sections. All sections were assembled piece by piece in the air.

“Spiralmate made it easier to connect spiral ductwork 60 feet up in the air,” mentioned Pierides. “The one bolt closure band accelerates installation time in the field compared to bolting the flanges together. Using Spiralmate connections helped with the production and quality of the spiral ductwork installation.”

He said that by using Spiralmate connections they did not have to add any additional stiffeners to the duct. That made production in the shop and installation in the field more efficient. It also made it safer by reducing the possibility of a section accidently coming loose while workers were in the air.

Pierides also concluded the Spiralmate duct connectors helped the spiral ducting maintain its shape.  Using Spiralmate connections made the installation of the spiral ducts on this project possible. It allowed for the spiral duct to maintain its shape after installation by adding rigidity to the overall structural product.