Pacific Rim - APPLIED SOLAR - CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA

PROBLEM:

Applied Solar fabricates solar cells for a variety of applications. Each time they developed a new product, Pacific Rim was tasked with determining how to treat the toxic or odorous air emissions pertaining to the product's fabrication process.

This acid fume scrubber was simple from the design perspective, but solving problems related to installation both on the roof and in the building proved to be quite a challenge.

The roof work required placing a 22 ton scrubber more than 160 feet in from the edge of the building.

The interior work required installing ducting, utilities and equipment above a fully functional fabrication floor without disrupting work flow.

SOLUTION:

By understanding the client's production process and constraints for environmental change during fabrication, Pacific Rim was able to take into account variables like the creation of dust and solvent contamination in the room air. The Pacific Rim team coordinated and rehearsed every move before it was executed.

Equipment staging and placement had to be precise. Plastic drapes were used to isolated construction areas from the rest of the building. Each construction area was served by its own air filtration system and personnel had to follow "keep it clean" procedures.

Through careful design, planning and practice, Pacific Rim was able to reduce production down time in a fabrication area that had delivery commitments that had to be met.