Custom Air Products & Services, Inc.'s Engineering Department Expands Its Technology in Research and Development
Houston, TX (PRWEB) October 30, 2014 -- Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. (CAPS), a leading commercial and industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company based in Houston, Texas (US) is proud to announce the new technology being utilized for research and development by the engineering department.
Within the past month, CAPS has invested in a 3D printer that utilizes Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), or Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), to create scale representations of their multiple equipment lines as well as customer specific unit models. The printer that they decided on is the MakerBot Z18. The Z18 has an internal heated chamber with a build volume of 12x12x18, making it the largest and one of the most advanced 3D printers in its class. The models they plan to produce are going to give customers a tangible, to scale representation of the equipment they are wishing to purchase as well as provide an idea of how any auxiliary components may need to be assembled on site. This visual representation will reinforce communication between customer and manufacturer and also give a better idea of the layout and access points of the unit once it is installed. Along with research and development, the models will act as a marketing tool for their sales team: the salesmen will now have the ability to show an improved projection of what the customer ordered without having to spend a single dollar on production.
While this new machine may be of the latest technology, it is also very environmentally friendly. The Polylactic Acid (PLA) thermoplastic that is used to create the 3D models is corn-based and produces nontoxic fumes during printing, compared to that of the more common form, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). In conjunction with the purchase of the Z18, CAPS has also invested in a Filastruder/Filawinder package. According to David Potts, the CAPS Senior Designer & Design Supervisor, “These devices allow CAPS to not only create printer filament from virgin materials but also recycles scraps of plastic created during the printing process into new filament that can be used on prints of other devices.”
The forward thinking used during the equipment selection process has given CAPS the ability to use a renewable resource as well as recycle what would otherwise be a waste product to reduce their cost to market and their Carbon Footprint.
Along with the MakerBot z18 and Filastruder package, CAPS continues to use a laser engraver, the Gravograph LS100, to manufacture all equipment tags and phenolic tags. The engraver even has the ability to chemically etch metal tags for projects that have increased corrosive environmental concerns.
In the future CAPS hopes to continue expanding its technology base with other technologies such as 3D scanning and simulation software. The use of 3D scanning can provide them the ability to scan an out-of-date component and more easily generate drawings that may no longer exist for it. Simulation software can aid in the layout of customer projects to improve fluid dynamic characteristics within a static environment.
About Custom Air Products & Services
Custom Air Products & Services, Inc. is a full-service HVAC company that specializes in the design, construction, installation, modification, and servicing of industrial and commercial air conditioning equipment. CAPS employees are committed to providing exceptional custom design and quality workmanship at competitive prices.
Custom Air Products & Services currently occupies five (5) modern facilities, totaling 200,000 square feet in size. These buildings include administrative and engineering offices, training facilities, a filter warehouse, and service shops for fabrication, manufacturing, and modifications. CAPS services are provided to customers throughout the United States and Mexico while their manufactured products have been delivered to sites around the world. Currently CAPS has equipment operating on six (6) continents and in 52 countries.
For more information, contact Custom Air Products at 713.460.9009 or visit them on the web at http://www.customairproducts.com.
If you’d like more information about this topic, please call Shannon Falzon at 713.460.9009 or email her at shannon(dot)falzon(at)customairproducts(dot)com.
Shannon Falzon, Custom Air Products & Services Inc, http://www.customairproducts.com, 713-460-9009, [email protected]
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