Air cleaner

From the pages of In Business magazine.

There’s something to be said about walking into a manufacturing facility and immediately sensing that the air you’re breathing is cleaner inside than the air that you just left outside. But that’s just one reason why 29-year-old Marcus Crump enjoys his job as heavy commercial cell lead (HCC lead) at RenewAire in Waunakee.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, RenewAire designs and makes energy recovery ventilation (ERV) units for both residential and commercial buildings that clean and condition indoor air. Why does that matter? Because on average, people spend about 90% of their lives indoors, yet the air we breathe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, can be much worse than outdoor or “fresh” air. The impact on human health can also be significant, reducing productivity, concentration, and job performance due to conditions such as poor ventilation or the “off-gassing” of contaminants.

But the fast-growing company with 109 employees is also doing its part to save the outside air, as well. After just one year of operation, ERV systems produced in 2017 are reducing carbon emissions at a rate that’s equivalent to displacing more than 6 million gallons of gasoline, or removing 12,000 cars from the road.

“I love the going-green aspect and the fact that we’re bettering the environment,” Crump states.

Seven years ago, the Adams-Friendship native had no idea RenewAire existed. Now he believes in the company’s product so much that he recently purchased a residential unit for his own home to help clean the air of dust particulates (known in the industry as “PM 2.5”), pet dander, and other odors that used to linger — from cooking smells to his girlfriend’s nail polish remover.

Now he’s a six-year employee and an important go-to guy on the company’s production floor, which is surprisingly quiet. In fact, it feels and looks clean with a white — sometimes-shiny — floor below and a combination of LED lights and skylights above.

A model of QRM

Company founder Chuck Gates long ago subscribed to QRM, or quality response manufacturing, a time-based methodology that Crump says “eliminates the white noise” in manufacturing, resulting in a quick and efficient product turnaround.

QRM is the premise behind the company’s ERV manufacturing process, which is designed around work areas, or “cells.” Other companies might choose to manufacture products in batches or on an assembly line, but that, Crump relates, “would go against QRM.”

At RenewAire, a dozen identically laid-out cells make up the commercial floor space. They’re identical so employees can always locate the tools they need regardless of which cell they’re in. Each cell also has its own crane hoist overhead so workers can lift and maneuver heavy engines and units without injuring themselves.

Depending on the order, as many as four workers can be assigned to a cell.

In a nutshell, the ERV units are metal boxes containing computerized parts, wires, gauges, and blowers. They might sit on rooftops, hang from industrial ceilings, or attach to residential ductwork.

“We have an internal core that traps moisture and humidity,” Crump explains. “When you exhaust air outside, the core traps the moisture from the cool air and humidifies the dry air that comes in from outside. That’s where the energy savings is produced.”

As HCC lead, Crump is the point person should other technicians have questions or issues. He also builds units, coordinates cell activity, helps with documentation, addresses any quality issues, and assembles parts and electrical components.

(Continued)

A typical day begins bright and early at 6 a.m. and ends around 2:15 p.m., but employees can work longer if they choose.

A bill of materials sets the manufacturing process in motion, letting a worker know what they’ll be building, which cell they are assigned to, and the materials required. Each ERV unit is made to order.

In many cases, workers use sub-assembled materials that have already been measured and shaped to specific requirements or pre-drilled for ease.

Once completed, a unit doesn’t hang around long. In fact, with less than one day of “whip” once a product is completed, it’s pretty much out the door. RenewAire does not stock commercial units, nor does it ship or install its products.

Cell activity

Crump heads to one cell where three separate sub-assembled modules are being attached as one unit. “This is an indoor unit and modular so it could be taken apart should someone need to move it upstairs or downstairs,” he explains.

All ERV units are insulated with fiberglass, which is cut to spec in a separate, well-ventilated room on the floor. With the company’s ventilation system always cleaning the air, there’s no noticeable sense of dust in the air.

In another cell, Crump builds a door unit, grabbing two sub-assembled pieces of sheet metal about 3-feet by 4-feet in size. Laying one sheet on a flat worktable, he slides a piece of pre-cut foam insulation into the pre-shaped metal frame and then covers it with another sheet of metal that’s been pre-drilled with holes. It takes just minutes for him to drill rivets into all the holes.

Next, he attaches gasket tape around all four sides.

“You’re never bored here,” Crump says. “We have at least 12,000 different options for units, so there’s a lot to learn, but that’s what I love. Every unit is different.”

Each is tested for performance prior to heading out to the dock. Crump opens a side panel on one large unit, exposing its control panel.

“You want to steer clear of the exhaust fan when I fire this up because there might be manufacturing debris that shoots out,” he warns, testing the circuit breaker first, which pops as it’s supposed to. Holding another button down, a damper in the back of the unit begins to open. “We’ve got action,” Crump smiles.

“Fire in the hole!” he shouts to warn others who might be in the area as the fan ramps up. Keeping his eye on an electronic display screen, the motor whirrs on demand, and when it reaches peak RPMs, it shuts down.

Satisfied that the unit is working properly, Crump double checks an amperage cheat sheet to ensure the unit is in compliance.

All systems are go.

“Before this, I knew nothing about ventilation. I had no experience with electrical. I had some power tools and hand tools, but that was it. I really appreciate learning skills now that will last a lifetime.

“Some people come here and get so overwhelmed with all the learning that they don’t give the job a second chance. I say take whatever chances you can and get your hands dirty. If I wouldn’t have, I never would have found this job and been this happy.”

Click here to sign up for the free IB ezine — your twice-weekly resource for local business news, analysis, voices, and the names you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.