Care-free air distribution for ultimate comfort: 4 reasons to choose fabric

Perfect air dispersion is draft-free and increases comfort. It has positive effects not just on people, but also on the durability of buildings and equipment by eliminating condensation and preventing dampness and mold growth. Air dispersion is the key to a functional, healthy, and comfortable indoor environment.

With fabric-based air distribution systems, owners and occupants of various facilities reap the benefits. Regardless of the application, fabric ducts and other FabricAir solutions deliver unrivaled air dispersion. Our custom engineered products account for key design considerations such as supply temperatures, occupant comfort, and specific application needs.

Technology-enhanced performance

The technology behind fabric-based air dispersion systems offers unrivaled technical performance. Proprietary design software and state-of-the-art laser cutters, allow our designers to create uniform air distribution with ideal mixing, taking all relevant room dimensions and requirements into account. The infinite design possibilities ensure a system that suits the layout of any building perfectly, creating the ideal indoor environment irrespective of whether the application is isothermal, heating, cooling, or a combination.

Air permeable fabric-based dispersion solutions, eliminate condensation as a problem by allowing precise amounts of supply air through the duct surface. This boundary layer of conditioned air ensures that the ducts do not sweat, thus eliminating the possibility of corrosion and bacteria growth. Our products are certified to meet local building and fire codes.

Benefits to the health of occupants and buildings

By creating the right dispersion patterns, drafts and condensation are eliminated. This significantly increases occupant comfort and indoor air quality. By eliminating mold and bacteria growth, dampness, and other indoor climate issues, proper air dispersion has positive effects on the durability of buildings and equipment.

In addition, fabric ducts offer quiet operation, which further adds to a comfortable environment. The quiet nature of fabric-based solutions provides for use in such places as cinemas, theaters, and arenas.

Making a design statement

Especially in comfort applications, the aesthetics of the air dispersion solution plays an important role. FabricAir dispersion technology offers a wide range of profiles, ranging from discreet D-ducts and semi-ovals to large fully round systems. With available custom colors, surface prints, and logos, the technology offers full design flexibility making it easy to create an air dispersion system that blends into its surroundings or purposely stands out as a playful element.

In applications with suspended ceilings, FabricAir insulated ceiling diffusers are efficient, aesthetic, and can be installed with ease. These diffusers not only provide draft free air dispersion, but eliminate the ugly plastic or metal outlets to create a beautiful, uninterrupted ceiling.

Huge savings on costs and maintenance

With the proper prefilter, a fabric-based air distribution system can be virtually maintenance-free. Dust and other particles will not settle inside the ductwork, and by using permeable fabrics to create an air blanket surrounding the duct, particles cannot settle on top of the ducting either.

If there’s a need for cleaning, the fabric ducts can be unzipped and vacuumed or taken down and laundered. In certain applications, like food production, regular laundering is a requirement and fabric-based ducting is ideal because it’s easy to remove for laundering and it can handle autoclave sterilization processes.

A building’s HVAC system represents almost 40% of the total energy consumption of a typical commercial building. A fabric system’s low friction losses when compared to metal, can save up to 35% of the operating costs of a traditional air distribution system. Fabric systems can help reach temperature set points in each room sooner, due to the increased entrainment of linear dispersion. As a result, building owners can increase occupant comfort while saving energy and money.

Finally, installing a fabric-based HVAC system is 4-5 times quicker than installing a metal equivalent. This is due to the lightweight nature of fabric ducting, the simple suspension solutions, and the fact that there’s no need for on-site balancing. Selecting a fabric-based air dispersion system instead of metal ducting can generate savings of up to 70% on total installed costs. Everywhere you would use exposed metal ducts, you can achieve design advantages and significant savings by switching to fabric-based air distribution solutions.

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