Creating comfort for technicians with FabricAir air distribution solutions

Comfort in a workplace is essential to employees. Including the ones that are working hard when repairing and maintaining machinery. Austrian trams, mountain railways, and bus operator Linz AG had to deal with the uncomfortable indoor climate in their 2000 sq. m. workshop hall and decided to make a change. After extensive research, Linz AG chose FabricAir to design a state-of-the-art air distribution system that would cool down the facility without sacrificing employees’ comfort.

The project was not an easy one to implement. The changes of the air distribution system from conventional to fabric-based had to be done while the workplace was in operation. Besides that, the ceiling height was low, therefore the low-impulse air supply had to be implemented, to avoid unpleasant drafts.

FabricAir, in cooperation with Sema Klima- und Lufttechnik GmbH, designed and implemented a new and advanced air distribution system. The hall of the Linz Linien was equipped with FabricAir’s Combi 30, a robust and durable fabric that is also flame retardant, so it would fit with all fire regulations. The whole air distribution system totaled 650 meters of fabric ducts. It even worked as a detail of interior design, as a dark gray color was chosen by the user so that the FabricAir system would blend in with the industrial look of the hall.

The system involved a combination of two flow models – MicroFlow™ and SonicFlow™. MicroFlow™ enables even air distribution through laser-cut micro-perforations and protects employees in the hall from drafts. SonicFlow™ has a directional throw with air exiting through rows of larger holes, which allows achieving a certain depth of penetration. Due to the low ceiling height, there was little space, so the type 12 suspension system with semicircular outlets was used for the installation. Although it was a special construction, this did not change the short delivery time and the high quality of the system.

“The short delivery time of ten days was not an issue for the implementation of the project. On the contrary, FabricAir team was able to react to changes at short notice and this flexibility benefited everyone involved,” says Andreas Kreindl, Managing Director of Sema Klima – und Lufttechnik GmbH.

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