The new environmental design features a special air-exchange ventilator system, wood pellet heating, multiple progressive air conditioning units, a “green” roof and the use of both natural and sensor-controlled lighting.

“Deciding to expand our manufacturing facilities more than two years ago was a bold move, considering the state of the economy,” said Andreas S. Weber, president of the Indianapolis, Ind.-based Rego-Fix Tool Corp. “However, our new buildings are energy efficient, have helped reduce company costs and have increased Rego-Fix’s manufacturing capacity in preparation for the economic upswing.”

Specific design elements include an air-exchange ventilator system that exchanges the air within the new building seven times per hour, drawing out wasted heat from the manufacturing floor and recycling it for other uses. For example, during the cold months, recovered waste heat is used to warm incoming air that the system draws from outside the building. This heated air is then circulated to the manufacturing floor.

Also, circulated water in a closed system helps keep manufacturing floor air compressors cool during operation. In the cooling process, circulated water is heated and then stored in a 1,849-gallon tank. When needed, this heated water is used in a heating system built into the floors of the building’s office areas. This system is used alongside a reserve 390-kW system that burns wood pellets, by-products of the furniture and lumber industries, rather than fossil fuels.

When designing its new building, Rego-Fix opted for completely insulated walls and a unique roof with high insulating properties. The roof, referred to as a “green” or “planted” roof that is covered with soil and sod. The roof collects rainwater and stores it in a 13,200-gallon tank. This water is later used for operations within the facility.

Posted July 19