Why Material and Fabrication Processes are Unique for Critical Environments
Air distribution components are made of stainless steel if they’re being installed in critical environments or clean rooms, like operating rooms, medical or chemical laboratories, or pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. The fabrication process and materials selected are vital for performance. This includes HVAC grilles, which direct airflow to prevent contamination, plus other products, like laminar flow diffusers or fan filter units.
This important HVAC sub-industry is a complex one, which is why construction leaders, operations managers, and engineers must choose fabricators they can trust – those with a history of effective and perfect stainless steel grilles.
Types of HVAC Return Grilles
The type of stainless steel HVAC grille necessary for a project depends on the purpose it will serve in its final location in a critical environment or clean room.
- Heavy duty return grilles with stationary face bars
- Return grilles with evenly-spaced face bars set at specific angles to direct air
- Core-perforated return air grilles designed for T-bar ceilings
- Linear light-duty return grilles for sidewall or sill installation, often with fixed airfoil blades
- Louvered return grilles that limit your eyesight into air ducts
- Long-throw return grilles, with facebars that do not move
- Egg crate grilles, for maximum return airflow
- Perforated return air grilles for sidewalks or ceilings
Why Fabrication Process Is Important
In a critical environment, there’s no room for error. Thus, HVAC equipment manufacturers have perfected their fabrication process to ensure none of their components leak air and all of them work effectively once installed at a job site.
One of the most important parts of the fabrication process is leak testing. Although it’s less important with return grilles, the fabricators must still ensure that air flows properly based on the shape, size, movability, and direction of the facebars. Each welded joint must be secure and free from defects to meet industry standards and to ensure the rest of the system performs properly on regulated leak tests.
Stainless Steel Isn’t All The Same
Another important factor in the production of stainless steel HVAC grilles is the type of metal they’re made of. There are a variety of types of stainless steel, but in general, types 304 and 316 are most commonly used. Both are austenitic stainless steels with chromium and nickel alloy, but type 316 also contains molybdenum. These types of steel resist corrosion, which is one of the most important reasons they’re so popular.
Fabricators Make Everything To Order for Each Client
Stainless steel HVAC grilles fabricators do not maintain an inventory of available products for clean rooms or critical environments. Each piece is made to order with a focus on precision and quality. These are vital so that the grilles can serve their very important roles. Also Read – Know About A Towel Warmer Before Buying
How Do I Work In The Industry?
To be eligible to work in the ventilation grilles industry, you’ll likely need to know how to run a CNC router or be an accomplished welder, for starters. On occasion, you can snag an apprenticeship in the field. Often, private companies will train the right person for the job, particularly if they already have metalworking experience elsewhere.
Fabricating stainless steel HVAC grilles is a rewarding business because you actually get to hold in your hand what you made with the understanding that it’s going to keep someone healthy or prevent contamination.
If you’re the kind of person who loves working with your hands, who enjoys taking things apart and seeing how they work, and you’re self-motivated to complete your steps of the process on your own, then a stainless steel fabricator would probably be happy to have you on their team. You’ll find employers such as these all over the United States, including in Kansas City, Missouri.