A building with several different air conditions
This Midwest wood-products plant combined machining, assembly and finishing with substantial air movement. Four makeup-air units brought a combined 200,000 CFM into one end of the building. Finishing operations exhausted air outdoors, while dust collection returned air to the high bay.
The building stretched 960 feet, with a 22-foot ceiling and a 40-foot high-bay area. Temperatures varied from 70°F to 80°F. The humidification plan needed to account for those differences and the wood's response to changes in moisture.
Three zones, five pump stations
The two main production zones each received two pump stations and 16 fans. The high bay received one station and eight fans. Every 36-inch fan carried a 12-nozzle stainless mist ring, with a listed output of 108 lb/hr per fan.
The five 2 gpm stations supplied 1,000 psi water through flexible tubing and Slip-Lok fittings. The plant's existing reverse-osmosis system supplied treated water to every station.
Using the building's airflow
Fan placement followed makeup-air, finishing-exhaust and dust-collection return flows. Fans ran high along the east and west walls of the main production zones, with additional ceiling-hung fans near loading docks.
The installation called for a clear plume zone approximately 36 inches across and 20 feet long. Fan position and angle were selected to allow evaporation above wood stock and work-in-process racks.
Integration with the plant's Siemens controls
The plant's Siemens building-management system used a separate humidity sensor for each zone. The main zones used two-stage control, with the two pump stations feeding alternating fans. The high bay used single-stage control.
The controls alternated which pump led each main zone to balance operating hours. A fan run-on period cleared residual mist after a stage stopped. Pressure monitoring provided a shutdown signal when the expected operating pressure was not established or was lost.
Using the existing RO supply
All five stations connected to the plant's existing reverse-osmosis water system. The supply design called for at least 3 gpm to each 2 gpm pump station at 25–100 psi, so the RO storage and distribution had to support the instantaneous demand as well as daily use.
Treatment planning considered both mineral scale inside the equipment and residual mineral dust in the plant. The project also allowed drain water from shutdown cycles to return to the RO storage system where appropriate.
Equipment overview
| Equipment | Quantity / configuration |
|---|---|
| 2 gpm pump control stations | 5 |
| 36-inch high-velocity fans, listed at 14,000 CFM | 40 |
| 12-nozzle mist rings, 108 lb/hr each | 40 |
| 3/8-inch high-pressure tubing | 5,000 ft |
| Plant controls integration | Siemens BMS |
Equipment and ratings describe this project’s original configuration. Contact IHC to confirm current replacement parts and compatibility.
Project record
Humidification proposal issued in November 2013.
Based on the IHC project profile supplied in October 2026. Customer identity and exact location are withheld. RH values are design targets, rather than a continuous operating-performance record.
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