Room air humidification
Optimum air in the production hall
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hanover has been using direct room air humidification in the production halls for heat exchangers since 2012. Since then, around 600 employees have benefited from the optimized room air, which ensures better health and comfort in the workplace.
The Volkswagen plant in Hanover is the main plant of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, an independent brand of the Volkswagen Group. With a total area of 120 hectares and over 14,000 employees, it is the largest production facility for the Transporter and Amarok series. In addition to MPVs and light commercial vehicles, numerous components are also manufactured here: The heat exchanger business unit produces over 8 million radiators per year for the European market in three production halls. "That's up to 30,000 radiators per day that are produced here," explains Stefan Diskau, responsible for heat exchanger planning at Volkswagen.
High heat loads and dry air
The indoor climate in the production halls is significantly influenced by the soldering ovens, in which the soldering process takes place at around 600 °C. Despite elaborate insulation and air ducting, it is not possible to completely avoid heating the ambient air. For the 600 or so employees in the production halls, the soldering ovens mean high heat loads and dry air in the working environment.
"In 2012, we were looking for a way to improve the ergonomics of our employees' workstations. We wanted to reduce the temperature, bind dust and create a more pleasant working environment, especially in the warm work areas," says Diskau, summarizing the situation at the time.
Air humidification directly in the room
In the search for suitable options for more cooling, dust control and comfort in heat exchanger production, Volkswagen became aware of the topic of air humidification. "The best solution for us was to use selective air humidification systems directly in the room, which enable an individual room climate," says Diskau.
"This humidification method can be installed in almost any building and works independently of an existing central air conditioning system," adds Frank Wedekind, who advises Volkswagen on the air humidification systems from Condair Systems. The car manufacturer opted for a Draabe TurboFogNeo high-pressure air humidification system certified by the German Social Accident Insurance. With this direct room air humidification system, water is first treated to be free of germs and minerals and then transported directly to the humidifiers positioned in the production halls via a high-pressure pump.
"In contrast to rigid pipe systems, the individual devices are positioned where the humidification capacity is required," explains Wedekind. Year-round constant humidity is guaranteed by digital control units in the halls, which only activate the humidifiers if the humidity falls below the defined setpoints.
Impressive hygiene and maintenance
The decisive factor in the decision to use the Draabe system was the hygiene in the full-service maintenance concept of the manufacturer Condair Systems. "We originally had major concerns about hygiene and operational safety. However, the full-service concept convinced us and was the reason for choosing a Draabe system," recalls Diskau.
The full performance and germ-free pure water quality of an air humidification system can only be maintained through regular preventative maintenance and disinfection. Both the system's own water treatment system and the high-pressure pump are therefore installed in small portable containers that can be easily replaced for maintenance.
As a result, Volkswagen receives fully serviced and disinfected replacement appliances every six months. Technical improvements and innovations are also retrofitted automatically and free of charge. In addition, VDI-certified specialist engineers confirm once a year that the system continues to function hygienically and reliably during operation. As the Draabe system is certified in accordance with VDI 6022 Sheet 6, this annual on-site inspection is part of the manufacturer's standard service.
Investment in health
Since 2012, over 30 high-pressure humidifiers have provided selective air humidification for the eleven production lines, which are spread over a total of 30,000 m². This creates an ideal and healthy indoor climate for the employees working at the soldering ovens, which is noticeably refreshing and protects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract from drying out.
Employee satisfaction has improved significantly since then. "Thanks to the very positive experiences, we have also gradually equipped other areas in the halls with Draabe systems," reports Stefan Diskau and concludes: "It always pays off to place more emphasis on optimizing the working conditions for the employees in addition to optimizing the machines."
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