Infrastructure Materials Manufacturer
Insulation Production Facility Retrofit

This client’s traditional process for producing insulation uses formaldehyde—a colorless, strong-smelling chemical common in the industry. Due to an increase in environmental and health concerns surrounding the use of this chemical, our client chose to diversify by retrofitting existing production facilities to produce No Added Formaldehyde (NAF) insulation in addition to the company’s traditional product. Salas O’Brien was brought in to perform these retrofit designs in the client’s Joplin, Missouri, facility. The project aimed to increase the facility’s production capability while using as much existing equipment as possible. In addition, the client needed to execute these modifications from design to startup in less than four months, with minimal disruption to the plant’s production schedule.

Salas O’Brien provided engineering design, procurement, and technical bid preparation as well as construction and commissioning support for this project. Our team also developed design strategy to minimize the overall cost of the project. In the design phase, we identified a significant cost-savings opportunity—by removing an existing, unused system and utilizing the footprint for new equipment, the client was able forego an expensive expansion originally planned as part of the modification project. Our team also identified opportunities to repurpose much of the instrumentation and mechanical equipment. During the construction phase, we worked closely with the mechanical contractor to resolve several challenges, including construction and commissioning complications caused by inclement weather.