The Importance of HVAC Duct Submittals

Assuring Quality with SMACNA Standards

At ZEN Industries, we bring Six Sigma & Lean Manufacturing to the fabrication of HVAC ductwork, ranging from traditional rectangular duct and fittings to spiral and round duct, as well as ductwork in specialty metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, and more.

We’ve developed our submittals package around 3rd Edition SMACNA STANDARDS.

What are submittals, and why are they important to doing the job right, first time and every time?

HVAC Ductwork Submittals

In construction, submittals are documents submitted by the contractor to the architect or design professional for approval of various products or systems to be used in a project. They consist of specifications that define how products will be manufactured and whether they conform to industry specifications for the intended application.

Submittals are an important communications tool, a way of documenting materials, dimensions, how products connect and integrate into the project as a whole, as well as their relation to accepted industry standards.

When it comes to HVAC duct fabrication, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has accredited the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) as the standards-setting organization for the industry.

SMACNA standards and manuals address all aspects of the sheet metal industry, from duct fabrication and installation to air pollution control, energy recovery, and roofing.

At ZEN Industries, our shop standards and suite of submittals adhere to 3rd Edition SMACNA standards. The third edition of the HVAC Duct Construction Standards - Metal and Flexible is for use in commercial and institutional duct construction. It contains tables and details for constructing ductwork for ½" to 10" wg positive and negative pressures, as well as an engineering and design chapter with additional information for design professionals, double-wall construction details, casing construction details, and various accessory items.

Adhering to Standards Saves You Money

The fabrication of ductwork to professional standards provides an exceptional benefit to ZEN’s family of contractors and installers: it saves them money and helps improve their bottom line.

Mistakes in duct sizing and sealing cause poor HVAC performance. Comfort and energy efficiency are what designers are buying, and if the installed sheet metal fails to deliver, contractors can find themselves wasting time and money on remedial fixes, or at worst on the losing end of a lawsuit.

Taking shortcuts with “fly by the seat of your pants” fabrication doesn’t save money. What may seem like a quick solution during installation often contributes to a shorter life for HVAC units, including pressure differences that can cause distracting noises and slammed doors.

Even high-efficiency air conditioning needs to work harder, longer, and costs more due to badly designed delivery systems.  materials lose their appeal if they can’t be delivered accurately and according to your schedule.

At ZEN, our project managers  work hand-in-glove with our duct fabricators, making sure that every order adheres to industry standards and is designed to provide for the comfort, health, and energy efficiency of the building in which it will be installed.
You can count on ZEN.

Would you like to learn more? Call us at 877-600-0274, or visit our Contact Us page today!

Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing

In recent decades, manufacturing has undergone revolutions in process improvement and quality control. Lean manufacturing and six sigma principles lead the way.

• Lean Manufacturing focuses on production processes to minimize waste and thereby save costs. It strives to maintain or increase productivity, creating a workflow of maximum possible efficiency.
• Six Sigma operates toward many of the same goals, but with a focus on management processes. You can think of Six Sigma as the big picture approach to strategically evaluating the overall process.

At ZEN Industries, we’ve spent years working through our own production processes and services with a goal of not only creating our own efficiencies, but delivering benefits to our customers in ways which save them money and help improve their bottom lines. We call the result The ZEN Way.

The ZEN Way

 The ZEN Way is an industry leading approach to the world of HVAC fabrication and installation.  It offers our clients an array of exceptional savings and opportunities for efficiency.  Some key features of the ZEN Way include:/p>

• Accurate project estimating that combines decades of experience with the latest layout automations and building information management.
• Elimination of field measuring and sketching labor through the use of advanced coordination drawing and shop drawing capabilities.
• Optimization of on-site labor through delivery of precision fit, wrapped and labeled pieces that take the puzzle work out of installation, reducing time and saving money.
• Avoidance of on-site trade conflicts by careful eliminating collision issues before installation saves both the aggravation of trouble-shooting on-site and the labor of solving problems that never needed to happen in the first place.
  

The ZEN Way has been proven to save contractors up to 35% over traditional methods! Would you like to work with ZEN Industries? It’s easy, give us a call at 877-600-0274, or visit our Contact Us page today!