Our team provided design-build services to expand an existing Northrop Grumman manufacturing facility to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the handling of military aircraft.
The project includes the large paint booth area and all supporting technical spaces. The facility is 50 feet tall and covers 61,100 square feet. It includes a high-bay paint booth, large equipment storage spaces, chemical storage spaces, paint mix rooms, a locker room and decontamination space, communications rooms, electrical and mechanical spaces, restrooms, housekeeping storage, and hallways.
The project uses a modular utility plant to provide chilled and hot water for critical temperature and humidity control of the paint booth. The plant is expandable to support conversion of existing air-cooled and gas-heated booths to chilled and hot water to support increased temperature and humidity control.
The facility design incorporates unique manufacturing characteristics to facilitate the coatings process. The paint booth is a rare recirculating air booth, which significantly improves energy efficiency. To comply with local air quality requirements, a volatile organic compound (VOC) abatement system is included, using concentrators, a regenerative thermal oxidizer and an acid quench/scrubber.
The paint booth is designed around a large, automated paint robot, requiring extensive coordination with the robot provider on the design of intricate rail and utility trenches throughout the high bay.