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Challenge
Dometic Environmental (Richmond VA) is the leading U. S. manufacturer of heating and cooling
systems for truck and marine applications through their CRUISAIR and MARINEAIR brands.
As the market leader, Dometic wanted to re-invent the self-contained marine AC unit from the
inside out and create a breakthrough product. To achieve their objective, Dometic first listened
to their customer's needs and then prioritized goals. Nine months before the annual boat show,
their engineers turned to their partnership with SPARK to help meet their demands and deadlines.
Drain pan design features sloped channels and pop-out drain holes to quickly remove condensate water.
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Solution
Through mutual collaboration, Dometic's
engineers focused on the core cooling elements
while SPARK conceived the molded
drain pan and rotating blower mount.
SPARK's design solution featured a rust-free,
plastic drain pan with performance features,
and an inlet ring with a 360 degree pivot that does
not increase the height of the unit.
Maximizes air flow and allows blower to rotate without increasing height of unit.
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Result
Making its debut at the October 2007 International Boat Builders Show
(IBEX), the Vector Turbo was recognized by the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA) for one of ten Innovation Awards.
SPARK's specific contributions to the Vector Turbo design included:
| Reduced standing water by 85%
| Reduced height by 17%
| Reduced total number of parts
| Reduced average installation by 00:20
| More cost-effective to manufacture
| Reduced manufacturing and assembly space by 66%
| Reduced vibration and noise using a structural foam drain pan and isolation mounting
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