Customer Profile: Kodak is a global technology company known for its legacy in imaging and film production. At their Eastman Business Park facility in Rochester, NY, Kodak operates highly sensitive film production processes that require varying, tightly controlled humidity levels.
Customer Challenge: Kodak’s B-38 building relied on two large air handling units with capabilities between 50,000 CFM and 100,000 CFM that utilized liquid desiccant dehumidification technology. These systems were no longer able to meet the uptime and strict low-humidity requirements needed for film production.
Kodak needed a high-capacity solution with a compact footprint, capable of maintaining ultra-low dew point conditions and ensuring critical uptime. The system also had to be designed with future maintenance in mind. To avoid disrupting production, the entire implementation had to be completed within a tight five-week shutdown window.
There were several technical and logistical challenges to overcome throughout this project, including:
- Safe and environmentally responsible demolition of existing equipment previously containing or interacting with chemical solutions
- Locating large new component assemblies into a tight constraints
- Integrating custom-built Munters desiccant wheels and support equipment
- Rigging equipment into a 5th-floor mechanical room through a wall opening
- Ensuring system compatibility with Kodak’s complex existing air-handling infrastructure
Stark Tech Solution:
During the initial phase of the project, Stark Tech’s equipment team identified the need for specialized dehumidification support. Stark’s strategic solutions team was then brought on during the Project Development Phase to evaluate site constraints, develop a turnkey scope, assess energy usage, create a realistic budget, and establish a detailed project timeline.
Based on the success of a similar smaller-scale dehumidification project the previous year, Kodak chose to move forward with Stark Tech’s turnkey project approach.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Major technology shift from liquid to solid dry desiccant
- Design and integration of (4) Munters Desiccant Wheels:
- Two 30,000 CFM wheels for MAU-2
- Two 20,000 CFM wheels for MAU-1
- Installation of remote steam reactivation coils and fans
- Custom airflow control strategies using dampers and valves
- Pre-purchasing equipment early in design phase to mitigate lead times
- Developing a strategic construction plan to align with Kodak’s shutdown timeline
- Coordinating rigging, installation, and system commissioning across multiple Stark Tech teams and contractors
Throughout the design and bid phases, Stark Tech worked closely with the customer to address evolving budget constraints and scope adjustments to ensure the project moved forward.
Project Result:
Stark Tech successfully delivered a customized, complex dehumidification system that met Kodak’s stringent performance standards and aggressive scheduling requirements. By executing extensive pre-shutdown preparation and coordinating closely with contractors, the team was able to complete the installation within Kodak’s five-week shutdown window. Stark’s project management team remained on site daily throughout the shutdown to oversee every phase of the implementation, ensuring that work progressed according to plan.
Stark Tech’s service team played a critical role in supporting equipment installation, system startup, and final testing. As a result, Kodak was able to resume operations on time and has since maintained the precise environmental conditions required for their film production processes.
