With a proud 60-year heritage built on quality and craftsmanship, Johnson Level & Tool Manufacturing Company, Inc. manufactures more than 270 types of Johnson brand levels, and distributes nearly 900 other hand tools under the Fuller Tool brand. Its products can be found at outlets nationwide.
It also prides itself on its highly efficient loading dock operation, despite the temperature extremes of its northern location in the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon, WI. The company maintains optimum dock efficiency and productivity, thanks in part to the recent installation of a technically advanced, high-volume/low-speed (HV/LS) fan from Rite-Hite Corp.
Employee Comfort Key
According to Johnson distribution manager Mario Cherubini, the loading dock environment can be challenging during winters where single-digit temperatures, sub-zero wind chill factors, and fierce winds are the norm. He adds that summers are not always a picnic either, with high temperatures reaching more than 90°F during July and August. Keeping employees comfortable is a top priority -- especially since weather has a profound impact on overall comfort and productivity.
On an average day at Johnson Level & Tool’s loading dock, anywhere from 16-20 trailer shipments are processed at five dock bays. Typically, workers load or unload a trailer in about 20 minutes. That means dock doors are open for as long as 20 minutes -- and much longer when international shipments are involved. It can often get uncomfortable during the winter months.
Located in the center of the 33,600 sq ft warehouse, a 15 ft tall tower heating system draws in cold air through the bottom and expels heat from the top, sending it up to the 30 ft ceiling. With this forced-air system, heat lingers toward the top of the facility. To rectify the situation, the company installed wall fans to push the air toward ground level. However, the high-speed fans made for annoying windy conditions that disrupted work. And the fans didn’t equally distribute warm air throughout the 320 ft long facility – even with the dock doors closed.
As an alternative solution, Cherubini installed an HV/LS fan over the dock doors to better circulate air. The fan helped reduce the wall fan problem. However, it fell short in addressing the need for better, more consistent air movement.
Out With the Old, In With the New
Not satisfied, Cherubini removed the old HV/LS fan and replaced it with a new, state-of-the-art Revolution™ Fan from Rite-Hite Corp. One of the first things Cherubini noticed with the Revolution Fan was the pressure it exerted on the parts-weighing scale located directly beneath it.
“We’re pushing about twice as much pressure with the new one versus the old one. Even though it’s an unscientific measurement, we know we are getting a lot more air movement and it’s doing it with fewer blades,” he says.
The Revolution Fan’s advanced design features four aluminum Propell-Aire™ blades, which vary in width and pitch angle along their entire length. That compares with other HV/LS fans with 6 or 10 blades. The unique design moves air more consistently across the whole blade, creating an industry-high airflow of more than 360,000 actual cubic feet per minute. The shape is impossible to produce with extruded blades used on other HV/LS fans.
Cubic feet statistics aside, Cherubini says the fan was also easy to install. “It took four hours to install,” he said. “It was easy because it has fewer blades and fewer bolts than the older model.” The simplified mounting system uses universal steel mounting brackets. Other components include a beam clamp, motor housing, stabilization cables, and a three-way, motor-to-hub safety connection.
When choosing a fan, Cherubini’s other major concern was overall quality. The Revolution Fan is designed with a robust motor and extruded, precision-milled aluminum hub that provides reliable operation with virtually no maintenance. Additionally, the rotationally balanced blade/hub connection uses a vibration-absorbing resilient material that reduces stress by 50-75%, to maximize fan life. With these features, Cherubini’s confidence in the quality of the Revolution Fan is high.
Better Air Circulation in Minutes
At Johnson Level & Tool, the Revolution Fan was installed on a cold winter day and it was an instant hit with loading dock employees.
“Given the temperature of 20°F and high winds, we didn’t expect much from the Revolution Fan because, on days like that, we had been used to waiting a long time for the dock area to warm up after we loaded trailers and closed the dock doors. However, the Revolution Fan warmed it up within minutes.” And according to Cherubini, employees’ appreciation of the Revolution Fan continues.
“There’s much better air movement and we’re able to maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the facility. That’s keeping employees comfortable on cold days, as well as hot ones, especially in the dock area. I can also see that I won’t need to worry about fan maintenance for a long time.”
The bottom line, says Cherubini, is the ability to keep employees comfortable even during the sometimes harsh Wisconsin weather.
“We believe that happy employees are productive employees,” he says. “The Revolution Fan is a prime example of how we not only say it, but put words into action.”