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Wide view of a stainless cold-storage food plant with spiral stainless ductwork, fryer line and an orange boom lift during a field install by Sons of Thunder Welding

Food & Beverage / Cold Storage

Sanitary stainless exhaust, welded on a schedule that never moved

Field · Cold Storage

66"Square stainless duct, TIG-welded
34"Round stainless fryer ducts
~1 wkAhead of schedule, on time
  1. 01The challenge

    The start date on this food-grade stainless exhaust project at U.S. Cold Storage in Lebanon kept getting pushed back, but the completion date never moved. The window to TIG-weld and install a 66-inch square stainless duct, 34-inch round fryer ducts, and the spiral stainless runs tied into a JIMCO UV-C/ozone air-treatment unit got squeezed hard, all while working overhead on boom lifts in an active build alongside the mechanical contractor.

  2. 02Our approach

    We put our crew on site and made the field adjustments the schedule demanded: GTAW (TIG) on heavy-gauge stainless, sanitary food-grade welds, and boom-lift and man-lift work to tie the round risers and spiral duct into the JIMCO unit overhead. We ran extended hours shoulder-to-shoulder with the mechanical contractor, and during welding downtime our guys jumped in to advance the MC's scope instead of standing around.

  3. 03The result

    The stainless exhaust system was completed about a week ahead of need and on time despite the compressed window, with clean sanitary welds throughout. The MEP foreman was very satisfied, and the collaboration kept the broader mechanical scope on track.

“The start date moved again and again. The finish date never did. We got on the lifts, made the field calls, and when we weren't welding we helped the mechanical crew get ahead.”

— Sons of Thunder Welding

From the job

The work, up close

TIG-welding the 66-inch square stainless exhaust duct in place on site - food-grade GTAW on heavy-gauge stainless.
TIG-welding the 66-inch square stainless exhaust duct in place on site - food-grade GTAW on heavy-gauge stainless.
A TIG-welded seam closing out a large stainless food-grade vessel - sealed clean and ready to wipe down.
A TIG-welded seam closing out a large stainless food-grade vessel - sealed clean and ready to wipe down.
Finished stainless spiral ductwork runs sweeping across the cold-storage processing room, with overhead boom-lift welding underway.
Finished stainless spiral ductwork runs sweeping across the cold-storage processing room, with overhead boom-lift welding underway.
Stacked-dime TIG bead on stainless - the sanitary, food-grade weld quality this exhaust system is built on.
Stacked-dime TIG bead on stainless - the sanitary, food-grade weld quality this exhaust system is built on.
Sanitary TIG weld on a round-to-square stainless transition - clean heat tint, food-grade GTAW.
Sanitary TIG weld on a round-to-square stainless transition - clean heat tint, food-grade GTAW.
Boom-lift field install: tying the overhead spiral stainless duct into the unit, working in the active plant.
Boom-lift field install: tying the overhead spiral stainless duct into the unit, working in the active plant.
Running a seam on the 66-inch square stainless duct in full PPE - the centerpiece of the fryer exhaust.
Running a seam on the 66-inch square stainless duct in full PPE - the centerpiece of the fryer exhaust.
Welding the base of a stainless fryer hood, tying it into the round duct runs alongside.
Welding the base of a stainless fryer hood, tying it into the round duct runs alongside.
The JIMCO UV-C / ozone unit tied into the spiral stainless exhaust - the heart of the air-treatment system.
The JIMCO UV-C / ozone unit tied into the spiral stainless exhaust - the heart of the air-treatment system.

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  • AWS-certified welders
  • OSHA 10/30
  • Insured & bonded