One of Austin’s most recent Boeing projects is a $6.3 million modernization and complete retrofit of Boeing’s existing 50,000 SF Building 58 Paint Hangar in Long Beach, California.  The project included a comprehensive redesign of the supply and exhaust air systems, including conversion from wet scrubbers to dry media filtration and the addition of controls for “fully automated” operation.

Building 58’s airflow originally followed a predominantly vertical airflow model, with the majority of the supply air being directed downward from the ceiling and supplemented at the front of the aircraft.  Boeing had experienced operational difficulties, including clouding, poor particle entrainment, and high concentrations of solvents in the hangar (designed, engineered and constructed by others).  With the facility requiring maintenance replacement of major equipment components, Boeing called upon The Austin Company to completely redesign the airflow system to address operating, maintenance and quality problems, as well as to provide for the effective painting of a variety of aircraft types and sizes.