Space Ray Products Case Studies

The 192,000 sq. ft active warehouse has almost four miles of conveyor which runs from an adjoining warehouse down 40 ft tall by 360 ft. long aisles.

"We were barely maintaining a temperature of 60 degrees," noted Gary Cooper, maintenance manager of the company's Florence distribution center. "Employees had to wear sweaters and jackets to keep warm, a real problem during sub-zero winter temperatures. Complaints were frequent, morale was low and productivity was affected."

Levi Strauss and Co. Florence, KY Warehouse and Distribution Centre.  

The Space Ray RSTP Series Infrared Radiant Gas Heater

GASTONIA, NC -- Just as restaurants in Arizona use misters on their patios to cool their customers during the hottest months of the year, two unitized, low-intensity gas-fired infrared tube heaters from Space-Ray of Charlotte, NC, are now helping a Hickory Hams restaurant in Gastonia, NC increase its seating capacity by 40 percent during cooler months by creating a warm, comfortable atmosphere for patrons to enjoy their meals on the restaurant's patio. Seating capacity at the restaurant has increased from 75 to 111 during cooler weather, allowing on-time seating with minimum waiting.

The two LTU90 infrared tube heaters, each with a 90,000 Btu/hr capacity, are mounted horizontally and end-to-end above the outside eating area in view of the customers.

Hickory Hams Resturant, Gastonia, NC

"Our sales potential was really affected during cooler months because our outside eating area seats 36 people. Now when it's cool outside and the heaters are on, often times we fill up the patio before the inside area which seats 75," he said. "Customers are amazed at how warm they are under the heaters when it's 30° Fahrenheit outside."

Another advantage to having the LTU90 tube heaters on the patio is the fact that since they are placed near the windows of the restaurant, infrared heat is transmitted through the windows which helps heat that side of the eating area. "In the cooler months I don't even have to run the heat on that side of the building because the Space-Ray heaters do the job from the outside," Davis noted. "That reduces my electric bill and produces a more uniform heat throughout the restaurant. I have definitely already gotten a return on my investment. We are also constantly getting compliments from our customers about the comfort of the patio eating area during cool weather," he added

"Hickory Ham's customers are amazed at how toasty they are outside when it's cold," noted Bob Genisol, Space-Ray's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "They also comment on how quiet the heaters are when they're on. They help create a very unique and enjoyable eating experience.

HAGERSTOWN, Maryland - Tom Allgyer, President of Topflight Airpark, admitted that upgrading the heating system in the former Fairchild Industries aircraft maintenance and manufacturing plant to infrared heating was an excellent choice. Since deciding to replace three large oil-fired boilers with a total of 259 infrared heaters from the Space-Ray Division of Gas-Fired Products, Inc., Charlotte, NC, Topflight has obtained substantial fuel savings and a return investment in well under a year.

Records at the plant indicate that heating costs with the old boiler system ranged between $700,000 and $1,000,000 a year, not including the cost of steam used in the production process. "With the Space-Ray heaters, energy costs have been ranging between $135,000 to $200,000 a year, depending on the severity of the winter," Allgyer said. "Return on investment was achieved well within the first year and heating comfort is much more uniform. The result is a more comfortable and productive working environment."                                                                                                                 

An interior view of the main 450 by 800 foot long aircraft hangar of Topflight Airpark, Utilizing Space-Ray's perimeter heating design, 60% of the tube heaters were mounted on the on the perimeter about 35 feet above the floor, with the remaining 40% mounted about 60 feet above the floor next to the catwalks.

This conversion equates to energy savings of $565,000 to $800,000 a year and reduction in annual fuel consumption by over 70%.

Conversion to Space-Ray Heaters
Located adjacent to the Washington County Regional Airport in Hagerstown, the former Fairchild Industries plant was converted from what was primarily an aircraft assembly line into mainly aircraft maintenance hangars, some warehouse space and office space.

For Topflight, Space-Ray specified a total of 209 RSTP17 gas-fired infrared tube heaters, each with a 175,000 BTU/hr capacity, 40 LTU75 unitized low intensity infrared tube heaters, each with a 75,000 BTU/hr capacity, and four LTU60 unitized low intensity infrared tube heaters each with 60,000 BTU/hr capacity. The capacity of the total system is 40,265,000 BTU/hr. Because natural gas is directly available from the nearby pipeline, this fuel source was used for added economy.