Unico Inc., St. Louis, MO, a manufacturer of a small-duct, high-velocity central heating and air conditioning system, has donated more than $10,000 worth of equipment to the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 36 Training Center.
The donated equipment included 3.5-ton blower with an advanced control board, a 3-ton UniChiller RC, round and slotted outlets, and 2-inch supply tubing. Unico also sent two trainers – Michael Lindsay and Bill Brunsen – to present on refrigeration in general and demonstrate the equipment to the Sheet Metal Workers.
Lindsay, an expert on refrigeration principle, testing, fabrication, design and application, provided a two-hour overview of the general principles of refrigeration and how it pertains to airflow in an HVAC system.
The Sheet Metal Training Schools operate for the education of sheet metal apprentices and the continuing education of journeymen. It is a cooperative effort between Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 and the St. Louis chapter of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association. Through the cooperation, it established the management body called the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, which oversees the program.
The Unico System is a small-duct, high-velocity central heating and air conditioning system manufactured by Unico Inc. It's described as ideal for custom home, historic preservation and niche commercial applications. Company sources say the Unico System’s main trunk and flexible supply tubing can be installed in just one-third the space of more traditional HVAC ducting systems.