Tecumseh Products Company celebrated the Grand Opening of its Global Technology Center showcasing the research, testing and development capabilities of its newly-constructed 35,000 sq. ft. facility to a large gathering of invited guests. Customers, media members, educational partners and governmental and industry representatives joined with Tecumseh employees to cut the ribbon and mark the official opening.
The new facility is added to certified Tecumseh labs in France, Brazil and India to form the backbone of a global engineering network, with increased focus on research, development and applications development.
“We’re celebrating the opening of the Global Technology Center today and we’re also marking an important point in our company’s history,” said Jim Connor, president and CEO.
“This modern facility allows us to strategically focus on the changing needs of the refrigeration and air conditioning marketplace, developing the most energy efficient and eco-friendly products possible.”
The multi-million-dollar facility contains a variety of the latest computer simulation, testing and analysis tools, including a 60-cubic-meter hemi-anechoic chamber, two large-scale environmental chambers each with hydrocarbon refrigerant testing capability, as well as full-scale reliability and calorimeter testing. Tecumseh has been developing compressors and condensing units that use hydrocarbon refrigerants for more than a decade with the primary focus being Europe and South America,” said Mike Noelke, vice president of sales, marketing and engineering. “We’ll utilize this new facility to accelerate our hydrocarbon development efforts Additional priorities include evaluating materials, lubricants and mechanisms to improve compressor performance and reliability.”
Much of the new technology center activities will be in partnership with customers to analyze compressor and condensing unit performance when applied to their equipment. In addition, there will be engagement with customers to develop engineered refrigeration solutions, complete with agency certifications.
“Through-out our history, Tecumseh has collaborated with universities across the globe that are leaders in the area of HVACR research, said Alex Alvey, Senior Manager – Corporate Technology and R&D. “Our renewed emphasis on research and development will make these collaboration initiatives even more important.” “Today is an important day for Tecumseh and, for our North America-based customers,” said Bill Merritt, president, North America. “Not only does our investment in this great facility demonstrate a renewed interest in exploring new and innovative technologies, but it also communicates Tecumseh’s commitment in providing customers with value-added services.”
The Global Technology Center meets Energy Star accreditation qualifications, and is fully UL and ISO certified. Tecumseh is continuing to develop energy efficient products and is pursuing LEED certification on the facility as part of its commitment to improving the environment.