Airtho Battery Production Dry Room

Airtho and Team engineering team up to help create the facilities for production of next generation batteries that will help power the green revolution.

Construction is wrapping up and operations are starting in two dryrooms that next generation battery company Imperium3 will use to produce their advanced lithium-ion batteries. The critical production spaces are built inside existing buildings at the former IBM campus in Endicott, New York, with a total dry room area of more than 50,000 square feet.

Dry rooms are required for battery production because lithium ion is intensely reactive with water and contact with even humid air can cause a dangerous exothermic reaction. Airtho’s dryrooms create an extremely dry environment (-40°C dewpoint!) using special room construction materials and techniques and highly specialized industrial dehumidification equipment. In the fast moving battery industry safety, quality and speed of execution are critical and Airtho’s proprietary modular systems allow clients like IM3 to develop world class production spaces in record time.

The IM3 project was unique for Airtho and Team Engineering’s partnership because the dryrooms were integrated into an existing space that was built for IBM’s computer business over 40 years ago.  Using Team Engineering’s analysis and fabrication and installation partner SL Chasse the team were able to create a structural steel “platform” that supported Airtho’s dryroom system, including critical industrial HVAC components, and integrated with the existing building columns. SL Chasse, Airtho’s steel fabricator and erector partner, partnered in the process by producing efficient moment connection details for new beams to frame into both sides of the existing w-shape columns.

Airtho has been busy – this is one of 11 or their clean/dryrooms for which we have provided structural and/or electrical engineering services in the last three years. Their modular rooms are being installed for various applications all over North American, including battery production and high precision printing. We are proud of our partnership with Airtho and we look forward to contributing to their awesome growth!  Click here to learn more about Airtho!