PRODUCTS & PROJECTS:

ALL NEW PRICE TECHNICAL CENTER UNVEILED IN ATLANTA, GA: INTRODUCING OUR NEW DYNAMIC, ACCESSIBLE AND INTUITIVE EDUCATIONAL FACILITY

September 2018, Volume 26    

By Nolan Hosking – Senior Vice President, Engineered Products DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

The Price Technical Centers (PTCs) have been the foundation of Price’s technical training programs for decades. These centers in Winnipeg, MB, Atlanta, GA and Phoenix, AZ are regularly expanding, evolving and improving in an effort to more effectively demonstrate product capabilities and compare and contrast different technologies.

The Atlanta PTC was completely renovated in 2011, with an application theme that included classroom, patient room and operating room spaces. A fair amount of real estate was also assigned to static product displays for showcasing construction features of many Price products.

Over 10,000 engineers, contractors, architects and owners visited the Atlanta PTC between 2011 and 2017. There was a consistent trend among those visitors as far as which displays garnered the most interest; anywhere visual or dynamic, where visitors could hear, see or effectively experience how the products performed, is where 90% of the time was spent. With this in mind, plans were developed in late 2016 and early 2017 for the latest overhaul of the Atlanta PTC, which was completed in March 2018.

There were three primary goals identified as our best opportunities for improvement over the previous incarnation of the Atlanta PTC, which became the basis for steering our design decision:

1. Keep the space open and accessible
2. Ensure there is a teaching element to every demonstration
3. Make all “stations” as intuitive as possible

The open ceiling concept of the new Atlanta PTC gives the space a modern look while also making it feel significantly larger than it did before. Wide open ceilings facilitate convenient viewing of products from all angles, allowing contractors to delve more deeply into installation nuisances than ever before. A clear sightline to more than just the “exposed” face of the various products used in dynamic performance demonstrations/comparisons eliminates the need for the majority of the static displays that had dominated floor space in the past. Product and ceiling accessibility also greatly simplifies the task of replacing obsolete designs with new technology from the relentless Price product development engine.

Our second objective for the new training center was to fully capitalize on the opportunity to train visitors on HVAC fundamentals and product performance features. To accomplish this meant eliminating as many of the static product displays as possible. Virtually every station in the new Atlanta PTC now features a dynamic component to help customers more easily grasp the HVAC principles or better communicate the salient product benefits.

Airflow pattern visualization using “smoke,” sound, pressure drop and energy consumption comparisons, UFAD plenum pressurization control, HEPA filter loading simulation and detection and laboratory control system networks represent just a sampling of the key topics now addressed through dynamic demonstrations in the new facility.

Finally, it was important to make the operation of each station within the new training center as simple as possible. This required a disciplined approach of only including the necessary products, options and features at each demonstration to avoid unnecessary clutter and complexity.

Basic and intuitive touchscreen interfaces at each display make the option of a self-guided tour a reality. Previous training centers relied on complex control interfaces designed strictly for use by well-trained and experienced tour guides. While an abundance of Price product experts are still available to lead tour groups, the straightforward control interfaces at each station are inviting and make it possible for visitors to explore the center at their leisure or return to a particular station at any time during their visit to activate additional simulations.

The new Atlanta PTC is the most advanced and interactive product/system demonstration center Price has ever showcased, and visitors have been delighted with the massive list of updates and improvements. We invite all engineers to arrange a PTC visit with their Price representative to take full advantage of this investment in education and training for our industry professionals.