Fast Solutions for a Growing Company
As the Duct Doctor team searched for a body builder that could fulfill its custom order with a short lead time, it was referred to us by a Marion customer. After initial planning meetings, Marion began designing and manufacturing a custom truck body that was completed in August with Duct Doctor’s exact specifications.
Engine-Powered Vacuums
Duct Doctor utilizes a patented vacuum truck with a cleaning system that’s powered by the truck’s diesel engine instead of a standalone power source. This is a unique feature for trucks in this industry. When servicing a home, Duct Doctor technicians use an 8-inch hose to connect the power vacuum to the home’s air handler. A high-velocity air sweeper is then inserted into the ductwork and controlled with a hose connected to the truck’s air compressor, which supplies up to 200 pounds of air pressure to extract debris and contaminants from the ductwork.
The diesel-powered vacuum required Marion to design a new drive system with belt-driven components, which is a first for Marion. The truck’s PTO and driveshaft are mounted to bearings that hang off of the frame rails, and then the belts run up to the floor of the body to drive the blower and air compressor. Tensioning the belts and calculating RPMs and torque for the pulley and belt system were challenges that Marion met head-on when designing this truck body.
Going Outside the Comfort Zone
The tight turnaround of this order meant using techniques outside of Marion’s typical comfort zone. To speed up the process and help with throughput, lasered and formed pieces were used instead of Marion’s usual extrusions. This was intended to make the truck as self-fixturing as possible and reduce the amount of measuring that had to be done in the shop. Marion has used this technique on previous orders but never to this extent. The finished product shows how adaptability plays a key role in producing quality products on time.