How a Coil is Made, Part 1: Design

This is the first segment in a three-part series that will explain exactly how Marlo heating and cooling coils go from just a concept to a functioning, vital component of a commercial or industrial HVAC system. In Part 1, we will start at the very beginning and discuss the multi-faceted design phase of a Marlo coil.

Heat Transfer Expertise and Experience

It all begins with the expert engineering team here are Marlo – a group of professionals with years of heat transfer experience and a passion for solving complex problems. This current group not only brings their own expertise to the design process, but also builds on the collective past work of Marlo engineers that goes back nearly a century.

Since 1925, we have designed, tested, refined and enhanced all types of commercial and industrial heating and cooling coils (as well as air handling units). So, while every coil we make is “engineered to order”, all products have also been pre-engineered to assure performance.

Our engineering team uses state-of-the-art design and simulation software, and can leverage processes like computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis to predict heat transfer, airflow, pressure drop and other key performance factors.

But we don’t just rely on software to confirm our designs. We use third-party organizations to test and certify our coils. In fact, we have earned some of the most well-respected and sought-after certifications in the industry, including AHRI, ISO 9001, ASME U Stamp, Canadian Registration (CRN), Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) and more.

Engineered to Order with MarloMetrics™

Our proprietary coil selection software – MarloMetrics – allows easy customization of our pre-engineered coils to meet the specific needs of each individual application in which they will be used. Each member of our nationwide network of Independent Manufacturer’s Representatives is trained on the MarloMetrics software and can use it to custom “design” an ideal coil to meet any unique requirements.

In addition to making standard selections – such as type and size of the coil, tube diameters, number of tube rows, fins per inch, etc. – an almost unlimited number of additional customization options are also available. This includes special features like auxiliary drains, covers, header wraps, flanges and much more.

At this point in the design process, material selections are also made, based (as always) on the individual needs of the application (see separate story on material selection). As a 100% custom coil manufacturer, Marlo is able to build each component from any of a wide range of materials. While most coils are made of copper, aluminum and steel, we also often utilize stainless steel, black iron, copper/nickel and other specialty metals when needed.

In addition to allowing complete coil customization, the MarloMetrics selection software also speeds the order process by instantly generating quotes, submittal packages, performance specifications and general arrangement drawings. Plus, orders/designs can then be transmitted electronically to the factory to allow fast entry into the production process.

As a final step before production begins, a member of our team reviews every order to identify any potential problems not caught by the software. While these instances are rare, this extra quality control check assures every coil we make will deliver the performance and reliability the customer is expecting.

When placing orders into production, they are prioritized based on customer need. When timing is critical, customers can choose our 5-day, 10-day or 15-day QuickShip service, which guarantees the number of days from order to shipment.

Look for Part 2 in this series – Production – coming soon.