Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Boulder, Colorado
The 4,042 SF Ball Aerospace clean/non-destructive test lab was developed to thoroughly clean and test critical flight hardware for such national asset programs as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The next generation to the Hubble Telescope, the infrared JWST will enable astronomers to study the entire history of the universe. The lab’s built-in flexibility will accommodate testing and cleaning for other satellite missions as well.
The lab’s large parts spray room, in which bulkier flight hardware is cleaned with hazardous solvents, features an innovative air diffusion system to provide evenly distributed, cleanroom-quality airflow to move vapors away from staff and to limit flammability. Building Information Management (BIM) software was used to design large, complicated ductwork in the spray rooms’ small ceiling plenums. Other safety measures include application of intrinsically safe process piping controls to limit voltages in the presence of flammable vapors and development of a chemical container emergency depressurization system.
Awards
American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado, Engineering Excellence Awards Competition, Honor Award, 2008