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HVAC System Manufacturer DTAC Relies on Fasco
      An "in your face" reputation isn't bad when you're a company like DTAC, a manufacturer of HVAC systems for off-road equipment and over-the-road trucks.

DTAC'S 800 Series wall-mounted heat/cool unit is rated 26,000 Btu for both heating and cooling.

      "To do the job right, we have our units blow down on the top of the driver's head or under his right arm pit," says Marc Davis, DTAC's vice president. "We're not real coy about putting air where it's needed. And I think that's what people like about our units. They can count on us day-in, day-out. If it's 100 degrees outside, they know our unit is going to make an equipment operator's face feel 30 degrees cooler."

      DTAC has been specializing in making aftermarket air conditioning systems since 1985. Unit capacity ranges from 25,000 Btu to 36,000 Btu, compared to a typical automotive unit capacity of 18,000 Btu. The company fills a niche that OEM manufacturers can't easily and economically service.

DTAC units each rely on one of four Fasco.

      "The logging industry was one of our first major markets when we evolved into an HVAC system manufacturer in 1993 after many years as a parts supplier and distributor," Davis notes. "To this day, loggers' off-road equipment and trucks remain a mainstay in our business. However, we've also expanded system lines to meet the HVAC and heating unit needs of off-road equipment and trucks specialized for the concrete, construction and mining industries as well."

      Performance and durability are two basic requirements that DTAC customers require of their suppliers. To that end, DTAC takes great care in building in performance features and selecting reliable components that won't "shake apart" in the demanding on-road/off-road environment.

      "One of the simple things that we do that has paid huge dividends," says Davis," is to provide an intake side filter that prevents dirt from clogging coils, infiltrating vented motors and settling on internal components such as sealed motors and compressors that should be kept clean to manage heat. We use low profile, 25 ppi Quadrafoam air filters, custom-made for us by Universal Air Filter, to perform this important function.

      "Dirt and dust are major factors in the breakdown of air conditioning. We use this aluminum-framed, FMVSS 302-compliant filter on every system produced at DTAC. It has been one of the factors that sets us apart. AC equipment maintenance intervals have been reduced from two or three times a year to as little as one or two times every two years because of Universal's filters."

      DTAC system durability begins with the selection of components, according to Davis. "We use very little plastic in our systems," he says. "Even our sheet metal is generally a minimum of 14- to 16-gauge steel. If we can't find a component that meets our specifications, we'll build it.

      "Fortunately, we have built solid relationships with premier component manufacturers. Fasco, for instance, supplies us with critical DC motors. We use four Fasco motor models to meet the varying capacity needs of our units. Fasco is a major manufacturer for the OEM market with a proven track record."

      Fasco 3-inch diameter motors used in DTAC systems include:

Model #2807-510-143 - vented, series-wound, 12-volt, double-shaft, 3-speed, 2,500 hours duty life expectation.
Model #2807-510-155 - vented, series-wound, 24-volt, double-shaft, 3-speed, 2,500 hours duty life expectation.
Model #2809-531-009 - sealed, permanent magnet, 12-volt, single-shaft, single-speed, 7,000 hours duty life expectation.
Model #2809-840-005 - sealed, permanent magnet, 24-volt, single-shaft, single-speed, 7,000 hours duty life expectation.

DTAC purchases these four Fasco motor models through Southwest Air Products of Euless, Texas.

      "With major suppliers like Fasco and Universal Air Filter on our side," Davis says, "our success is a matter of being able to match components in creating systems customized to the environment in which they perform."

      Air conditioning in on-road/off-road equipment often plays a major role in DTAC target industries, according to Davis. He says that in some parts of the country, equipment and truck operators in competitive labor markets have been known to quit simply over the lack of reliable air conditioning.

      "Our niche," says Davis, "is supplying a reliable system at a fair price to the customer. To that end, we've been able to manufacture units that cost significantly less than OEM systems. Just as important as the cost factor is the fact that our equipment has the reputation of trouble-free operation."

      DTAC makes a variety of HVAC-related equipment for over-the-road truck and off-road equipment. Systems include air conditioning systems, heating systems, combination heat/cool units, remote mount condensers, and hydraulic and electric-driven compressors.

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