New Humidity- Control System for Textile Cos.

Thousand Palms, Calif.–based MicroCool Inc. has developed a high-pressure humidification system for the textile industry.

The system filters and pressurizes water from city supplies and then delivers it through flexible tubing to nozzles in the production area, which release billions of small water particles that float through the air and then evaporate to raise humidity levels. The company claims it can control levels up to 95 percent relative humidity. Most textile mills need to maintain proper humidity levels to prevent threads from breaking. In general, factories use humidity to keep machinery cooler, which increases productivity.

MicroCool has developed similar systems for greenhouses, wineries, woodworking shops and other facilities. After successfully testing the system for several textile mills in Colombia, the company decided to do a global rollout. Prices for the systems start at about $6,000.

MicroCool officials said the system is significantly less expensive than conventional humidity systems. The company customizes systems for each user, supplying and matching high-pressure pumps, water-treatment equipment and filters to each customer’s nozzle capacity and future expansion needs. —Robert McAllister