Akubra Hats, Australia

Humiditfication at Akubra Hats manufacturing in Australia

Australian hat manufacturer, Akubra, has recently installed a JetSpray humidification system from Condair to humidify its forming area. The humidifier is creating the ideal air humidity to ensure a perfect finish on the felt during the manufacturing process and provide the long lasting quality Akubra is known for.

Akubra is an iconic Australian brand, a manufacturer of classic bush hats made of rabbit fur felt with wide brims that are worn widely across rural Australia and also internationally.

More about Condair JetSpray

Ron Palin, General Manager Operations at Akubra, comments, “The key to hat making is forming the cone and this is done in the forming machine. Here, the fur is sucked onto a large revolving cone and, as it rotates, hot water is sprayed onto the fur. This interlocks the fibres in each direction. It is critical to maintain the relative humidity at 70% in the forming room to prevent any imperfections in the felt during this process, faults which will only show up later in the finishing process stages.”

Ron continues, “The Condair JetSpray is maintaining the ideal humidity of 70%RH in Akubra’s forming room. This significantly reduces imperfections in the felt, helping to deliver the highest efficiency and quality throughout the hat making process.”

Akubra engaged Condair to design and supply a low energy humidification system for installation in the large forming room area. This had to be undertaken with limited disruption to manufacturing and whilst maintaining the ideal humidity of 70%RH. Condair was chosen because of its proven track record of supplying large industrial humidification projects in Australia and worldwide.

The Condair JetSpray system was selected and installed at the manufacturing plant in Kempsey, NSW. The system incorporates 18 nozzles, each capable of introducing 3.5 litres of moisture per hour into the atmosphere. A wall-mounted JetSpray control panel regulates a supply of compressed air and water, which is provided to the nozzle lines. Each nozzle perfectly combines the air and water to release extremely fine aerosols, with droplet sizes of just 7.5 microns, which rapidly evaporate into the air. The compressed air prevents any possibility of drips from the nozzles and makes the spray highly directional, thus preventing wetting on machinery, walls or the floor.

Akubra was founded back in 1874 by Benjamin Dunkerley, who came from a family of cotton weavers and who had experience working as a hatter in England. Akubra is now arguably the world’s greatest fur felt hat-making business. Each hat is handmade, with over 70 pairs of hands touching each one before it is finished and the complete process taking over one month. Combining both practicality and fashion, Akubra hats have been sported by Prince Harry, Crocodile Dundee, the Australian Olympic team and Australian military.

“The Condair JetSpray is maintaining the ideal humidity of 70% RH in Akubra’s forming room. This significantly reduces imperfections in the felt, helping to deliver the highest efficiency and quality throughout the hat making process.”

Condair in action

Projects and references

Ganges Jute Mill

15 JetSpray humidification systems are maintaining an optimum 70%RH in the spinning and weaving areas of Ganges Jute Mill in Kolkota, West Bengal. With a total output of up to 9,000 litres of humidity per hour, the humidification system helps maintain jute product weight and quality as well as delivering evaporative cooling for the hard working mill staff.

Sabuj Agro Tea Factory, Bangladesh

The Sabuj Agro tea factory in Bangladesh has installed a Condair JetSpray humidification system to maintain the perfect humidity in its production facility and ensure the highest quality black tea.

By maintaining 95%RH in the factory, moisture loss from the cut leaves is significantly reduced. This improves the fermentation process, resulting in a more flavoursome tea with greater market value.

Sabuj Agro Industries, Bangladesh India

Haramain High Speed Railway, Saudi Arabia

The Haramain high-speed Railway is a major infrastructure project for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, connecting the cities of Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and the developing King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

JetSpray humidifiers provides evaporative cooling to the platforms and cool commuters with low energy, high capacity direct air cooling at Makkah and Madinah stations.

JetSpray systems provide cooling to the platforms via series of high level nozzles integrated within the lighting columns.

Aston Martin

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British American Tobacco, Uzbekistan

British American Tobacco has been operating on the Uzbekistan market since 1994 and employs more than 1,000 people. Total investments of British American Tobacco into the Uzbek economy exceeded US$ 400 million.

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IMI

Fujifilm, UK

A Condair JetSpray humidification system is maintaining an ideal 40-60%RH (relative humidity) in the Fujifilm Imaging and Innovation Centre in Bradford to provide the optimum atmospheric conditions for their paper storage and printing areas.

Fujifilm, UK

John Watson, Scotland

When John Watson & Co, the oldest printing company in Scotland, was seeking to enhance its process control by improving the humidity of its print room, it contacted Condair, who installed the JetSpray air and water atomising humidifier, developed especially for the printing industry.

John Watson, UK