US Postal Service awards contract to Siemens Dematic
Siemens Dematic announced today the United States Postal Service (USPS) has awarded the company an $89.9M contract to design, manufacture and install Ventilation and Filtration Systems (VFS) on their letter sorting machines. The deployment of the new system in 280 postal facilities nationwide is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2004.
The VFS is designed to reduce USPS workers’ exposure to potentially hazardous airborne particulates on in-bound mail-processing operations. During mail processing, the system automatically pulls air through a series of filters and effectively captures and contains 99.97% of contaminants. The new system has undergone extensive efficiency testing by the National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH). The VFS is part of a larger, on-going USPS program to minimize health threats to employees and the public should events similar to the 2001 anthrax attacks occur in the future.
“The VFS directly supports the USPS’ goal of putting technologies and process changes in place that enhance the safety of the mail system and reduce risks to their employees and customers,” said Heribert Stumpf, president and CEO of Siemens Dematic’s postal automation group.
Once installed, the VFS requires minimal routine maintenance, operates at a low noise level and is environmentally friendly. In addition to creating a safer working environment, the system has shown to improve overall air quality within mail processing facilities.
Siemens Dematic’s postal automation group in Arlington, Texas will provide project management, engineering and installation. The VFS subsystems will be manufactured by the company’s facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan and by Donaldson Company, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
