Newswise — In a time when many U.S. companies are placing manufacturing facilities in places like India and China to save on costs, Texas Instruments has built a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Richardson, Texas.
The plant, named RFAB and expected to be fully operational by summer, combines the best practices in cost controls, engineering ingenuity, corporate community relations, and environmental sustainability. With RFAB, Texas Instruments made every effort to slash costs by incorporating energy efficiencies into nearly every component of the facility's design and construction.
For example, to reduce cooling costs in the 220,000 square-foot building, engineers designed a plastic membrane that reflects 85 percent of the sun's radiation from the roof. In addition, the windows in the administrative wing of the facility have been designed with special shelves that effectively reflect light far into room interiors, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
RFAB also has been designed with straight ducts and pipes rather than curved plumbing, allowing improved fluid, air and waste flows. The plant uses recycled water to run cooling equipment and irrigate indoor and outdoor landscaping.
Mechanical Engineering magazine, the flagship publication of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), features RFAB in the March 2006 issue, calling the new facility a "state of the art semiconductor factory."
PaulWestbrook, a mechanical engineer and manager of sustainable development at Texas Instruments, provided input for the article in Mechanical Engineering, titled "Efficiency is Its Own Reward." In the feature story, Westbrook explains how RFAB represents a harmony between energy efficiency and cost controls.
To access the March 2006 issue of the magazine, including the article on the new facility of Texas Instruments, visit the ASME Web site at http://www.asme.org.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences. ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community.
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