NASA technology can now be found in your closet, thanks to the assistance given by the Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP). Originally founded in 1948 as Vapor Products Inc. in Orlando, Florida, DampRid Inc. manufactures a diverse family of dehumidifying products that protect homes, recreational vehicles, boats, storage areas, etc. from the annoying and harmful effects of excess moisture. In particular, one of the company’s products, the disposable “Closet Freshener,” was in need of material and design enhancements.

“We needed to evaluate different methods that would allow the retention of moisture-absorbing pellets in the upper chamber of the product during its intended life-cycle, while allowing the absorbed moisture to freely fall into the lower chamber,” explains Don Mason, Director of Marketing with DampRid. The challenge was in the design of the segmented seal that separates the two chambers. If the seal channels were too large, the pellets would fall through; conversely, too small channels would not allow the excess moisture to drain.

DampRid has a long-standing relationship with the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Florida MEP), which was aware of the challenges DampRid was facing with the seal. Edgar Allen of the Florida MEP contacted Jonathan Gemmen, Director of Corporate Business Development with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, and told Gemmen about DampRid’s situation. Gemmen contacted DampRid on behalf of SATOP, knowing that the company could benefit from SATOP’s assistance.

“SATOP is a very user-friendly program because it is set up by engineers, for engineers,” says Gemmen. “The process to request assistance is so streamlined that many times companies are surprised that it’s so simple to access NASA expertise.”
When Mason heard about a program that would allow his business to receive free technical assistance from the U.S. Space Program, he immediately wanted to know more. SATOP would pair Mason’s need for assistance with one of the program’s Space Alliance Partners – a growing consortium of NASA centers, NASA contractors, universities and colleges which commit their time and expertise to help small businesses solve their technical challenges.

For DampRid’s Request for Technical Assistance (RTA), SATOP paired the business with a Space Alliance Partner that would be a perfect match – Precision Fabricating & Cleaning Co., Inc. (PFC), a company whose expertise is in the precision cleaning, testing and packaging of aerospace components for long term storage.

“We were looking for a design that would allow the seal to be modified with little effect on the production efforts of DampRid,” says Jack Shye, Corporate Affairs Manager at PFC. While researching and testing various solutions for DampRid’s request, Shye, and the other engineers at PFC, ultimately came up with an open-gridded checkerboard pattern for the seal that would achieve the desired results for the product. It was easy to implement into production as well as cost-effective.
“As a small business, it was nice to be offered solutions that were manageable for us,” says Mason. “PFC provided a small step solution, a giant leap and something in between; it was up to us, but seeing both ends of the spectrum gave us the knowledge to make the most cost-efficient and time manageable solution for us and our product”. Thanks to SATOP, DampRid is now able to improve their product, which in turn creates greater customer satisfaction. The Closet Freshener can now absorb musty odors caused by stagnant air even longer. With the lengthened product life, customers can now enjoy fresher, healthier air, free of moisture damage in their closets for a longer amount of time plus the savings from the cost of replacements. In addition, improved sales projections help DampRid continue to be a successful small business in the Orlando area.

“SATOP is here to make available the knowledge and expertise of NASA to the private sector through the efforts of generous Space Alliance Partners,” said Ryan Greenough, Program Engineer at the SATOP Center in Florida. “It’s amazing that the assistance we can offer small businesses with their technical challenges can have such an impact on the economy as a whole in the long run.”
It is amazing indeed, that assistance from SATOP can help a product freshen the air in your closet. What will SATOP help with next?