AFCO Systems Media Center

What’s in Your Data Center? Sigma-T

tony — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:36:37 +0000

AFCO CTO John Consoli discusses the importance of Sigma-T to datacenter cooling.

Xnth’s Ed Koplin Interviewed by Accenture about Datacenter Power and Cooling

tony — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:54:09 +0000

Ed Koplin, a Principal in X-nth’s Mission Critical line of business, has more than 26 years experience in data center electrical and mechanical design. He was recently interviewed by Rami Rihani, a consultant with Accenture, for his views on datacenter power and cooling. In this interview, Koplin points out that “All data center resources converge at the computer enclosure. Understanding, testing, and modeling the coordination of power, space and cooling at the enclosure is essential for optimizing energy conservation.”

Read the complete article (PDF)

What’s in Your Data Center? Active Airflow Management

tony — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:31:07 +0000

What’s in Your Datacenter? Advanced Active Airflow Management.

Five Things You Should Know about Datacenter Temperatures

tony — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:10:51 +0000

A recent request by Processor magazine to discuss datacenter temperature concerns got AFCO CTO John Consoli thinking. Here are John’s tips for staying on top of temperature in your datacenter:

Know the CURRENT ASHRAE TC 9.9 Guidelines: Most data centers are kept much colder than necessary.

Know the AVERAGE and PEAK loaded PER CABINET in your data center: Planning by “watts per square foot” can be very inefficient.

Know WHERE the air in your DC is going: Most “cooling” problems are attributable to poor air flow management. CFD modeling is a good investment.

Know the basic rule of cooling: Every WATT of power you put in the DC will be converted into a WATT of HEAT that needs to be cooled.

Know your cooling STRATEGY: Whether you use Hot/Cold Aisle, Aisle Containment, In Row Cooling, or Active (Cabinet) Airflow Management, every approach has positives and negatives.

AFCO Systems CTO Discusses Cooling Small Datacenters with Processor Magazine

tony — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:58:07 +0000

It may be more important to ensure good cooling in small data centers than in big ones. John Consoli, CTO at AFCO Systems (www.afcosystems.com), draws an analogy to protecting fine cigars. “The cigars I keep at my cigar club are preserved in a big, walk-in humidor. I have never had one go bad on me there,” he says. “Yet, if I neglect the small humidor I keep in my office for even a few days, I will have a bunch of dried tobacco sticks! The smaller the environment, the less tolerance for error.”
Read the complete article

AFCO CTO Comments on Datacenter Temperature at Processor Magazine

tony — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:04:07 +0000

Temperature is a critical factor in the modern data center, and it is only becoming more so. Increased processor speeds, smaller server form factors, and higher server rack densities have all contributed to tremendous challenges for data center administrators in the areas of cooling and air movement.

Read the complete article.

AFCO Recognizes Frank DiMotta and Donna Ravo with Quarterly Core Values Awards

tony — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:11:35 +0000

During an all-hands meeting this fall, AFCO Production Control Manager Frank Dimotta and Customer Service Manager Donna Ravo were each recognized with an AFCO Systems Core Values Award, presented quarterly to those team members who demonstrate greatest adherence to the company’s philosophy and mission.

“Frank and Donna’s dedication and focus has helped us to meet our goals of supporting our customers with innovative and leading-edge solutions that deliver exceptional value and benefits across their organizations,” said Mike Mallia, AFCO Systems CEO.

Purchasing Magazine also recognized Frank’s company dedication when one of its editors noted in a story (see here), “the need to continually educate one’s self on burgeoning procurement techniques and purchasing nuances is one of the reasons DiMotta began to investigate online training as a way to enhance his own skills and diversify the way he helps AFCO become more profitable.”

Core Values is an acronym that stands for the many ways that AFCO team members are expected to demonstrate their commitment to excellence:

Caring for customers and each other
Operating with integrity
Resource maximization
Encouraging creativity
Vision for change
Accountability in action
Leadership with responsibility
Unity of purpose
Excellence in performance
Service above self

AFCO Showcases Active Airflow Management at 2009 Advanced Energy Conference

tony — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:08:56 +0000

Datacenter and facilities managers recognize that, for them, “Going Green” means grappling to control rising cooling and power requirements for the datacenters they operate. AFCO Systems, a leading voice for proactive optimization and control of datacenter power and cooling was a proud sponsor and exhibitor in the Green Datacenter portion of the recent 2009 Advanced Energy Conference (AEC) held November 18 -19 at the Hyatt Regency Long Island.

The event, which has quickly become the premier conference of its kind in the northeast, is produced by the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University and attracts experts from around the world and across every sector of the energy industry.

During the extremely successful and well-attended event, AFCO demonstrated the efficiency of its High Density (HD) Active Airflow datacenter enclosure to attendees representing a wide variety of industries. Attendees were also able to view our recent video of AFCO Chief Technology Officer John Consoli detailing “Six Approaches to Datacenter Cooling and Design.”

Purchasing Magazine Discusses Online Education with AFCO Purchasing Specialist

tony — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:00:16 +0000

Online education provider gets high marks from buyers

AFCO Systems purchasing guru, Francis DiMotta discusses the value of online education with Wayne Forrest at Purchasing magazine.

Francis DiMotta certainly knows that the art of purchasing has changed considerably over his 20-plus years in manufacturing, serving in various procurement, warehouse supervision and materials control positions.

“Purchasing is not just getting on the phone anymore, placing an order and going with your gut feeling,” says the inventory control manager for AFCO Systems, in Farmingdale, N.Y. The need to continually educate one’s self on burgeoning procurement techniques and purchasing nuances is one of the reasons DiMotta began to investigate online training as a way to enhance his own skills and diversify the way he helps AFCO become more profitable.

What’s in Your Data Center? Six Approaches to Data Center Cooling and Design

tony — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:10:08 +0000

AFCO Systems Chief Technology Officer John Consoli discusses Six Approaches to Data Center Cooling and Design based on a recent independent study and research from AFCO.

What’s in Your Datacenter? Six Approaches to Datacenter Cooling and Design.