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ProLogis, a top global provider of distribution facilities,in partnership with Portland General Electric, a leaderin the charge on clean energy in Oregon, decided toadd solar panels to the massive roofs atop sevenProLogis warehouses in Portland, Oregon. Thepanels would supply reliable, clean energy, whichPortland General Electric could then distribute to itscustomers — essentially creating seven mini-powerplants for the energy supplier.

Northwest Solar Solutions LLC, a division of SnyderRoofing of Oregon LLC, was hired to install the newroofs and solar panels. To support this green initiative,The Energy Trust of Oregon Inc. provided PortlandGeneral Electric with a clean energy rebate for the project.

Large Roof, Short TimeframeWith a timeline of less than four months to re-roof900,000 square feet, as well as install the solar panels,the ProLogis roofing project was no simple feat. It requireda knowledgeable and experienced roofing company, aswell as proper roofing equipment. When choosing thetools to complete the job quickly and efficiently, SnyderRoofing already knew where to look to find those of theutmost quality — Swiss manufacturer, Leister ProcessTechnologies. “I’ve been in the roofing business for 15 years. Thoughroofers may try tools from other manufacturers, theyalways end up with Leister because of the quality,” saidJosh Strickler, one of the on-the-job foremen for SnyderRoofing. “Leister tools are just built better. They are higherquality and have clearly been tested for their intended use.”

Synergy of Professionalism and Unbeatable ToolsIn addition to the re-roofing, the project involved theheat welding of 2,387 10-feet-by-20-feet solar panels tothe new roof, which had to be installed one at a time.Snyder Roofing began the job using the Leister VARIMAT Vhot-air welding machine, and soon switched to theupdated VARIMAT V2 when the new model became avai-lable, due to its increased speed and improved controls.

In an effort to work as efficiently as possible, Snyder roofingsplit its teams into two groups — one responsible for theroofing membrane, and one for the solar panels. It wasalso running a minimum of three buildings concurrentlythroughout the project’s duration.

The roofing-membrane team first secured the mechanicallyattached TPO membrane to the roof in 10,000-square-foot sections. Then, while they moved on to anothersection of the roof, the solar-panel team completed thesection by individually securing the solar panels.

VARIMAT welding machines were used for all overlapwelding of roof sheeting material and solar panels, andLeister’s TRIAC S hand tool was used for detail work.

Success Story, No 9/10 ENG September 2010

Atop one of the ProLogis roofs with the professional weldingmachines of Leister

Snyder Roofing tackles green roofing challenge using Leister tools

Environmentally Friendly Roofing

The VARIMAT V2, with its adjustableguide handle, can easily belowered

to get under vents, pipes andother obstructions.

Overcoming ObstaclesThe major challenge of the project was Oregon’s unpre-dictable weather during the build — rain interrupted workregularly throughout the undertaking. Since the roofingmembrane being installed was fleece-backed, it wouldabsorb rainwater if there were leaks or the surface wasnot dry. To prevent damage and to keep water from get-ting underneath the sheeting, Snyder Roofing had to besure all packages were sealed properly, and open packageswere kept dry.

Due to its speed and durability, the VARIMAT V2 helpedSnyder Roofing place and weld the roofing membraneand solar panels in a timely manner, despite the weatherconditions.

“The VARIMAT V2s took it another step,” said Strickler.“The machine itself goes nearly twice the speed of theoriginal VARIMAT V, with the same amount of power. Icould use the same generators, but greatly increase ourdaily output. When you need to put down a large amountof square footage fast, it makes a huge difference.”

The VARIMAT V2 reached speeds up to 18.5 feet perminute, compared to 11 feet per minute with the VARIMAT Vat the start of the project. Welding speed depends ontemperature and weather conditions — under ideal con-ditions, the VARIMAT V2 reaches up to 39 feet per minute.

“Due to the extremely wet weather conditions, I don’tthink we could have finished on time without the VARIMAT V2,” said Strickler.

Relying on Leister Tools Strickler touts the quality, longevity and design of Leisterproducts as what really sets them apart from other roofingtools he has used in the past.The entire job was completed on time and budget thanksto the hard work of everyone involved, the effective projectcoordination of Snyder Roofing’s experienced team, andthe reliability and efficiency of Leister tools.

More than 2,000 solar panels were welded to the sevenProLogis building rooftops.

Headquarters:Leister Process Technologies Galileo-Strasse 10 CH-6056 Kaegiswil/Switzerland phone: +41 41 662 74 74 fax: +41 41 662 74 16 leister@leister.com

www.leister.com

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The VARIMAT V2 welds around a skylight.

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Building Owner: ProLogis, Denver, CO, USA,www.prologis.comRoofers: Snyder Roofing, Tigard, OR, USA,www.snyderroofing.comPlastic-Welding Equipment: Leister Process Technologies,6056 Kaegiswil, Switzerland, www.leister.comSales and Service Partner: Assembly Supplies, Co.,Escondido, CA, USA, www.hotairtools.com

Text: Laurel Miltner, PR 20/20, Cleveland, OH, USA,www.pr2020.comImages: Steve Garlock, Steve Garlock Equipment, Inc.,Portland, OR, USA, www.stevegarlockequip.com; LeisterProcess Technologies

Leister Process Technologies is an ISO 9001 certified enterprise.