Midwest Data Center
A.O. Reed is currently delivering large-scale stainless steel skids to support a data center's cooling system in the Midwest. This project stands as a major milestone for A.O. Reed, showcasing the company’s ability to scale operations, adapt quickly, and deliver highly specialized fabrication work. The work centers on a proprietary technology water system designed to supply reliable cooling for data servers. The scope requires an exceptional level of precision, coordination, and scale across A.O. Reed’s fabrication.
The pipe fitting scope includes fabricating numerous modular units, each made up of two 20-foot sections, totaling over 20,000 feet of 6-inch stainless steel piping. The cut material is being manufactured in-house. A key driver of quality and consistency on this project is A.O. Reed’s use of advanced robotic welding technology. The programmable robotic welder is specifically set up for stainless steel MIG welding and is used extensively on valves and fittings. This allows repeatable, high-precision welds once programmed. Certified TIG welders handle complex header work, with welders dedicated to welding branch connections to the headers. This is a highly specialized and demanding process that requires certification. The piping is also insulated by an on-site insulation partner in a designated work area. All units are tested and inspected by both a third-party inspection company and our own team. Once inspection is completed, the units are placed into modular cages and frames that are being fabricated by our sheet metal shop. At peak production, our employees, along with third-party inspectors, are working to turnover high-quality fabricated products.
To support the volume and pace of this project, A.O. Reed completely revamped its fabrication facilities. The plumbing and pipe fitting shops were reconfigured, including relocating the tool room, moving major equipment between buildings, and adding four new welding machines. Weld bay capacity was required to accommodate the demand. Our shop crew fabricated custom jig features to support the work.
On the sheet metal side, our team is fabricating numerous steel racks to house the cooling piping systems. We received the assembly components and fabricated some of them in-house. To meet demand, the shop expanded its weld stations, added TIG welders, and brought on a group of certified welders. The shop also constructed custom awnings, adding approximately 3,000 square feet of covered workspace for an additional frame jig. Storage areas were cleared and transformed into two more frame jigs to put cages together. The entire revamp was completed in about six weeks. Staff in the sheet metal shop grew more than double its average. We also have a night crew to maintain production schedules.
This project demonstrates A.O. Reed’s ability to scale quickly and adapt to complex demands. The size, speed, and workforce growth behind the effort reinforce A.O. Reed’s capability to deliver mission-critical data center infrastructure projects. This project represents a true all-hands effort across A.O. Reed’s teams and is expected to span much of the year until December 2026.
