For decades now, the Munters Dry Air Method or Controlled Humidity Environment (CHE) has been applied on defense equipment worldwide. Munters has delivered in excess of 25,000 dehumidifiers for defense applications alone.
A dry environment stops corrosion, reduces electronic failures and the forming of mold and fungus and maintains the right mechanical properties of stored materials. With ammunition it is important to prevent chemical reactions to ensure optimal shelf-life. Before and during the Second World War, dehumidification was used to protect military equipment in transit from the United States to the different war zones. Cargo ships had their cargo holds dehumidified using big, bulky desiccant bed dryers to protect military equipment and items against the influence of moisture and sea salt.
In the mid-fifties, Carl Munters developed a small dehumidifier based on a simple desiccant "rotor" design. The result was a very compact and lightweight dehumidifier that had a constant capacity.
After the Second World War, the U.S. Navy utilized dehumidification for mothballing more than 2000 ships.
With the help of the Munters Dry Air Method, many defense organizations are now able to store equipment and items for a minimum of 4 years without maintenance, but still have it immediately available and ready in times of mobilization or deployment. Applications are not only limited to equipment in storage. Equipment in daily use can also be protected, lowering degradation, reducing malfunctions and improving MTBF on systems and sub-systems.
The bottom line: Lower maintenance and life cycle costs mean that equipment is more readily available and payback of investment costs are usually realized within months.