Overview
Orwell Design Associates provided the engineering design for a turnkey ventilation and air conditioning solution at Danish Crown's food manufacturing facility in Cornwall. The project was designed to improve environmental control within the factory by combining temperature, ventilation and humidity management, while supporting efficient cleaning processes and maintaining uninterrupted production.
The Challenge
The project required a new Air Handling Unit (AHU) capable of maintaining precise environmental conditions during production while also supporting rapid overnight drying following factory clean-downs. The solution needed to be installed within a fully operational manufacturing facility, with restricted access, complex lifting requirements and minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.
Our Approach
ODA designed an integrated ventilation and cooling solution centred around a new AHU operating at a 12°C setpoint during production. Following nightly clean-downs, the system automatically switched to a supply-only mode, working alongside stainless steel extract fans to introduce dry air and accelerate the drying process before returning to normal operation.
The project also included chilled water services, structural design for an extensive steel gantry and maintenance walkway, integration of the PLC strategy into the existing Building Management System (BMS), roofing works and the coordination of complex lift-and-shift operations. A new chiller was installed to support the system, alongside an extension to the site's LPG gas infrastructure.
Key Elements
- Ventilation and air conditioning design
- Humidity control strategy
- Chilled water (CHW) services
- Structural steelwork and maintenance gantry
- Building Management System (BMS) integration
- Roofing works
- Plant installation and lift-and-shift coordination
- Installation within a live manufacturing environment
The Outcome
Completed in Summer 2022, the project delivered a fully integrated ventilation and environmental control solution tailored to the operational needs of a busy food manufacturing facility. By carefully coordinating the design, installation and commissioning around ongoing production, ODA helped deliver improved environmental performance while minimising disruption to site operations.