Temporary cooling for the perfect loaf

When an industrial bakeryPerfect Loaf recently invested in an extension to its production facility, there was limited capital remaining for temperature control equipment. However, controlling temperatures in a bakery is of paramount importance as the yeast needs the right conditions to react with the other ingredients; too cold and the yeast will be ineffective, too hot and the loaf can begin to cook before it reaches the oven. When these issues occur on an industrial scale, the results affect product quality and production volumes.

Yet there are temporary cooling solutions available. In this case, the industrial processes were centrally located, which caused a build-up of heat in the middle of the building with no extraction options available to cool the facility or manage production and environmental temperatures.

ICS Cool Energy supplied a series of six air handling units to extract excess heat from the process, providing a temporary cooling solution to retain product stability and quality.

The company initially supplied a 50kW low temperature air handling unit mounted on a frame to maximise the floor space on site, and connected to a 73kW TAEevo chiller. Following the initial installation, two further units were added in other areas of the bakery plant to decrease building temperatures.

Due to the summer ambient temperatures, further units have since been added to the site to provide temporary cooling through four 73kW chillers and a 129kW TAEevo 602 chiller. The units provide improved air movement throughout the site, increasing production quality and site efficiency. As units run in parallel, the configuration can be adapted as seasonal temperatures change or as capital for a permanent solution becomes available.

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Food and Drink Technology