Supporting the growing UK manufacturing sector

The Challenge

To support business growth and diversification of services, over the years additional machinery was purchased and brought into the factory. In 2020, The light manufacturing was moved to newly built mezzanine floors, which provided space for more equipment to be placed at ground floor level.

While the new layout provided adequate space, the mezzanine floors areas were overheating. Temperatures were reaching up to 45C during the colder months, which was uncomfortable for staff working in the areas and threatened future productivity. A solution needed to be found before the onset of the summer and rising external temperatures exacerbated the problem.

Not only were Specialised Canvas looking for a spot cooling solution, they also required a system that was in line with their corporate social responsibility policy to be as energy efficient as possible.

The Solution

EcoCooling worked closely with approved installer Celsius Design to design and deliver a system which was both efficient and cost effective. After the initial enquiry and a site visit, a spot cooling system was proposed for the problem areas on mezzanine floors, which could be installed quickly and without disrupting production.

In total, three separate EcoCooling systems with associated ducting were installed into the factory, using 4-way diffuser grilles to target the cool air at staffed areas. This allowed the areas to be controlled separately depending on the number of staff in the area, while also ensuring there was enough cooling redundancy to manage scaling up of production in each area if required.

Celsius took into account the existing building design to ensure the lowest possible capital outlay for the new system. Specialised Canvas already had an existing ventilation fans installed, so these fans were utilised as part of the balanced ventilation system required for the EcoCooling system.

The Result

The cooling solution has significantly improved the working environments for Specialised Canvas employees. Temperatures are guaranteed to be below 25C all year round in the facility, even on the hottest days, ensuring production can continue seamlessly throughout the summer months.

The natural cooling process and low electricity usage supports Specialised Canvas’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of their factories and has helped drive them towards their net zero target. The three coolers are projected to cost 42p per hour to run and will cover an area of 750m², which is a fraction of the cost of an alternative refrigeration-based system.

Additionally, the system is compliant with new COVID building requirements – open doors and windows do not affect the EcoCooler’s performance. This means suitable internal non-fire doors within secure areas can be left open, which reduces touchpoints, further minimising the spread of bacteria on surfaces and helps further ventilate internal spaces.