Case Study
Temporary Cooling Installation for a Leading Food Manufacturer in York
Overview
Client: Leading Food Manufacturer
Industry: Food Manufacturing in York
Presence: Temporary Process Cooling and Air Handling Installation
Project Overview: Newsome delivered a temporary cooling system for a leading food manufacturer in York after identifying that the existing site chillers could not provide the required reliability. The solution included two NR150 process chillers, two AHU150 air handling units, a purpose-built stacked support frame, ductwork and all hydraulic connections. The completed installation provided a compact and dependable system that supported continuous production while reducing operational risk.
Newsome was appointed to provide a temporary cooling solution for a leading UK food manufacturer specialising in the production of confectionery, cakes, snacks and other branded food products.
The project required temporary cooling to serve two large air handling units supporting a critical production process. The original proposal was to utilise two existing site chillers to provide the necessary cooling capacity. However, following a detailed inspection by Newsome’s service engineers, it became clear that the existing equipment could not deliver the reliability required for continuous production. Rather than attempting to integrate ageing plant that could compromise operational continuity, Newsome developed an alternative turnkey solution, supplying new temporary chillers alongside the air handling equipment to create a complete, dependable cooling system.
The Challenge
Maintaining stable environmental conditions is essential within modern food manufacturing facilities. Temperature control directly affects product quality, production efficiency and operational continuity. Any interruption to cooling can quickly impact production schedules, resulting in lost output and unnecessary costs.
The initial project brief assumed that two existing site chillers would provide cooling to two Newsome AHU 150 air handling units. Before commencing the installation, Newsome’s service team carried out a comprehensive assessment of the existing chillers. The inspection identified that both units were no longer operating at the level of reliability required to support the temporary installation.
Using the existing chillers presented an unacceptable operational risk. Rather than allowing the project to proceed with equipment of uncertain condition, Newsome recommended an alternative solution that would provide greater reliability while ensuring the required cooling capacity remained available throughout the project.
Engineering a Better Solution
Newsome proposed supplying two new NR150 process chillers together with the two AHU150 air handling units, creating a fully integrated temporary cooling installation. By supplying both the cooling plant and the air handling equipment, Newsome retained complete control over system performance, commissioning and ongoing reliability.
The revised design eliminated the uncertainty associated with the ageing site chillers while providing the client with a purpose-designed temporary cooling system capable of supporting production throughout the project. This engineering-led approach ensured the temporary installation was based on equipment selected specifically for the application rather than relying on existing assets whose performance could not be guaranteed.
Maximising Available Space
Temporary cooling projects often need to be installed within busy manufacturing facilities where available space is limited. To minimise the installation footprint, Newsome designed and supplied a purpose-built steel support frame that allowed the two AHU150 units to be installed in a stacked arrangement.
Positioning the air handling units on a common support structure reduced the overall area required while maintaining safe access for future inspection and maintenance. This approach enabled the temporary system to be integrated into the existing site layout with minimal disruption to surrounding operations.
Complete Mechanical Installation
As part of the turnkey package, Newsome supplied and installed every element required to complete the temporary cooling system. This included both flexible and rigid ductwork designed to distribute conditioned air efficiently throughout the required areas.
Our engineers also supplied and installed all hydraulic hose connections required to interface the new NR150 chillers with the AHU150 air handling units. Every connection was installed and commissioned by Newsome technicians, ensuring compatibility across the complete cooling circuit and reducing the risk of installation delays or performance issues. By managing the entire mechanical installation, Newsome ensured that all components operated as one integrated system.
Turnkey Delivery
Projects of this nature require careful coordination between multiple engineering disciplines. Newsome managed the complete temporary cooling installation, including equipment supply, positioning, mechanical installation, ductwork, hydraulic connections and commissioning. Providing a single point of responsibility simplified project management for the client while ensuring every element of the installation was delivered to the same engineering standards. This turnkey approach also allowed any technical issues identified during the project to be resolved quickly by Newsome’s own engineering team without relying on multiple contractors.
Supporting Food Manufacturing
Food manufacturing environments demand reliable environmental control. Whether producing confectionery, bakery products, snacks or other food products, stable temperatures help protect product quality, maintain production efficiency and support continuous operation. Temporary cooling solutions are often required during plant replacement, refurbishment projects, maintenance shutdowns or periods of increased production demand.
Because these systems frequently support live manufacturing environments, reliability is every bit as important as cooling capacity. Newsome’s ability to assess existing infrastructure, identify potential risks and redesign the temporary installation where necessary helped ensure this project could proceed with confidence.
Why Newsome?
One of Newsome’s key strengths is our ability to adapt engineering solutions when site conditions change. Rather than simply supplying equipment specified at the quotation stage, our engineers assess the practical realities of every installation and recommend improvements where they provide greater reliability, performance or operational value.
In this project, identifying the condition of the existing chillers before installation prevented the client from relying on equipment that may have compromised production. By supplying replacement chillers as part of the temporary installation, Newsome delivered a more dependable solution without delaying the project. Our ability to design, supply, install, commission and support complete temporary HVAC and process cooling systems provides clients with a single engineering partner throughout the project lifecycle.
The Outcome
By replacing the originally proposed site chillers with two new NR150 chillers, Newsome delivered a reliable temporary cooling solution tailored to the operational requirements of a major UK food manufacturer. The completed installation incorporated two NR150 chillers, two AHU150 air handling units, a purpose-built support frame, flexible and fixed ductwork, and all associated hydraulic connections supplied and installed by Newsome’s engineering team.
The result was a compact, fully integrated temporary cooling system designed to support continued food production while providing the client with the confidence that comes from using modern, fully commissioned equipment installed by a single specialist contractor.
This project demonstrates Newsome’s ability to go beyond equipment supply, delivering practical engineering solutions that protect production, minimise operational risk and keep critical manufacturing facilities running efficiently.