Family-owned cheese factory cheddar a few pounds with the help of Kingspan

Popular Welsh manufacturer, GRH Food Company, has toasted its latest expansion which is set to double its production capacity. Work on the state-of-the-art facility includes the installation of The Kingspan KoolDuct System which provides a lightweight solution for the facility’s ventilation and cooling requirements.

The expansion at the Snowdonia Business Park includes the creation of a Cheese Innovation Centre to test new trends for blends, flavours and high nutrition cheeses for UK and international markets. Overseen by mechanical contractor, DD Cooling Ltd, 800 m2 of the Kingspan KoolDuct System was installed on the Air Handling Units by delivery partners, Holders Sheet Metal Ltd.

Ductwork fabricated from the Kingspan KoolDuct System can help to reduce operational costs as it is capable of reducing air–leakage rates to a fraction of those typical of rectangular sheet metal ductwork, in addition to limiting heat transfer, which will help to maintain a controlled temperature for the cold rooms. The System can also weigh up to 75% less than ductwork constructed from galvanised sheet steel and insulated with mineral fibre. This was key to its specification, as Craig McNaught, Project Manager from Holders Sheet Metal Ltd, explained:

“Air Handling Units have been used to make servicing and cleaning easier but, with the ductwork needing to be installed on a suspended ceiling, weight was an issue. Kingspan KoolDuct was ideal as it could ensure the cool air that passes through the ducts remains unaffected by the heat generated through cheese production, and the ductwork is also much lighter than other options.”

An additional challenge for the project was access to the ductwork. Kingspan KoolDuct is pre-insulated ductwork that allows the installation to be much easier and less time-intensive than lagged ductwork as it can be installed in a single-fix.

Craig McNaught added:

“Due to access issues, the duct needed to be manufactured and assembled in the roof space. Being able to take a selection of hand tools up with the Kingspan KoolDuct meant that the project could be completed on time.”

Ductwork fabricated from The Kingspan KoolDuct System is also well suited to projects targeting high standards in energy efficiency. The system panels have been assigned a highest possible BRE Green Guide Summary Rating of A+. The Kingspan KoolDuct System is also UL Listed as a Class 1 Air Duct, to Standard for Safety UL 181 (Underwriters Laboratories: Factory Made Air Ducts & Air Connectors), when fabricated to a specification clearly defined by UL.