Colman has tackled air distribution requirements for Arla Foods, using a mix of diffusers, grilles and displacement units throughout its purpose-built state of the art milk processing facility near Leeds.

Arla Foods produces some of the UK’s most popular brands including LURPAK, ANCHOR and CRAVENDALE PURFILTRE®.

Colman has already supplied a mix of equipment including REPUS units and stainless steel grilles in the process, raw milk and pasteurising rooms in addition to FCU’s for the administration building as part pf Phase 1.

The latest dairy facility is the product of a £55 million new build that has provided Arla with one of the most technologically advanced dairies in Europe, which includes fully computerised traceability from milk intake to the fillers. The dairy is vast with a total floor space of 28,000m² and the capacity to fill over 345 bottles per minute. Each of Stourton’s 16 milk silos can hold 250,000litres.

Kelly Taylor & Associates were the consulting engineers throughout the design and construction phases of the project and were instrumental in specifying the air distribution equipment for this project. Colman worked closely with Kelly Taylor & Associates and the sub-contractors N G Bailey in achieving the final installation. The brief required the design of an efficient method of producing and maintaining indoor air quality that addressed environmental criteria without compromising performance and functionality. In addition, aesthetic looks and hygiene were major criteria in the areas handling raw milk.

The contract worth in excess of £50,000 required a large number of stainless steel grilles and diffusers for general areas throughout the facility. The order included 25 Grade 316 stainless steel double deflection grilles and 10 specially designed REPUS stainless steel displacement units to supply high volumes of conditioned air into high hygiene areas. The REPUS units were raised from the floor for easy cleaning.

Eight surface mounted four-way louvre faced diffusers were included in the specifications along with 23 Grade 316 stainless steel egg crate grilles and numerous unlined plenum boxes and unlined stainless steel plenum boxes. Multiple spigots are used on the double deflection/egg crate grilles due to the extremely high air volumes and all volume control dampers and plenum boxes galvanised except where stainless steel was required.

Stainless steel grilles provide air distribution throughout the homogenising, product rooms, and other raw milk areas to meet hygiene requirements with standard grilles installed in the office areas.
A displacement ventilation system was specified for the vast filling and bottling halls where there are 10 lines in operation. In the dairy halls, Colman’s REPUS VRC quarter round corner panels and RAC half round/bow shaped panels and a KDC three-way spread floor-mounted panel delivering up to 5000l/s from a single panel meet the requirements for higher airflows.

All the REPUS units are stainless steel with reinforced fronts and provide a constant airflow without the risks of draughts.

Email:peter.dewdney@eaton-williams.com