The Challenge: Excessive Heat in a High-Capacity Facility

Founded in 1976 from a single butcher’s shop, Dunbia Foods has evolved into a powerhouse of the UK meat processing industry. Operating 13 major production sites across the country, their facility in South Wales is of such a significant scale that it requires its own dedicated on-site laundry to manage workwear for the entire staff.

Within this laundry department, the combination of industrial processes and seasonal weather meant that internal temperatures regularly exceeded 40°C during the summer months. This created an oppressive and challenging environment for employees, necessitating a robust, energy-efficient ventilation and cooling solution.

The Celsius Solution: Evaporative Cooling and Powered Extraction

To combat these extreme temperatures, Celsius Design supplied and installed a comprehensive environmental control system. The solution featured a roof-mounted EcoCooling unit—an evaporative cooling system known for delivering up to 90% energy savings compared to traditional air conditioning—and a high-performance wall-mounted Celsius extraction fan.

The technical requirements of the building presented a unique challenge: the laundry was situated in the middle of the factory with a ridge height exceeding 20 metres. To ensure a sleek and effective installation, Celsius opted for a bespoke GRP weathering system for the EcoCooler, rather than utilizing extensive ducting to the ridge.

Results: Enhanced Productivity with Zero Downtime

This strategic installation transformed the working environment by providing over 40 air changes per hour. The results were immediate:

• Optimal Climate Control: The oppressive 40°C+ heat was replaced by a comfortable, fresh-air environment for all laundry staff.

• Operational Efficiency: The system achieves these results with minimal running costs, aligning with the energy-efficiency goals common in large-scale UK manufacturing.

• Seamless Integration: True to our commitment to disruption-free engineering, Celsius undertook the entire installation while the laundry was in full production. This ensured Dunbia Foods experienced no downtime.

By choosing Celsius Design, Dunbia Foods successfully addressed a critical productivity and welfare issue with a tailored, rapid-response cooling solution that will serve their South Wales site for years to come.