Energy efficient, process specific cooling from Coolmation – the UK’s leading systems’ supplier to the food processing sector – is at the heart of the high volume food production now in progress at the new Shippams factory in Chichester.

A subsidiary of Princes Ltd and a market leader for potted spreadables, spreads and pastes, Shippams manufactures and supplies consumers and the grocery trade with some of Britains’ best loved brands and flavours, including the company’s Crab, Bloater & Anchovy paste. The new Chichester operation, built on the site of the former St Ivel Yoghurt Factory, has consolidated the activities of Shippams with Princes’ Southport division. As part of the development and as a key element in the production process, the factory required a cooling system able to meet its high volume demands and ensure optimum standards of hygiene are maintained.

Following close consultation with the client and project consultant, Kent-based, Westcombe, Coolmation has supplied a system featuring one of its high efficiency, open-circuit evaporative cooling towers for the Shippams site. Installed outside the factory, this 2500kW cooling tower delivers cooled water at a temperature of 25^oC to one of two 48,000l tanks. As jars of cooked food emerge from the nineteen cooking retorts which are used in product sterilisation, they are hit by pressurised jets of cooling water supplied from the tank. This provides a highly effective crash-cooling solution which rapidly reduces the temperature and creates a vacuum seal, ensuring the jars are ready for labelling.

Warmed water from this process is fed back into the second storage tank. This is then recirculated through the cooling tower, cooled and supplied back into the first tank for re-use.  Water is supplied into each tank at a constant high flow rate to maintain the volume requirements of the process. Coolmation carried out the supply and installation of all tanks, pipework, inverter-controlled pumps and associated equipment on the project, which was completed in Autumn 2002.

“Cost and energy efficiency were key considerations on this project with such vast quantities of water requiring cooling” explains consulting engineer, Jim High from Westcombe “We knew of Coolmation’s experience in food manufacturing and other process cooling applications and briefed them accordingly on the specification.  They came up with a cost effective and viable cooling solution that precisely met our client’s requirements”.

Coolmation evaporative, closed circuit cooling towers are ideally suited to projects where high levels of cooling water quality need to be maintained. They are available in cooling capacities ranging from 100kW up to 5000kW, and manufactured to the highest quality standards.

Coolmation provides a fully comprehensive, solutions-based approach for food manufacturers keen to improve production quality, yields and business profitability.  All Coolmation equipment is designed for high reliability and manufactured to internationally recognised quality standards. With offices in Lancashire, Leicestershire and a Head Office in Ringwood, Hampshire, Coolmation operates nationwide in equipment sales, supply and technical advice. For further information call freephone 0800 731 5466.