Bespoke Large Steel Fabrication

3.5m x 19m high

When a large fresh herb producer was looking to upgrade their production facility as part of their continued growth, they chose Wrightfield for the design, manufacture and installation of bespoke very large production equipment

Project Summary 

• Cyclone Stack 3.5m diameter x 8 m height
• Vent stack 3.5m diameter x 11m height
• 2 x 3.5m diameter fans powered by 180kw motors
• Designed inhouse on SolidWorks by Wrightfield, working closely with client to meet production requirements and fit within existing infrastructure
• Manufactured in UK facility by the team over a 3 week fabrication process
• Full assembly and testing of component parts completed within the manufacturing facility before breakdown, transportation and installation in client facility

The bespoke design and fabrication process

Wrightfield had worked with the herb producer on previous food equipment projects. Mark Rose – Technical Director visited the site with other members of the engineering team to discuss with the clients production & operational teams the required outputs from the project. Whist onsite they carried out a detailed audit to gain dimensional and facility data.

Ductwork is critical to the proper function of process equipment. Dust buildup can cause a number of issues, such as corrosion and wear on machinery. Proper functioning ducts help to alleviate such possibilities. To ensure the highest functioning duct work, the product should be fabricated to client specifications. What follows is a discussion of some key factors that affect large diameter ductwork.

The Importance of correct design in Large Diameter Ductwork

Ductwork helps to transport dusty air from food processing equipment, which can be found in mills, food manufacturing plants and more. Many production processes in mills and factories, are prone to accumulating a considerable amount of dust. Duct work, especially large diameter, high capacity ductwork, is instrumental in directing the dust particles away from machinery and equipment, thereby preventing any adverse effects.

Different Ducting / Extraction factors to consider

Within the client specifications there are a number of elements that should be accounted for. The main factors include:

• Shape – There are two shapes that are most commonly used:
  • Round – Round duct work is a popular option that is efficient and requires fewer stiffeners than other types.
  • Rectangular – This shape of ductwork is used in an array of industrial applications.
• Diameter – The duct must be large enough to not only transport the dust and material, but to also transport it at a steady rate required for the process. When determining the size of the duct work, the space for necessary stiffeners must also be considered.
• Heat capacity – If the ducting is carrying hot / heated materials, the duct must be able to withstand distortion from the heat of the transported materials.
• Resistance to corrosion – Though corrosion over time is inevitable, there are a few measures that can be put in place to slow it down:
  • Specialty, reinforced steel material
  • Insulation
  • Internal coating

Detailed drawings were then created in SolidWorks and modelled so that all parties could see clearly how the new extraction would fit and work within the facility. Once approved this was then used to drive the build and fabrication process.

Dedicated Fabrication Production Spaces

An advantage of a large multi zoned site is that specific areas can be set aside for the dedicated production of large builds. Note this has proved to be incredibly useful when fabricating 50 plus metre long food production conveyor systems. As it was a mild steel fabrication Unit 3 was chosen for the fabrication and assembly.

For more information on the subcontract engineering facilities provided or food processing equipment contact Wrightfield on 01379 872800

Examples of our stainless steel fabrication capabilities can be seen here.