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Sigmat’s Problem
Sigmat, a leading European manufacturer of the design, manufacture and assembly of steel components was looking for a high-efficiency heating solution for their large 85,000ft² factory premises.
Built pre-2000, the premises are constructed from double-skinned brick and cladding walls and an asbestos roof which was not able to be penetrated.
The factory was exceptionally hot in the summer months (with temps of 38°C reported) and exceptionally cold in the winter months due to there being no other form of heating throughout the factory.
Our director headed to the site to meet with the team and fully understand their heating requirements.
Considering all of the findings, OKEL proposed a high-efficiency warm air and destratification solution that would introduce 900 kW of warm air, consisting of 6 x wall-mounted Winterwarm TR150 warm air heaters and 15 WCU destratification fans to prevent heat loss on the lower ground.
OKEL’s carefully thought-out design had the added benefit of a summer ventilation mode that would provide continuous air circulation and help to maintain a comfortable working temperature for the staff.
At the initial enquiry stage, Sigmat had also engaged with another commercial heating provider who had proposed heating the factory with a gas-fired radiant heating system.
With two different solutions at hand and unsure which one was best, Sigmat chose to instruct an independent heating consultant to review each proposal and make a final recommendation.
The heating consultant chose in favour of OKEL’s high-efficiency warm air and destratification design based on the improved overall spread of heat, minimising of hot and cold spots throughout the factory and reduced running costs throughout the year.
Based on the feedback from the independent heating consultant OKEL was assigned the heating project and works commenced in November 2019.
A preinstall engineer visit took place prior to the installation to agree and sign off on the exact positioning of the heaters and fans to allow for the most even spread of heat whilst considering the layout of the factory.
For health and safety reasons, Sigmat requested that the installation took place outside of their working hours and OKEL’S installation team installed the new system over several weekends when the factory was unoccupied.
The installation was completed on time and with Gas safety commissioning certification being issued upon completion.
