The Importance of Climate Control in Industrial Facilities

Whether you’re in the food and beverage, dairy, or retail and logistics industry, climate control solutions are crucial for day-to-day facility operations. And when a heating or cooling system fails, you can’t afford to waste time in search of the right equipment and tools.

If your industrial facility encounters seasonal moisture problems or every-so-often humidity issues, the purchase price of a permanent fix may be impractical — or simply unneeded. Thankfully, from industrial dehumidifiers and drying equipment to cooling and heating equipment, Sunbelt Rentals provides rental solutions for even the most challenging project.

Learn how we can help with the cooling, heating, and dehumidification needs at your industrial facility — and explore real-world examples to see how we can develop tailored solutions for your worksite.

Solve Even the Toughest Industrial Cooling Challenges.

With so much machinery on-site, industrial facilities are susceptible to challenges stemming from excessive heat and humidity. To combat these potential problems, plant managers need solutions that can perform reliably and efficiently.

From spot cooling to large-scale industrial applications, Sunbelt Rentals offers the broadest range of equipment and solutions to help address any cooling and drying need. That equals the highest caliber of cooling equipment ranging from:

Air handlers
Chillers
Cooling towers
Industrial air conditioners
Spot cooling units

For example, chiller rentals are flexible, temporary fluid cooling solutions using equipment that has been designed as self-contained systems for both commercial and industrial air-conditioning and process cooling applications. These solutions have also been designed and constructed for ease of operation and mobility, as well as the rigors of everyday use.

Climate Control Rentals Came Through for a Dairy Processor's Warehouse.

Superior Dairy, the largest independently owned dairy processor in Ohio, leveraged this solution when its warehouse experienced a system failure. The facility was used to store vast quantities of milk for a major nationwide grocer, which meant a quick response was critical.

The customer notified Sunbelt Rentals in the morning, and a walkthrough with the maintenance manager was set up the same day. The room in question did not have an exterior wall, so the Sunbelt Rentals Power & HVAC specialists knew installing a system and transporting equipment would require strategic planning.

After obtaining Superior Dairy’s target temperature range, Sunbelt Rentals worked on designing and implementing a temporary system that included:

100-ton low-temperature chiller
175-kW generator
20-ton low-temperature air handling units
500-gallon glycol volume tank

An air handling unit inside of an industrial facility.

Working with the customer, Sunbelt Rentals completed setup in three days. For a week following setup, the rented equipment provided the customer with cooling capabilities that far exceeded typical cooling equipment. Take a peek at the setup:

The chiller and tank were placed outside near a truck dock on a flatbed trailer.
The air handling units were placed on the second level of the facility to distribute cool air throughout the space with a chiller hose installed through the wall.

Because a proper temperature range was maintained throughout the process, Superior Dairy was able to continue operations without diverting or moving product. Thanks to the fast and smooth response of Sunbelt Rentals, no product was lost.

Industrial Dehumidification: Monitor Temperature and Humidity Levels.

In industrial facilities, even the smallest changes in temperature and humidity levels can mean expensive and drawn-out procedural modifications. Controlling these levels is especially important for products in your facility that naturally soak up moisture from their surroundings.

Sunbelt Rentals’ wide range of climate control and dehumidification equipment includes:

Air handlers
Desiccant dehumidifiers
Fans
Heaters
Hybrid cooling units
Industrial air conditioners
Portable and industrial dehumidifiers

Plus, seasoned professionals are on call 24/7 to help you with all of your drying and emergency dehumidification needs.

Ensuring food processing plants eliminate conditions that create condensation is one of many ways the Sunbelt Air Monitoring System, a dehumidification tool, is utilized. Originally designed to meet stringent military specifications for tank lining, SAMS successfully monitors the conditions of nearly any critical dehumidification project. It is the only logging system able to continuously collect conditions in the event power and/or internet connectivity is lost.

The SAMS Dehumidification Tool Has the Following Capabilities.

It can continue to record conditions even when you lose power or your internet connection.
Optional sensors can measure air pressure differential, CO₂, and other gases, plus porous materials, such as wood, concrete, and plaster.
Sensors can send data to the gateway using a high-gain antenna that works at distances of up to 300 yards, depending on the site and application.

Sunbelt Rentals Air Monitoring System.

In addition, Sunbelt Rentals air monitoring equipment can communicate with temporary HVAC units and confirm they’re working and delivering the correct temperature and humidity level. In the event of smoke or fire, a SAMS unit can shut down HVAC equipment, meeting National Fire Protection Association standards.

Choose the Right Industrial Heating Solution.

Adequate heat is important in any workplace. In industrial facilities, inefficiencies in heating equipment can have harmful effects on the heat distribution throughout the space, creating dangerous working conditions and compromising the products the facility carries.

Sunbelt Rentals offers site-specific recommendations and engineered solutions to meet your industrial heating needs. For example, equipment rentals include indirect fired, flameless, and hydronic surface models capable of producing up to 4.2 million BTUs per hour, providing customers with the flexibility and power needed for any heat application.

Here Are a Few of the Available Heating Solutions.

Industrial Drying: Prevent Condensation with Ease.

Industrial facilities are continually searching for strategies to lower costs, increase efficiency, and improve deliverable products. In the poultry and meat industry alone, millions are spent researching bird and animal health, production line methodology, and just-in-time techniques. Yet, condensation — a critical element that causes production delays, schedule shortfalls, and lost productivity — is usually managed after it occurs, rather than being prevented before it can cause an issue.

The common solution to condensation has been to employ wiper teams with sponges on extension poles. The result is increased labor costs, employee management struggles, and efficiency rates that are completely dependent on labor. And the condensation is only marginally managed.

Lock Down a Better Industrial Drying Solution.

With a mechanical solution from Sunbelt Rentals, condensation can be eliminated before it even occurs. Mechanical solutions from Sunbelt Rentals maintain environmental conditions within an optimal range. Customers benefit from a structured approach based on experience in poultry and meat processing facilities, a focus on cost reduction through improved engineering, and partnerships with mechanical equipment manufacturers.

A Sunbelt Rentals air handling unit positioned outside of an industrial facility.

Implement a Strategy to Eliminate Condensation with a Tailored Designed System Engineered to Be Successful and Cost-Effective. Here is How Sunbelt Rentals Can Help.

Direct cost savings: In most poultry and meat processing facilities, wiper teams are composed of between four and 12 employees. These employees must be paid wages, taxes, and benefits. Wiper crew personnel most often operate only eight hours per shift, typically maxing out at 40 hours per week to avoid overtime expenses, with costs increasing for each hour worked. Additionally, they must be provided personal protective equipment and must be managed through training, supervision, and evaluation on a regular basis. The direct costs of employing a wiper crew adds up quickly for the processor. Worse, it provides a solely reactive method to manage the condensation problem.
Mechanical equipment operates 24 hours per day for a fixed rental fee, eliminating increased manual labor costs. This solution allows employees to be placed in more crucial roles, increasing productivity. Because the equipment can be rented seasonally, there are no capital liabilities. The processor pays for a solution that is capable of improving the environment within the facility, eliminating condensation-related delays, and maintaining fresh air supplies for those working in the space.
Indirect cost savings: A mechanical solution reduces human resources and supervisory costs, operates 24 hours a day, and allows wash down and other important cleaning operations to take place on late shifts. This reduces production delays during peak hours. In addition, the reduction of ambient moisture, a primary agent in the premature degradation of building materials, helps to decrease intangibles such as defrost time in coolers and equipment maintenance. By maintaining an environment that is low in moisture content, the facility owner can extend the life cycle of the asset and increase long-term profitability.
For any business venture, the ability to set a production schedule and leverage assets to meet or exceed goals are key elements to success. By controlling the environment and maintaining conditions at optimal levels, poultry and meat processors are better prepared to remain on schedule and achieve production and profitability goals.

Whether you need industrial cooling, heating, dehumidification or drying needs, and no matter the size of your facility, Sunbelt Rentals will deliver the right equipment when and where you need it — and our support doesn’t end there. Committed to designing an efficient, effective plan for facilities, Sunbelt Rentals offers strategic guidance and expertise from seasoned professionals who can help you take the guesswork out of choosing and using the right heating, cooling, and dehumidification solutions.