Melbourne based, I Do Group prides themselves on quality workmanship which is why the company would never risk a customer relationship with poor equipment.
The group's latest project at Melbourne Markets was an install that required reliability and built-on redundancy.
The project consisted of 3 ripening rooms, 3 storage rooms and 2 general warehouse areas. The customer, Perfection Fresh, is utilising the rooms for mango storage and ripening.
A unique requirement of the project was the need for multiple temperature zones between the different rooms and the ability to provide 24/7/365 day stable temperature control under the demanding ambient conditions that Melbourne offers across winter and summer.
To meet this brief, the group specified and installed 7 Kirby Centurion Units and 12 Kirby KHDCE Heavy Duty Unit Coolers.
I Do Group managing director, Leigh Cummin, said the selection of individual Centurion units avoided any costly central plant issues.
“With this installation, some rooms run at 10o C, 20o C where others run at 2o C, so the Centurion gave us an economical capital cost solution and also gives us reliability around capacity redundancy,” he said.
“We’ve used the Centurion units on other fresh produce rooms and found them to be a solid, quality product, so we had confidence they would meet the demands of this job.”
In fact the Kirby brand is featured widely across the Melbourne Markets site.
“It’s a very reliable, cost effective brand and the customer is familiar with it. Its been in the market place a long time and is a specified brand of choice at the Melbourne Markets,” Cummin added.
The engineered to order Centurion units featured modifications to deliver added reliability and performance given the size of the project.
Since commissioning the units I Do Group, site supervisor, Braeden Menzie, said the units aren't just efficient there is very low noise levels.
“The site required certain noise pollution controls which have been met with the selected equipment,” Menzie said. “The installation went smoothly. We expected some challenges given the size of the units, but the positioning of the pipe connections and layout of the units made the job easy. Capacity controls and head cooling fans pre-fitted ex-factory, also assisted.”
Heatcraft account manager, Judson Hamsa, said ripening facilities require balanced air flow, temperature management, humidity control and the list goes on.
“Understanding the project requirements combined with careful selection of the Kirby equipment by Heatcraft Engineer Brenton Mitchell delivered a good result.
“This project includes 335kW of refrigeration capacity backed up by the Kirby Centurion units and Kirby KHDCE Heavy Duty Series Evaporators with 500mm fans," Hamsa said.
With the mango season fast approaching, time frames had to be met but Heatcraft to ensure the project was delivered on time.
Cummins said the evaporators were in stock, so they were able to get moving on the project early and keep up with the build.
Formed in 2003, the I Do Group now has 18 employees, including 5 apprentices. I Do Group specialises in commercial air conditioning, produce refrigeration, post-harvest high humidity cooling as well as smaller restaurant refrigeration requirements.