Vortec CaseStudy Food Manufacturing0 pages

Vortec Chills Out Control Panels
In Food Manufacturing Plants
Food manufacturing equipment must withstand frequent
washdowns in order to maintain quality standards. Electrical
panels on this equipment therefore must maintain NEMA
4X ratings. High temperature areas in manufacturing
plants, which become even hotter during the summer, make
maintaining these control panels even more challenging.
Food manufacturing plants can benefit from Vortec enclosure
cooling products which protect control panels subject to the
rigors of frequent washdowns and extreme temperatures.

The Challenge
A large ice cream manufacturing plant faced serious heatrelated issues with a large Allen-Bradley control panel. The
panel frequently overheated during the summer, resulting
in shutdowns which caused massive loss of production.
The plant maintenance supervisor estimated that for every
hour of shutdown, the food manufacturer lost $10,000 in
potential revenue.
A Freon air conditioner cooled the panel. However, the panel’s placement between two adjacent
panels provided very limited space for cooling equipment with an extremely small mounting footprint
available on the panel’s front door. Due to these space limitations, a small Freon A/C unit with
lower cooling capacity had been installed. This compromise resulted in two problems. The small air
conditioner was still too heavy to be supported by the panel’s door, leaving the panel door unsealed
with electrical equipment vulnerable to the dirt, heat and humidity of the plant environment. Also, the
small unit failed to provide adequate cooling. During the summer, when temperatures inside the panel
soared to 135°F, the Freon A/C unit failed, causing production line shutdowns.

The Solution
The plant maintenance supervisor called Vortec about an alternate solution to this unsatisfactory
Freon A/C unit. A Vortec applications engineer responded promptly to his query, demonstrating the
cooling capabilities and benefits of the Vortex Coolers in food manufacturing plants. Unlike the bulky
and heavy Freon A/C unit, the compact and lightweight Vortex A/C Cooler mounted easily on the
panel door without compromising the door seal. Whereas the old Freon unit did not provide sufficient
cooling for the panel, the cool dry air produced by the Vortex Cooler is routed (via the Cooler’s cold air
ducting kit) directly to a PLC to keep it within its specified operating parameters while also providing
heat abatement for the rest of the panel.

Conclusion
Impressed with the performance of the Vortec equipment, the plant maintenance supervisor
purchased several of Vortex A/C Coolers. The Vortex Coolers were immediately installed on the
A-B panel and are keeping the panel and the production lines at the ice cream manufacturing
plant up and running. He says, “I’ll be installing additional Vortex A/C Coolers next summer.
The cost/benefit is very favorable – the Vortex A/C Coolers are inexpensive and I can’t afford
a production shutdown. The installation is quick and easy. Vortex A/C Coolers are ideal for
panels in washdown areas that cannot be cooled effectively with traditional thermal management
products.”
For more information on Vortex A/C, click here or scan this QR code with your smart phone.

Vortec, an ITW Company
10125 Carver Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242

1-800-441-7475
sales@vortec.com
www.vortec.com