George Jowitt & Sons Limited, Dronfield

George Jowitt & Sons are manufacturers of industrial abrasive wheels, a process resulting in excessive temperatures within the factory through the use of baking ovens. Additional solar heat gains during the summer months, through the glazed roof, further exacerbated the problem, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius.

These temperatures not only produced uncomfortable working conditions, but also caused problems with the storage  and use of the abrasive granules. The high temperature of the granules fed into the factory were affecting the granule quality, resulting in material variations, reduced production and a high rate of wastage. 

Optimair were brought into survey the factory and to design a system that would deal with the overheating problem and cool the ambient temperatures in the factory and Hopper Room. 

The Hopper Room was installed with a Close Control Air Conditioning System to maintain an ideal storage temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. The Hoppers were also insulated to prolong the time it took for the abrasive mixture to reach it's maximum temperature before variations could occur.

By installing an Optimair Ventilation System, the problem of general overheating was improved by forcing in fresh air and mechanically extracting the excess heat. This creating a significantly cooler ambient temperature inside the factory, reducing material wastage, stabilising production and improving the working environment. As well as benefiting financially, Jowitts were complying with the latest Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations and improving working conditions for their workforce.