For a failing refrigeration system at its facility in Yorkshire, Quorn Foods, UK market leader of meat-free meals, needed an innovative solution. After proposing a GEA Grasso Conversion Kit, GEA was tasked with the job of meeting a strict 10-day deadline set by Quorn Foods during a planned shutdown for not only installing and commissioning the new, larger compressor that would improve performance of the supply of refrigeration to the production facilities, but also for removing the obsolete equipment. A specialist in supplying high-tech processing, packaging and refrigeration kit for the food industry, GEA completed the task in half the allotted time, enabling Quorn Foods to bring production back online without any interruptions to the schedule of work at the plant or to the start-up plan.
Moreover, investing in a GEA Grasso Conversion Kit enabled Quorn Foods to benefit from boosting the refrigeration capacity by an extra seven percent. This not only improved the efficiency of the site but also delivered energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint. GEA also upgraded Quorn Foods’ existing controller with a new state-of-the-art OMNI Retrofit Panel controller (GORP), a much more sophisticated control and management system designed to smooth out what had been an erratic operation. The solutions put forward by GEA have delivered the reliability of refrigeration supply demanded by the customer – the GEA Grasso compressor is meeting Quorn Foods’ target of 98% availability for the production of its vegetarian, vegan and meat-free recipes – alongside a reduction of 29% in electricity usage.
Quorn Foods’ Engineering Site Manager, Neal Simmonds, said GEA was awarded the contract ahead of other refrigeration providers due to its innovative ideas and thinking outside the box approach, and didn’t disappoint with its handling of the project. He commented: “Originally we had requested a like for like replacement for the failing compressor but GEA offered an alternative, cost-effective solution which was delivered ahead of schedule and without downtime to production. It has been a highly successful project, giving a payback of less than three years.”
GEA’s Business Development Manager, Heating & Refrigeration Technologies Division, Mark Penney, added: “We are thrilled to be part of this project. It’s a real team effort that delivered a successful outcome for Quorn Foods in terms of improved performance and increased lifetime for the plant. The tight deadline could have been a little unnerving but thanks to top-notch teamwork we beat it by a half – really great work!”
As well as providing first-class training for Quorn’s staff, GEA’s team of engineers also carried out service work including PRV calibrations, mechanical safety switch calibrations and the replacement of the motor bearing, coalescent filter and oil separator sight glass.
Following on from the works carried out by GEA, Quorn Foods is developing even more choices for its mouth-watering meat alternative meals, while continually reducing the carbon footprint of its factory in line with the company’s environmental philosophy.
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