In late winter, crews at Klondike Cheese needed more cooling power for the end of their yogurt production line, but time was tight. Improvements had to be made prior to spring’s increase in yogurt production. Additional cassettes could be added to the plate and frame in the existing cooling unit, but the surge drum and related piping were too small to accommodate expansion. Additionally, Hurckman teams did not have enough room to place an expanded vessel inside the building.

Hurckman teams made a site visit and thought of installing a larger capacity surge vessel and piping on the roof, suspending it from an existing structural condenser steel platform. Working with a subcontractor, teams constructed a new 36” X 96” pressure tank in ten days, then had it on-site to pipe it into the existing system, pressure test the unit and insulate it. For added capacity, the team incorporated an innovative, new Hantemp actuated V-Port ball valve.

The expanded system not only allows Klondike to meet production goals, but plant operators report that the precision control of the new system allows them to maintain glycol temperature to within ½ of a degree F for improved quality control.