Spot cooling factories and workshops

Air conditioning entire factories and workshops is uneconomic. Their size, the heat generated by production processes, and cold air escaping through open doors, windows and loading bays demands the use of high capacity air conditioning systems which are both expensive to purchase and operate.

Industrial spot coolers

Rather than wasting energy air conditioning the entire building, spot cooling units can be installed to lower the temperature in problem ‘hot spots’. For instance to:

Cool machinery and equipment - such as label printing machinery, plastic forming machines, computers, etc. to prevent failures

Cool staff - to increase comfort and productivity

Provide back up or additional cooling - to supplement the main air conditioning system during periods of abnormally high load, or during breakdowns and servicing.

Speed up production processes - cool finished products i.e. castings, mouldings etc.

When portable cooling units are used in this way it is called spot cooling

How spot cooling works

Spot coolers cannot create cooling; they work by relocating heat from one place to another.

For instance the Activair BCM20 mobile spot cooler draws warm air in through its front filter and produces cold air from two front outlets. Hot air created by this process is exhausted through a vent mounted on the top of the cooler.

A 2.5m (8ft.) flexible duct built into the machine carries the hot air away from the area being cooled. It is a common misconception the flexible vent duct must go outside via a nearby window, wall, or ceiling void. This is not the case; its sole purpose is to remove heat from the area being cooled, for spot cooling this doesn’t necessarily mean outside.

Siting a spot cooler and air distribution

Spot cooling is a highly efficient means of air conditioning, because the cold air produced is fed by ducting to exactly where it is needed. This allows spot coolers to be positioned outside to take advantage of lower air temperatures.

When cold air needs to be distributed or directed to more than one location, flexible ducts can be attached to the spot cooler.

The Activair BCM35 commercial spot cooler with the addition of an optional 4 head outlet and up to 16m (52ft.) of flexible ducting, can supply chilled air to four areas simultaneously.

Economical spot cooling for industry

Air conditioning an entire building when cool air is required only in isolated areas is expensive and inefficient. In contrast spot cooling problem areas is cost effective and efficient. Activair spot coolers are completely portable, air conditioning units that can be quickly deployed where needed – at a fraction of the cost of fixed units.