Blog

Air Handling Units (AHUs) tend to have their airflow configuration in a horizontal direction, but there are some instances where a vertical AHU is needed instead, depending on the area it will be installed in. This was the case for a medical technology company, located in western UK, who were planning on upgrading their cleanroom ventilation system. AirCraft Air Handling got to work with assisting in the design of a bespoke arrangement for this specific vertical AHU. It needed to function in an unclassified cleanroom, filtering dust and external pollutants out whilst controlling the humidity and temperature of the supply air. The clean room in question also required regulated air pressure for optimum performance. Our design team worked closely with the cleanroom contractor to finalise the specifications for an up-flow air AHU, which was delivered to the site in a modular format. Click through for more information about his project: https://bit.ly/3Q8aA83

Refurbishment Well-designed and manufactured Air Handling Units (AHUs) can have a potential life expectancy of around twenty years when correctly maintained. However, along the way, there are some items that may need replacement due to their usage, typically these could be coils, fans, gas heaters, thermal wheels, and recuperators. In some cases, an AHU will need a supply of hot or chilled water for thermal transfer with the incoming air. In areas of hard water, pipework and coils within the AHU are likely to experience limescale build-up, causing problems, potential damage and reducing their effectiveness. In most cases, all of the above can be dealt with under a refurbishment plan, AirCraft Air Handling have experience in working with our own legacy AHUs and units from other manufacturers. We can refurbish the worn or damaged component parts or supply any replacement items needed. In some cases, we can also help with AHU’s manufactured by defunct manufacturers. Replacement When an aging AHU becomes non-economical to repair or refurbish, now could be the time to plan a replacement. Apart from the life cycle benefits associated with new equipment, there can be tangible gains from lower energy consumption, lower noise levels improved output performance and in some cases compliance to changing legislative requirements. There is also an option to specify a system that fully integrates with a building management system (BMS). In either a refurbishment or replacement AHU project, [...]

Summer is coming, so now could be the time to think of fresh air in your building. With summer fast approaching, now maybe the time to consider the effectiveness of the ventilation in your building. A well-designed and manufactured Fresh Air, Air Handling Unit (AHU), is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring clean, fresh air into a building. There are many environments where fresh air circulation through open windows is just not an option such as kitchens, restaurants, catering facilities, classrooms, and laboratories to name just a few. In these instances, the ideal solution is to install a Fresh Air AHU, which draws air from outside, filters it to remove dust and contaminates, and heats or cools the supply air. The filtered and conditioned air supplied by the AHU is then channelled into the enclosed area via either existing or new ducting. During the summer, a Fresh Air AHU manufactured to include chilled water-cooling coils or a direct expansion cooling source, allows the AHU to supply chilled air when it is most needed. The AirCraft Air Handling team will happily assist with advice and specifications for entirely new installations, replacements and refurbishments if needed.

Can you just, yes, we can! During a recent project for the manufacture of a large weatherproof bespoke AHU we were asked if we could also help with the manufacturer of an external plant room, the answer was yes. The request was for a 6-meter-long, 3.2-meter-wide and 2.6-meter-tall roof-top weatherproof plant room that would be broken down into flatpack format to enable the components to be transported to the roof via a stairwell and easily assembled on site. It needed to accommodate equipment requiring both water and power supplies. For security purposes we also fitted a heavy duty self-closing door. Although not something we generally get asked for our engineering and manufacturing team quickly started on the construction, completing it in the agreed time frames. We subsequently dismantled the plant room for flat pack delivery and transported to site along with the large weatherproof bespoke AHU that we also manufactured.

We want to thank our customers and partners for their continued interest and business over 2023, and look forward to the opportunities 2024 will bring. Please note that we will be closed for business from 5 pm on Thursday 21st December 2023 and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

Amongst the range of AHU products we design and manufacture, AirCraft Air Handling supply Heat Recovery AHUs to replace failing or high-energy consuming units and units for new installations. The principal benefit of a Heat Recovery AHU is its energy efficiency. The AHU transfers thermal energy from the exhaust air stream into the supply air stream via a heat recovery device. As a result, the AHU recovers cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Correctly configured a balanced heat recovery unit will recover upwards of approximately 73% of the thermal energy from the extract air stream. The Heat Recovery AHU takes advantage of the exhaust air, which is generally warmer than the fresh incoming air used in the process of heat recovery. It can also assist in removing moisture from the building, as the extracted cooler humid air is exhausted out through the ducting and into the atmosphere. Energy savings are achieved by utilising the heat that would have been lost through the extracted air, thus contributing towards lowering the heating and cooling loads and associated running costs of a building. In today’s world of higher energy costs and a drive towards Net Zero emissions, choosing a Heat Recovery AHU may help with companies' or authorities' carbon emission objectives.

October 2023 marks the 25th year of trading as AirCraft Air Handling Ltd and we are very proud of the enviable position of being one of the UK’s specialist AHU manufacturers. AirCraft’s history of delivering excellent customer service: One of the key contributors to our ongoing success has been our problem-solving approach towards challenging projects and requests for advice with existing and sometimes obsolete AHUs. Although many of the AHUs we design, manufacture and supply are based on existing or supplied designs, we thrive on designing and helping customers with their plans for achieving the manufacture of well-specified, site-specific bespoke AHUs. Growth in an ever-competitive and crowded market: AirCraft have always enjoyed a great reputation for technical skills, manufacturing quality and competitive pricing.  Collectively, these have helped us to deliver some of our largest AHUs.  These projects include external weatherproof HTM-03.01 (2021) units to the NHS. These have service corridors for maintenance to be carried out in an enclosed environment. Our knockdown and site assembly facility has enabled us to replace many existing AHUs.  Recently, Aircraft were requested to carry out a site survey and put forward proposals to replace an end-of-life AHU serving a large VAV rating duct air condensing system.  The plant room was located on the 1st floor buried deep within the building and the only access was via the plant room door measuring just 750mm wide & 2400mm high. The new [...]

A vast number of buildings do not have the space for a plant room, access to a flat roof that would support an AHU or an attached secure yard for a ground-level installed unit. So, for those environments, a slimline and low-profile ceiling mounted AHU could be the answer for providing tempered and or fresh air. They are ideal for restaurants, civic buildings, and schools. Depending on their location, they can be unobtrusive or even used as a feature point in trendy commercial settings. They can be installed in ceiling voids or a false ceiling for a further concealed set-up, enhancing rather than detracting from the premises’ interior design. Within AirCraft Air Handling’s range of ceiling mounted AHUs, we manufacture Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) units with high efficiency plate recuperator and supply & extract EC plug fans. The tempered and filtered air can be discreetly supplied into an enclosed area such as a room within a school or office environment. The regulatory framework for ventilation in schools gives recommended performance levels for compliance with the UK “Breathing Buildings” BB101 standard (2018). AirCraft Air Handling’s Ceiling Mounted AHUs are designed to meet these standards along with the sound insulation in our case works which are tested to ISO 91.120.20.

Air handling systems are essential to prevent some of the common issues caused by a lack of effective ventilation. This is important in a space containing an indoor swimming pool or spa. In the case of a swimming pool, a fully operational AHU will circulate the air and replace it with fresh tempered air whilst extracting the humid stale air. The AHU also plays a role in reducing evaporation from the pool, significantly reducing energy consumption and associated costs, by maintaining the ambient air temperature just above the water temperature. Enclosed air will naturally become humid where there is a pool. This humidity is likely to cause problems for the building and its users. The tell-tale signs of inappropriately high levels of moisture in a pool environment are noticeable over time. Chemical corrosion, mould and mildew, uncomfortable environments, the smell of chlorine and stinging eyes for users of the space can be the unfortunate consequences. This highlights the importance and value of an AHU designed specifically for a swimming pool. A swimming pool air handling unit ventilates the space and helps maintain a comfortable environment for users. Less effective methods of ventilation, such as open windows, are not energy-efficient due to heat being lost. AirCraft Air Handling’s units include a high-efficiency heat recovery plate recuperator, to significantly reduce heating costs. The ventilation system may include; LPHW, DX, Electric or Gas heater batteries for top-up heating [...]

A well-designed and manufactured Fresh Air AHU is one of the most economical ways to serve clean fresh air into a building. A Fresh Air AHU needs to be capable of filtering the air drawn from outside the building, as well as cooling or heating the air as appropriate. To help with this, the team at AirCraft Air Handling can help with advice and specifications when needed, if you or your customer need assistance. The need for fresh air in an enclosed area, typically like that of a catering environment, can be addressed through the installation of the Fresh Air AHU. Fresh Air Units operate by filtering and conditioning air drawn from outside the building. The tempered and filtered fresh air is then ducted into the enclosed area within the building from the Fresh Air AHU.  Air purity is improved through stages of filtration and decreasing the concentration of indoor pollutants by displacing the stale air. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to sick building syndrome and can expose the people using the building to pollutants, for example, where there is indoor combustion for cooking. More serious problems can occur when inadequate ventilation allows the build-up of bacteria in the air that is breathed in by the occupants. These are just some of the reasons that a Fresh Air AHU from AirCraft Air Handling can enhance a building and give peace of mind. [...]