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There are many internal environments that need a controlled atmosphere. Recent developments in both vertical farming and smart commercial greenhouses are creating great interest across the world and here in the UK. The desire to create these indoor environments is driven by the need to increase crop yields of fast-growing, high-value low-biomass crops such as herbs, salads, small fruits, and vegetables. However, growing food in a factory-style environment does require efficient and effective control of air quality and temperature to optimise growth and improve crop productivity. The controlled air flow needed for vertical farms will be delivered from one or several air handling units (AHUs), drawing in fresh air from the outside to help enhance photosynthesis and promote plant growth. This is where AirCraft Air Handling can help. Our quality manufacturing facilities in Stafford, England, produce a range of customer-focused AHU solutions ideal for vertical farms. These solutions help ensure high-quality, controlled air delivery whilst also assisting with unit energy efficiency. AirCraft Air Handling AHU options for vertical farming and smart commercial greenhouses: Energy Saving Heat Recovery AirCraft Air Handling’s heat recovery AHUs will recover upwards of 73% of the thermal energy from the extract air stream and input this directly back into the fresh air supply prior to it being distributed via the farm’s ventilation system. Our supply and extract heat recovery AHUs can be configured to include reverse cycle direct expansion (DX) heating/cooling [...]

Everyone at AirCraft Air Handling would like to thank all our customers, partners and those who have shown interest in our business over the past year for bringing us the many high-specification AHU projects we have been asked to assist with during 2024. As we approach Christmas, we would also like to wish all our customers and those who have helped AirCraft Air Handling a very happy Christmas and New Year for 2025. Please note that we will be closed for business from 5pm on Friday 20th December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 2nd January 2025.

Packaged DX (Direct Expansion) AHUs, what are they and their advantages? A packaged DX AHU is an all-in-one air handing unit (AHU) also known as a plug and play unit that controls and circulates the air within a building. They are designed and manufactured as a self-contained unit that includes heating and cooling modules, fans, filters and a control system to provide managed ventilation, heating, and temperature-controlled air flow. The Advantages Aircraft Air Handling’s packaged DX AHUs are all individually specified, designed and manufactured to each customer’s own site-specific requirements. Supplied as an all-in-one unit, our packaged DX AHUs only require minimal on-site assembly and connection to the building’s electrical supply and air ducting system. This significantly reduces installation time, potentially removing the need to have two different trades on-site to install and commission the AHU. An additional feature is that our DX packaged systems do not require a water supply, they use the refrigerant in the DX coil that absorbs heat from the air being cooled - this avoids the need for the AHU to be connected to a water supply. Smaller all-in-one DX packaged systems are ideal for smaller buildings or individual room applications like classrooms and offices, whilst larger, weatherproof units are ideal for rooftop installation which cuts noise and saves plant room space.

Have you a problem with an aging air handling unit (AHU), or just want to keep your end-of-life AHU running for a few more years? AirCraft Air Handling might just be able to help. An old, even plus 35-years-old, AHU may still work, but it is more likely to breakdown and require new parts. These parts might not be available from the original manufacturer, either because they no longer produce parts for that AHU, or the manufacturer themselves are no longer in business. It is possible that you may also not be able to see the manufacturer’s markings anymore. So, an easy way to establish if we can help is to use your phone to photograph the failing part. Simply send the image to us by email to info@aircraftairhandling.com. Don’t forget to tell us a little about your AHU problem and also of course your name and contact details. With this information we will quickly get back to you and confirm what options or replacement parts we can help with. Click through to see a list of manufacturers we can source parts for: https://www.aircraftairhandling.com/services/defunct-ahu-manufacturers/ Or, contact us to see if we can help: https://www.aircraftairhandling.com/contact/

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.