Blog

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. [...]

As part of our standard and bespoke range of AHUs, AirCraft Air Handling design and manufacture clean room AHUs for a wide range of environments including health care, scientific, manufacturing and food processing. All of the clean room AHUs we manufacture adhere to ISO 14644 and the various environments the standard relates to. However, in all cases, the one thing in common is the necessity for good-quality air filters. These also have strict ISO standards and classifications covering EPA, HEPA and ULPA filters. Our AHUs can be specified with panel & bag filters, HEPA filters or activated carbon filters. Depending on your requirements, it is possible to have more than one type fitted. Lower-grade filters often protect the higher-grade filters and ensure these do not expire which saves money in the process. AirCraft Air Handling can help with the AHU specification for a clean room if needed, which could include various cooling and heating options to suit the clean room’s needs and energy efficiency. Our clean room AHUs will typically recirculate approximately 90% of the air to achieve the room filtration rate requirement which is generally higher than the fresh air required for occupancy. When specifying a clean room AHU, Airflow optimisation must be considered to provide a reliable positive pressure for air circulation for the room it is serving.