Case Study

Chilled Water & Cooling Tower System Upgrade

CLIENT OVERVIEW

International baked goods manufacturer in Portland Metro Area with continuous production operations dependent on cooling tower and chilled water systems for process control and ambient air temperature management.

PROJECT SCOPE

T&M Design provided project management, construction management, and mechanical engineering services for a cooling tower and chilled water systems replacement at a 24/7 baked goods production facility. The systems support critical operations including ambient air cooling, product cooling between ovens and packaging, ingredient cooling and dehumidification, and equipment condenser cooling.

Systems Replaced:

  • Chillers
  • Cooling tower
  • Side stream and sand filters
  • Control systems
  • Associated pumps and valves

Old chiller unit under demolition at baked goods manufacturing facility

THE CHALLENGE

The facility’s aging central cooling infrastructure required replacement while maintaining continuous operations. Any system failure during summer peak production would result in significant operational losses. Additionally, the client needed to comply with company policy and the Montreal Protocol by eliminating all R22 refrigerant (ozone-depleting substance) from their systems.

Key Constraints:

  • Zero downtime tolerance in 24/7 operation
  • Year-round cooling demand, even in winter months
  • Complex phasing requirements across multiple interconnected systems

Chillers at an international baked goods facility under demolition

THE SOLUTION

T&M Design developed and executed a phased replacement strategy that maintained full operational capacity throughout the project:

  1. Temporary Infrastructure: Installed permanent outdoor disconnects enabling temporary equipment — rental chillers, rental cooling tower, and rental air compressors. All systems designed with temporary tie-ins to provide complete system redundancy during service transitions. 
  2. Strategic Phasing: Coordinated replacement sequence — Control Systems → Pumps & Valves → Chillers → Cooling Tower — to minimize risk and maintain continuous cooling capacity.
  3. Integrated Management: Provided end-to-end project and construction management with mechanical and structural engineering consultation.

New chillers installed in an international baked goods food manufacturing facility
Cooling Tower Finshed (v2)

THE RESULTS

THE RESULTS

Finished cooling tower on a nice sunny day

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Critical infrastructure replacements in 24/7 facilities require strategic phasing and proactive risk management. T&M’s coordinated execution kept production running, maintained process specifications, and delivered the project on schedule and budget with zero operational losses.

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