At the end of 2024, ISF was approached by one of our long-standing customers – a national poultry feed mill in Buckinghamshire – and tasked with delivering a complex plant upgrade. We’ve worked with the customer for over 35 years, and this was another successful project completed by ISF.
The project was split into two phases to minimise disruption to production and was completed earlier this year. It gave us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our ability to solve technical challenges, maximise throughput, and deliver high-impact engineering under tight time constraints.
Phase One: A cool solution to a hot problem
The initial brief focused on a key piece of process equipment: the cooler. This single-deck unit, essential for cooling freshly pressed feed pellets before dispatch, was due for replacement, ideally with a more efficient double-deck version. The goal was to reduce batch changeover time and boost hourly throughput. However, the mill’s location in a former aircraft hangar, just two storeys high, posed a significant challenge. A conventional double-deck cooler simply wouldn’t fit.
Our engineering team conducted a full site survey before designing a bespoke under-hopper system to work around the height limitations. Using in-house 3D modelling tools, the team developed a shallow-profile discharge hopper with a 1.5m wide chain and flight conveyor. Combined with shortened support legs, this reduced the total cooler height by 500mm, making the installation viable within the restricted headroom.
We arranged for two teams of three engineers to complete the installation of the new, upgraded equipment within an agreed three-day shutdown period. Then, to ensure compatibility with downstream equipment, the wider replacement conveyor was calibrated to run at a slower speed, maintaining flow consistency. Our team stayed onsite during electrical commissioning to ensure a smooth start-up.
As a result, throughput increased from 12 to 16 tonnes per hour, and batch changeover times were significantly reduced, with the upper deck now able to hold product while the lower deck discharges.
Phase Two: Breathing new life into an ageing system
With the new cooler in place, we could move on to replacing ageing equipment further up and down the line. This included upgrades to the press, conditioner, crumbler, and sieve; components that had seen years of heavy use and were becoming inefficient and unreliable.
The conditioner was especially critical, as it injects steam and molasses into the meal before pelleting. From there, the newly formed pellets travel through the cooler, into the crumbler, and then through the sieve to remove dust before fat coating and storage.
The customer sourced the new specialist equipment, and we designed and manufactured the bespoke steelwork to support it. Our engineers then removed the old press and conditioners and installed our newly fabricated equipment and steelwork using a 300-tonne crane supplied by Baldwins. We also took the opportunity to replace the industrial fan to avoid a future shutdown. It all took place over two visits of two days each to reduce downtime for the customer.
We supported the customer throughout, from planning the equipment layout and shutdown schedule to designing and fabricating custom steelwork at our site in York and installing it.
Proven impact, engineered to last
Once both phases were complete, throughput increased to around 20 tonnes per hour, an overall uplift of more than 60%. The mill is now equipped with modern, efficient, and reliable equipment that will support production well into the future.
This project showcases ISF’s problem-solving mindset: instead of asking if a solution is possible, the team asks how it can be done. From tight spaces to tight schedules, we continue to deliver results by combining practical engineering, in-house design and fabrication, and a collaborative approach that puts our customers’ goals first.
To discuss your next mechanical upgrade, get in touch with the ISF team: https://isfyork.com/contact/
